The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16
Dear Lord Jesus, during this season of Lent, I find myself increasingly drawn to the gift and complexities of prayer. Maybe because your journey to the cross was indelibly marked with so much prayer. Maybe because I’ve still got so much “prayer-baggage” from years of bad teaching about “how to get my prayers answered.” Maybe because I’ve got more than a few friends who tell me they’ve “given up on prayer,” saying “It just doesn’t work.”
Yet, Jesus, the more I look for you in every portion of Scripture… the more I search the unsearchable riches only found in you… the more the Holy Spirit gives me power to know your love that passes all knowledge… the more I see and seek first your kingdom (and not my petty fiefdom of personal peace and affluence)… the more I want to pray and the less I find myself needing to have answers for “all things prayer”.
Ultimately, Jesus, you are the “righteous man” whose prayers are powerful and effective. I have no righteousness expect that which you’ve won for me and that with which you’ve robed me. I’m declared to be righteous because you were made to be sin for me on the cross. Because my life is now hidden in you… because I am in union with you… because my permanent address is “in Christ”… I will pray much and boldly with palms up-in praise and surrender.
In praise, because you alone are worthy of my heart’s adoration… in surrender, because you are the King who is reigning over all things, not a computer waiting to be programmed by me, or anyone. Oh the joy of knowing your good answers to our intercession include, “Yes… No… Maybe… Not yet… Not telling you…”
Because the gospel is true, I will dance before you when you choose to release Peter from prison (Acts 12:5-17), and I will seek, no less, to delight in you when James is beheaded in prison (Acts 12:1-2). Throughout eternity my cry… our cry will be, “You have done ALL things well.” Why pray? Because you are God and I am so very not. So very Amen, I pray in your high-priestly trustworthy name.
