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

As we mature and grow in Christ, we also mature and grow in prayer. As I have written before, prayer is our relational communication with God. Our prayers emerge from our hearts, but at the same time is inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer is paradoxical in many ways. In one sense we prayer, and in another sense the Holy Spirit within us prays through us according to God’s will (Romans 8:26-27). 

One again, paradoxically, we are not alone when we pray. In unison with our words, the Holy Spirit is working and connecting us with God relationally. 

The biblical understanding of prayer is a mystery and extremely beautiful. We are not simply regurgitating dead words as a religious person. 

We don’t pray the same way each time. At times, we just groin in the Spirit deep within our hearts, because we don’t know how to pray all the time. We don’t have the words to pray.

James 5:16 first speaks about a righteous person. What does this mean? I think it refers to having a clear conscious. Before we can pray about other things or people, we must be cleansed ourselves first. It is hard to pray when our conscious is troubled because of our sin or our attitudes. God does not want us to wallow in the mud of our sin, he wants us to confess them to him. He wants us to be honest with him and ourselves. 

As 1 John 1:9 tells us, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This does not mean we become perfect, but we unload whatever is troubling our conscience because of our own actions. This is not a long process.

Secondly, as Christians our prayers are powerful and effective. This does not mean that our prayers have causal power—meaning what every we prayer for, automatically happens. 

I approach prayer believing that when I pray something powerful happens in the spiritual realm, the heaven-lies. 

When I pray, I am not attempting to persuade God to do what I want. I consciously believe that when I pray something happens. Even when I do not understand how my prayers are effective, they are effective in God’s economy and purpose. 

I just do not try to understand prayer rationally. 

I believe that when I pray, God receives it and does something in the kingdom happens. 

I never approach prayer as a waste of time, because I believe God mysteriously produces kingdom results. And I don’t try to figure it all out or how it happens. 

I never see my prayers as a rational process of cause and effect. When I pray, I believe something happens in God’s kingdom. In this light, my prayers are powerful and effective, period. Why? Because the Bible tells me so.

Do you approach prayer as a religious duty? 

Do you approach prayer as if some of your prayers are answered and others are not —- as if prayer is a process of cause and effect?

Or do you see your prayers as bringing about kingdom results, not by our efforts but the wisdom and purpose of the Holy Spirit. 

Always approach prayer—no matter how weak or simple they are—as powerful and effective. Again, somehow our prayers bring about results in heavenly places.