POWERFUL PRAYERS

POWERFUL PRAYERS

Bible:1 Kings 18:30-45

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (JAMES 5:16).

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Do you ever feel like praying is a bit pointless? Like you’re just talking to yourself—and nothing ever really changes The Bible writer James looked back at the life of Elijah to reassure us that, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (JAMES 5:16). Being a “righteous person” isn’t about being super-human or ‘good enough’ for God to hear us. It’s about being right with Him by putting our trust in Jesus. Our prayers aren’t powerful because of who we are, but because of who He is! We see this when God told Elijah, “I will send rain on the land” (1 KINGS 18:1), promising to end a drought in Israel that had lasted three and a half years. Even though God had promised rain, a short time later “Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees”— praying for the rain to come (V.42). Then, while he continued to pray, Elijah sent his servant to go and look out over the ocean “seven times”, scanning the horizon for any sign of rain (V.43). “Elijah was a human being, even as we are” (JAMES 5:17). He was nothing special, yet through his prayers God sent a drought for three and a half years, and then He sent the rains. No matter how small we feel, or how difficult we might find it to pray, God uses our prayers in amazing ways. Not only does God use our prayer times to focus us back on Him and who He is, but He will meet our needs and guide us through our difficulties.

OUR PRAYERS AREN’T POWERFUL BECAUSE OF WHO
WE ARE, BUT BECAUSE OF WHO WE’RE TALKING TO!

YouTh Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries