James 5:13 says, "Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises." When you face difficult times, the Bible instructs you to pray. It's not a matter of someone else praying for you—you need to pray for yourself. James 5:16 goes further to say, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. Theeffectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" Another translation says, "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." Say this today: My prayers carry great power and produce wonderful results. You must have confidence in your prayers, or there's no point in praying. Faith is confident assurance (Hebrews 11:1). If you leave prayer and still feel troubled by the same issue, then you didn't do what the old-timers call "praying through." When you pray through, you pray until you know it's done—until you have the victory! When you pray through, you pray until you can say, "It's done. Whatever forces were resisting my answer, I know they've subsided, and I know I have the victory." Think about this: In 1 Kings 18:36-39, we see the power of confident prayer. Elijah prayed a simple yet powerful prayer at the time of the evening sacrifice, calling on God to prove that He is the true God and that Elijah was His servant. Elijah prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself." Immediately, fire from heaven fell and consumed the offering, demonstrating the power of confident, faith-filled prayer. When you pray, pray with confidence, knowing that God hears you, and your prayers have power. |