Prayers that Avail Much

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“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
​~                                                          James 5:16b

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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!

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