A few weeks ago, my family and I packed a few overnight bags and headed for a weekend getaway an hour away from our home, a staycation if you will. It was much needed as I have been feeling the strain of going back to work for the first time since Asher was born. Balancing the duties of home and work are proving to be more of a challenge than I expected. A weekend away was exactly what I needed. 


During the day, while Brandon was working, Asher and I would explore the area around us. We waded in the bay water as we tried to catch fish, and built sandcastles that were instantly washed away by the roaring waves. We walked the streets of vendors, ate overpriced food, and just enjoyed each other's company. Something we had not done in several months. 

One of our adventures led us to the pier where we stumbled upon the cutest little Discovery Center. Inside we found tanks of colorful fish, the softest sand that you could play with, and Asher's favorite, a center filled with microscopes where one could observe plankton to the heart's content. But what caught my eye was a little diorama showcasing two little houses on the bay. In front of one of the houses was a set of mangrove trees, various vegetation and an oyster bed. The second house only had sand in front of it. A button on the display said, "push". Naturally, I pushed the button, and watched as a rush of water surged toward each of the houses. The one with the oyster beds and vegetation stayed dry, the water never reached the house.  The vegetation served as a barrier, a means of protection, against the flood waters. On the other hand, the house with just the sand sustained severe damage as there was nothing to stop the flow of water. 

Asher, being completely enthralled with the contraption, continued to push the button, drowning that poor house over and over again. It was in that moment that God spoke to my heart, "Sarah, you are the house that is being pummeled with water because you have removed the safeguards that I put in place to protect you." You see, I have a tendency to shut down when I am feeling overwhelmed. Reading my Bible daily, chatting continuously with God throughout the day and meeting with my sisters in Christ take a back burner as I allow the worries of my heart and mind to take over. Those three things I just listed are my means of  protection from the very one who is out to destroy me. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  Nothing will stop Satan from pushing the drown button over and over again. Oh, but God! He is greater! He is for me, and for you! His desire is for us to have life to the full. This is why He prepares the battlefield before me by setting up safeguards. It is my job to keep them in place. As I do, priorties fall into place, my heart aligns with Jesus's heart and I am protected from the schemes of the evil one. 

Several years ago, a dear friend looked me in the eye and said with a puzzled look on her face, “You don’t have ‘Prayers that avail much.’” I was shocked and a bit hurt by her comment and by her estimation of my prayers.

“What do you mean my prayers don’t avail much,” I replied.  My friend began to laugh.  She explained, “That is the title of a book on prayer,” she said, “Prayers That Avail Much.”

Shortly after our conversation, I received a gift from my friend:  the commemorative gift edition of volumes 1, 2, and 3 of “Prayers That Avail Much.”  My friend wrote on the inside cover, “Finally!  You have prayers that avail much!”

Of course, this became a joke between the two of us and would always bring a grin or giggle between us when we thought about it.
I am so thankful that the Lord’s brother, James, felt inspired to write these words in his epistle: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  (James 5:16 NKJ)

The New Living Translation reads, “The earnest (sincere) prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
The Message reads, “The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.”

And then James points out in the verses following, “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! (18) Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.” (James 5:17-18 NLT)

These verses encourage me. Elijah was a prophet of God Most High and his prayers were powerful enough to call down fire from heaven in a spiritual battle with the prophets of Baal to prove who the real God was. And yet, James tells us, that as believers in Christ, we too can pray powerful prayers.

James echoes Jesus’ teaching to his disciples that we should pray, “You can ask for anything in my Name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. (14) Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:13-14 NLT)
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Jesus invites us to pray.  We can pray as Jesus did; as Elijah did. We can intercede for others, pray for ourselves, pray for our world because we have a good Heavenly Father who invites us to entreat Him in prayer in the power of His Holy Spirit and in the holy name of His Son, Jesus. Your prayers really can avail much!