"Powerful and Effective" Prayer - The Presence of God Almighty

“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.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” – James 5:13-17

Why is "the prayer of a righteous person...powerful and effective?" (v. 16)

We often make or hear statements like, “the power of prayer,” or “prayer is the most powerful weapon we have,” or “prayer is the answer.” In fact, I have said those things myself and very much meant them.

The problem is that we often think of it as a means to an end: “if prayer is a weapon and I wield it, then I am victorious,” or even that “then God is victorious.” God is victorious whether or not you or I utter that prayer. God is supreme and sovereign and will never be anything but victorious. We don’t alter His outcome, we choose whether we are identified with Him in eternal victory or alienated from Him in eternal defeat.

We put too much focus on our prayers, the fact that we uttered them, or the words that we’ve chosen. Those things are not at all why the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. They are powerful and effective because in a moment of pure righteous prayer, God is made real in you and me. There is no greater power and effectiveness that you will experience than when Christ is made alive in you. You see, the righteous person that is acting in righteousness goes to God. The going to God is prayer. Therefore, the prayer was not the powerful thing itself—the prayer was a natural outcome of the righteous one’s relationship with God. The righteousness in you and me is what leads us to prayer, and those moments become powerful and effective because through the prayer we have fixed our “eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith” (Heb 12:2).

Do you see the difference? The thought that I could pray a mighty prayer to move a spiritual mountain is appealing. But if that is our thought, we’ve missed it…by a little or by a lot, we’ve missed it either way. It’s not that my prayer is powerful and effective because I pray it. It is that God is with the one who enters into sincere prayer, and “if God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom 8:31)? So the specific words or even the topic is less important than just being in the presence of God, just being in sincere prayer—that is the Source of the power and effectiveness—God Himself!

So as we go to prayer this morning or this night or in the middle of our days, let’s remember that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. Let’s remember that we have been made righteous by the blood of Christ to “be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). We could have never attained it, but upon belief Jesus immediately makes us “sons of God” in His righteousness (Rom 8:15-16, Gal 3:26-28, Gal 4:4-6). Knowing that we are made righteous and therefore our prayers are powerful and effective, let’s engage in prayer. But not because they are powerful and effective for our means, but because they are the nourishment of a real relationship with God…they are the pathway to His presence. And it is His presence that is powerful and effective, simple as that.

In His presence, we bow in awe, saying "woe is me, for I have sinned."
In His presence, His light is so bright that we cannot look straight at it.
In His presence, we have natural and healthy fear.
In His presence, He tells us not be afraid, for He has come to cleanse us as His own in love (1 John 4:18).
In His presence, we abandon our personal desires and forsake our selfish pasts.
In His presence, we see clearly in all truth.
In His presence, we learn our true identity in Christ.
In His presence, we pour out in thanksgiving to our Creator and lover of our souls.
In His presence, we are made one with Him as His Spirit is made alive in us.
In His presence, we are aligned with His will and He moves decisively on our behalf and His own.
In His presence, we are transformed powerfully.
In His presence, we are made effective ambassadors of His Word.
In His presence, we are in continual prayer to the uttermost.

So we see that Christ has made those who believe righteous, the righteous will go to Him in prayer, in prayer the righteous will enter His presence, and His presence is powerful and effective. Because of this, the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Amen.