There has always been difficulty with the translation of James 5:16. The Authorized Version reads:
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much."
The Revised Version:
"The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in
its working."
Dr. Rendel Harris translates it:
"The energized prayer of a righteous man is of great force."
Prayer with Elijah was force, supernatural power, miraculous in its working. He never discussed natural and he never doubted supernatural power. He prayed and there was no rain, and when he prayed for rain it came in floods.
He prayed for life to come again to the dead child of the widow with whom he lodged, and the soul of the child returned. He prayed for fire from heaven, and it fell as he prayed. He did not argue about prayer. He prayed. Praying solves problems of prayer.
There always have been problems about prayer. In the wilderness they questioned God's power to transcend known laws of His world. "Can God . . . ?" The answer of faith turns the question into an affirmation and believes God can.
These are hardly the days in which it is safe to say that anything is impossible. We stand on the threshold of unexplored worlds, and if so much that was incredible has become possible to man, who shall say that anything is impossible to God?
If the thought of man can be spoken and and heard thousands of miles away, who dares put limits to the thoughts and purpose of God? He who made the heavens and earth must be bigger than His worlds, and it is impossible He should be imprisoned within His own laws.
The prayer of faith links man's petition to the power of God. All men believe in the power of prayer to influence mind, develop character, and sanctify motive and will, but that is not all. Prayer is force. Prayer changes things.
The Lord God of Elijah had sovereign and omnipotent power, and these were at the command of the prayer of faith. Every praying man knows of answers to prayer to which there is no explanation but in God. I am reluctant to quote examples, but in my own life they abound, and the language of Psalm 116 is often on my lips:
"I love the Lord, because He hath heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He hath inclined His ear unto me,
Therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live."
There is one remarkable instance that I cherish because of the way the story came to me. There are two buildings in the city of Bristol which are monuments of answered prayer.
One is Muller's orphanage, and of the other I am not at present at liberty to speak. Dr. A. T. Pierson was my friend, and he was the friend and biographer of Muller. It was from him I got the first half of the story.
He told me of an occasion when he was the guest of Muller at the orphanage. One night when all the household had retired he asked Pierson to join him in prayer. He told him that there was absolutely nothing in the house for the next morning's breakfast.
My friend tried to remonstrate with him and to remind him that all the stores were closed. Muller knew all that. He had prayed as he always prayed, and he never told anyone of his needs but God. They prayed. At least Muller did, and Pierson tried to.
They went to bed and slept, and breakfast for two thousand children was there in abundance at the usual breakfast hour. Neither Muller nor Pierson ever knew how the answer cam. The story was told next morning to Simon Short of Bristol, under pledge of secrecy till the benefactor died.
The details of it are thrilling, but all that need be told here is that the Lord called him out of bed in the middle of the night to send breakfast to Muller's orphanage, and knowing nothing of the need or of the two men at prayer, he sent provisions that would feed them for a month.
That is like the Lord God of Elijah, and still more like the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Let's pray-
Father, we're told in the New Testament, that Elijah demonstrated supernatural prayer. His prayers were miracles of power.
He didn't discuss natural power, but never doubted in the supernatural power of God. He prayed, and there was no rain, he prayed for a dead child, and he came alive. He did not argue about prayer. He just prayed, solving problems.
We find that our faith links us to Your power, and that You ask us to believe in its power to influence minds, develop characters, and sanctify motives and will.
Prayer is force. Prayer changes things! Every praying man and woman knows of answers to prayer to which there's no explanation but in God. The details of Muller's orphanage receiving enough food for a month, though the provider didn't know of the need, other than the Lord's prompting him to provide the food, is indeed thrilling!
Father, may we be witnesses to such provisions today, and see miraculous answers to prayers of humble, believing saints. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen
Today's Bible verses-
1 John 4:4 "You are from God, little children, and
2 Cor. 4:6, 7 (NKJV) "For it is the God who
commanded light to shine out of darkness who
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ. (v. 7) But we have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellence of the power may be
of God and not of us."
Eph. 3:20, 21 (NKJV) "Now to Him who is able to
do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask
or think, according to the power that works in us,
(v. 21) to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."
1 John 4:4 "You are from God, little children, and
have overcome them; because greater is He who is
in you than he who is in the world."
in you than he who is in the world."
2 Cor. 4:6, 7 (NKJV) "For it is the God who
commanded light to shine out of darkness who
has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ. (v. 7) But we have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellence of the power may be
of God and not of us."
Eph. 3:20, 21 (NKJV) "Now to Him who is able to
do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask
or think, according to the power that works in us,
(v. 21) to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."
Today's quote-
~ Poh Fang Chia- "The sovereign One has chosen to use our prayers to accomplish His purpose. What a privilege! Today we can continue to remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith. There's something we can do. We can pray for those who are marginalized, oppressed, beaten, tortured, and sometimes even killed for their belief in Christ. Let's pray for them to experience God's comfort and encouragement and to be strengthened with hope as they stand firmly with Jesus."
(Our Daily Bread 5/5/19)Did you know?
~ People of influence need to bring existing greatness into their surroundings.
~ We are to value people for who they are, before they can earn it, as this creates an avenue to influence them for Christ.
Today's popular post-
Bill Johnson's message on fervent prayer
Today's question-
(Excellent! Well worth the time to listen)
Today's question-
Should we witness of Christ, even though some reject it?
The Apostle Paul professed to know nothing except Jesus Christ and His power when he came to the Corinthians; for it was with weakness, fear and much trembling he remembered how he'd recently been rejected by the Athenians.
He'd spoken to great minds, and was accepted until he began to speak about the resurrection of Jesus, though there were some who did believe what he said. He was determined then, to speak only of Jesus, and let God deal with the hearts of those who heard him.
We are to share our story of salvation with whoever we can, knowing in advance, that some will not believe what we say about Jesus. But as Paul showed us, we're not to stop witnessing when we find that some won't accept what we tell them.
We're to let the Holy Spirit move on them to hopefully bring them eventually to salvation through our witness. May we believe and trust that He is able to bring fruit to our efforts to share Jesus.
Upcoming posts-
Hard Places—in the Way of Faith
11th- Saturday's post by A. B. Simpson
#37 The Greatest Force on Earth
14th- Tuesday's post by Samuel Chadwick
#38 An Energized Intercessor
16th- Thursday's post by Samuel Chadwick
The Cost of Sanctification
18th- Saturday's post by Oswald Chambers
He'd spoken to great minds, and was accepted until he began to speak about the resurrection of Jesus, though there were some who did believe what he said. He was determined then, to speak only of Jesus, and let God deal with the hearts of those who heard him.
We are to share our story of salvation with whoever we can, knowing in advance, that some will not believe what we say about Jesus. But as Paul showed us, we're not to stop witnessing when we find that some won't accept what we tell them.
We're to let the Holy Spirit move on them to hopefully bring them eventually to salvation through our witness. May we believe and trust that He is able to bring fruit to our efforts to share Jesus.
Upcoming posts-
Hard Places—in the Way of Faith
11th- Saturday's post by A. B. Simpson
#37 The Greatest Force on Earth
14th- Tuesday's post by Samuel Chadwick
#38 An Energized Intercessor
16th- Thursday's post by Samuel Chadwick
The Cost of Sanctification
18th- Saturday's post by Oswald Chambers
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Helpful ways the Lord helped me in my marriage
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