James 5:16-18 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” – NIV
There are great men and women of God who have been used to do wonderful things. For them, we truly thank God. And we respect them for that. Their achievements may tempt us to think great workings of God are exclusively through such great servants of God alone and not any of us. In one way, this is true because of different callings which manifest differently. In another way, it’s not right to attribute God’s mighty working to only particular, seemingly special persons.
Some like to portray it so, to attract and retain the status and create dependency. The example of extraordinary works cited in the verses above is one of prophet Elijah. Exceptional as he was, the scripture says he was a man like us, to show that anyone can be raised by God to be powerful and effective.
The context of these scriptures is effective prayer of the righteous which results from confessed sin. This is the heart of the matter which makes the difference in the effectiveness of any prayer: righteousness and holiness. Anyone in Christ has attained the righteousness of God by faith. A consecrated life of holiness to God is of great worth. The Holy Spirit is able to turn ordinary persons like us, dedicated to God, into extraordinary people to achieve much as He determines for His glory. Choose to live in holiness and righteousness. Your prayer too can be powerful and effective.
Shalom children of God