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Many believers are familiar with the discouraging feeling of helplessness that comes from experiencing or seeing another person face a major crisis or ongoing tribulation. Unfortunately, the overwhelming nature of these situations can tempt us to believe our prayers will have little effect in them. However, the Scriptures remind us of the immeasurable power and importance of prayer due to the One who both answers them and calls us to offer them.
Multiple Bible passages emphasize these truths. For example, Philippians 4:6 reminds us of the blessing we have in being able to bring all our requests to God and to rest in the assurance that He will answer them with our best in mind. Also, the Apostle Paul commands us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to continually offer prayers to God and in Ephesians 6:18 to do so with the needs of our fellow believers in mind. Furthermore, multiple verses such as Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 26:41, and Romans 8:26 note how the Lord uses our prayers to provide us with revelation, direction, healing, and strength. In addition to these, passages such as Mark 11:24, Luke 11:9, and John 15:7 note that if we abide in Christ, obey His Word, and offer Spirit-led prayers that are aligned with the Father's will, these supplications are guaranteed to be answered in His perfect timing. Thus, as these verses remind us, we are not only called to continually pray in all situations, but we should also be encouraged that God will use them for His glory and His best for our lives.
Furthermore, a moving example of the importance and power of prayer is given in James 5:16-18. In the first verse of this passage, we are told, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." The New King James version also describes this prayer as being effective and fervent. Following this verse, James provides an example of it with the prophet Elijah. He notes that though he was one mortal man, his ambitious prayers for a drought in the land of Israel were answered by God, which Him withholding the land's rain for three and a half years. Furthermore, Elijah later prayed for the rain to return, with God once again answering his plea for a miracle. Likewise, though we are individual believers, God allows us to participate in His miraculous works of healing, deliverance, and salvation through our earnest, Spirit-led intercessions. Thus, as the passage from James demonstrates, the importance and power of prayer are to never be underestimated, even amid the most tempestuous of crises.
No matter how great, intimidating, or pervasive the trials and tribulations we face, the Scriptures remind us that earnest, fervent, and Spirit-led prayer is among our most important and powerful weapons. We must remember that we are not only called and commanded to continually offer supplications, but that they are also used by God to strengthen, heal, teach, and guide us. It is through remaining vigilant in our prayers as the righteous man described in James 5:16 did that we can receive God's best for our lives and witness His mighty works even amid our most difficult storms.
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