The Greatness of Godنموونە

The Power of Prayer

The book of James is like an amplification of both Jesus’ teachings and the book of Proverbs. Not only in its content, but the way that it is written. James mirrors these writings with his short, punchy statements that implore readers to respond. So, today we are going to focus on verse 16.

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

What does it mean to be a righteous person?

Righteousness can be described as choosing to consistently relate to God and others in love (Matthew 22:34-40). But, if we are honest with ourselves, we are not always great at this. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit to empower us to consistently choose love, because this is not a one-and-done event. As James suggests, we should, ‘make this our common practice…’ (James 5:16 MSG)

There is an ongoing need to assess our relationship with God and others. To recognize the ways we have replaced righteousness with brokenness. Living out of fear, scarcity, or self-seeking, which essentially puts us in opposition to our neighbour and God.

The way we relate to God and others matters; in fact, it is one of the most defining attributes of God’s Kingdom (John 13:34-35). We need this in the micro, in our families, our neighbourhoods, and our churches; but also, we need this in the macro, in our cities, in our nations across the world. We are living in a time where opposition has become the default; what divides us is louder than what unites us. Yet we are called to stand in faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit to obediently live out a different story.

A story of selfless love.

There is power in your prayers of confession, in your prayers for forgiveness, in your prayers for reconciliation. Whether that is done on an individual level or you join with others to pray this for your nation and the nations of the world, the fruit, as James tells us, is wholeness and healing (James 5:16 MSG).

Take some time to pray for love and righteousness to be the defining attribute in the micro detail of your life, for your relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. Asking God to highlight opportunities for confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

Pause and pray

Now take the time to pray for love and righteousness to be the defining attributes in the systems, structures, and powers in your city and nation.

Pause and pray

Finally, let’s unite today across the World, empowered by the Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead and proclaim unity in His name, that we would see an end to the opposition and division across our Church and across the World.

Pause and pray