13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:13-16
Prayer Is Powerful
Momma, prayer is your lifeline. It’s your immediate and direct line of communication to God. When we are at our wits end, so exhausted we can’t go another step, doing a happy dance, or crying tears of desperation, prayer is available to us. It’s not an open-during-business-hours-only situation. It’s a wake-up-at-3am-and-talk- for-hours situation. There are no automated menus that make us “press 1 for health-related prayers; press 2 for parenting complaints; press 3 for ‘what’s God’s will for my life’ questions.” Believe it or not, you don’t even have to close your eyes and fold your hands, contrary to what you may have taught your children. But if it’s that easy why aren’t we fervently praying for all of the things that are going on in our lives?
Momma, prayer is your lifeline. It’s your immediate and direct line of communication to God. Click To TweetOur excuses change depending on the situation. We are afraid of what God’s answer will be. We forgot. We’d rather talk to someone who we can physically see in front of us nodding their head in agreement and offering their sympathy. We don’t think our prayers are good enough, so we don’t send them his way. We are giving God the silent treatment because he didn’t answer last time. Or, my most recent personal excuse: I have seven thousand things going on in my life (including washing laundry for the tenth time because someone else’s snot is over every clothing item I own). I don’t have time. On and on and on we go.
As a mom who is striving to reflect Jesus and learning to leave a legacy for Christ, you are that righteous person in verse 16. You are that righteous person whose prayer is powerful and effective.
Say it out loud and let it sink in – “My prayer is powerful and effective.”
If that doesn’t make you want to immediately drop to your knees and start praying for everything and everyone, let’s look at what the Bible says “powerful and effective prayer” can do:
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
Matthew 21:22Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:2413 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 14:13-14
Sounds amazing, right? But we need to understand that our prayers will not always be answered with an enthusiastic “yes.” “Not yet,” “not the way you want,” and “no” are all common ways God answers prayers, even among the powerful and effective.
When God Says No
Even Jesus’ prayer for his agonizing death to be passed from him (Matthew 26:39) was answered with a “no.” But, oh what comfort we have in knowing that God says no because it brings about better things for us. God saying “no” to Jesus meant eternal life for everyone who accepts his sacrifice as a gift. I’m so grateful for that “no.” Aren’t you?
As a God-fearing woman, how you respond to “no” is your responsibility. If he says “no” to you, it’s OK to be sad, confused, and heartbroken. But instead of throwing yourself on the floor, kicking and screaming about how it’s not fair, confidently get back down on your knees and pray harder. Pray more. Pray with fervor. Not to get the answer you want, but with the mindset that your prayers are effective even when they are answered differently than you’d like. It’s OK to pray honestly with God. In fact, there are many examples in the Bible of gut-wrenching, honest prayers (Psalm 6, for example). Pouring out your heart and soul before God counts a prayer! Just remember to also pray the way Jesus did – “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Your prayers are powerful and effective because God hears you and loves you and is working it out in his perfect way.
Keep in mind: In order for your prayers to be powerful and effective, you actually have to pray.
Keep in mind: In order for your prayers to be powerful and effective, you actually have to pray. Click To TweetPrayer Is Powerful – So Do It!
Stop here and pray that God will give you a heart to remember to pray and to make prayer a priority in your life. Pray for the legacy that are leaving your family and that they will see the gospel through it.
Then, start writing specific prayers down. Kids, husband, parents, co-workers, finances, health, friends, church, government, missionaries, the downstairs broken toilet – all of it. This will help you to consistently pray for the people and circumstances that need it. It will also help you see the progress that is being made for each prayer.
Pray while you are washing dishes, dropping kids off at school, and running errands. Set a reminder in your phone to pray at a specific time each day. Write “Hey you, PRAY!” on a sticky note and put it on your bathroom mirror. It doesn’t matter when or where or even how long you pray for each request. Just do it!
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Welcome to Messy Tired Love! The devotionals you'll find here aim to connect your everyday mom moments to the truth of the gospel. I hold nothing back as I share my story that's filled with lots of messy, tired, but oh-so-filled-with-love moments. I have three little blessings, that together with God's Word are the inspiration for these devotionals. I hope you will be encouraged, and maybe even get a good laugh, while exploring these devotionals. Much love!
Kristina, you had me at the first few lines. “Momma, prayer is your lifeline. It’s your immediate and direct line of communication to God.” Vulnerable post because we all relate to worrying over what God’s answer will be and if He will say ,”No.” And I often want to talk to a person in the flesh as you said rather than to pray. But the last few years the Lord is teaching me about prayer and the power it brings and how it moves mountains, changes things and people…changes me. It’s easier to “pray without ceasing” when we are doing the dishes or daily chores or awake in the middle of the night. Sometimes I think I’m awake for a reason so I pray.
Thank you for diving into such a deep topic with me today! I’m thrilled you’ve been touched by this devotional. <3 And you are so right! I often feel that God must have made it hard for me to sleep so I can pray and spend time with him.
I do this all the time anywhere I am I talk to God. asking for guidance , patience sometimes I just say help! I can’t do it right on my own and so I depend on the Lord. I think so many times people think prayer is only getting on your knees but prayer is having a conversation. this was a really nice article I think many people need to know this.
Thanks, Jiselle! None of us can do it on our own. Praise God he stands beside us every step of the way!
This is a great reminder with practical advice on the centrality of prayer in the Christian life. I pinned it so I can come back again to this great article. Thank you!
Thanks, Rosemarie!
Such wonderful and powerful words, Kristina. This was one of my favorite chapters in the book!
Thank you, friend!