Praying Powerful Prayers

 By: Lauren Thomas

If you want to learn how to pray powerful prayers, look no further than an often-misinterpreted passage in James 5. You are likely familiar with part of verse 16, the wording of which varies greatly by translation.

 

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

James 5:16b-18 ESV

 

The NIV explains it this way: the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. The KJV includes the words, effectual, fervent and availeth. Whatever version you have come to know, the real key to the passage isn’t found in verse 16, but in what follows.

Who was Elijah? He was a prophet. A famous prophet. A prophet whom God used powerfully. In 1 Kings 17, we read that Elijah predicted a drought. Three years later, God told Elijah to announce to evil King Ahab that He would send rain (see 1 Kings 18). After this announcement, Elijah went to a mountaintop to pray for this rain to come. After praying, he sent his servant to look for rain clouds. Nothing. He prayed again. Sent his servant. Nothing. He prayed again. This happened 7 times before the servant saw a pathetic cloud, just the size of a man’s hand. And at that, Elijah knew his prayer had been answered.

 

James doesn’t pen his letter, “Elijah was a prophet, with a nature unlike ours.” No! James wrote, “Elijah was a man, with a nature like ours.” James didn’t appeal to Elijah’s office as prophet, but to his humanness. That’s to encourage us that we don’t need to be super-Christians to pray powerful prayers.

 

What we do need in order to pray powerful prayers is obedience and persistence.

 

God told Elijah to pray. And so, Elijah prayed. He was obedient to God’s instructions. That’s why it is the prayer of a “righteous” man that is powerful. Elijah’s obedience in prayer confirmed his righteousness.

 

God told Elijah to pray. And so, Elijah prayed…seven times, until the proof began to grow visible. He didn’t give up. He kept praying until God confirmed Elijah’s request.

 

It was the obedience and persistence of Elijah that made his prayers powerful. Next time you feel like your prayers couldn’t matter, get obedient and pray, pray, pray! When God tells you to pray about something, do it. This prayer is powerful and effective, it “availeth much!”

 

Reflection:

Have you ever sensed God leading you to pray for something or someone? Did you pray until you saw the proof? Did you give up?

James appealed to Elijah’s humanness, not his spirituality. How does this encourage you in your prayer life?