JUST DO IT: PRAYER MATTERS
This Sunday, as we conclude our series on ‘Just Do It, a Study Through the Book of James’, we will be considering James’ teaching on prayer and his firm affirmation that prayer still matters to God.
While browsing through a Christian bookstore in Scarborough, we came across a small wooden plaque for sale that read “If you’re too busy to pray, you’re too busy.” Most of us realize that prayer is important, but we often struggle to make it a priority. Busy work schedules, the distractions of technology, and the demands of daily life can make it difficult to set aside time for prayer; but the power of prayer should never be underestimated. Prayer is the key to unlocking God’s limitless power in our lives. Whether our prayers are in the emotional, mental or physical realm, our prayers matter to God.
James 5:16 declares, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. God most definitely hears our prayers and answers prayers that align with His will. Even though the answers may not be immediate, or ‘yes’, or what we want to hear, His answers are always for our good. It may not be the way we thought or planned, but it will be better for us.
Through prayer we glorify God, give God control, acknowledge His Lordship and receive His blessings. This means that the focus of powerful and effective prayer is not us, but God. Prayer has less to do with what we say and more to do with the One to whom we are saying it.
Prayer matters because the power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. The power resides in the God who is being prayed to.
Love and blessings,
Pastor Sabrina