Being Prayerful Series

Which is a power calling because the reality is we know just how weak we are in ourselves and in our own "Christian witness".

Perhaps it is our lack of wisdom.

Perhaps our commitment to God’s work is scarcely shown.

Perhaps our use of time and priorities leaves much to be desired.

Perhaps we are still following habits that should have been broken years ago.

Perhaps it is something else.

We have all wandered from the truth – none of us is perfect. So who are we to help others, or say something to others? The dilemma we face is the dilemma of trying to take the speck out of our brother’s eye when we have a log in our own eye.

How do we make it happen? It comes back to prayer and the exciting things that happen when we pray.

Prayer helps us to break away from being individualistic and isolated.

Our world and our circumstances often cause us to fall into the trap of thinking we can make it on our own.

We become so determined to fix our own problems that we push away help which is being offered.

We can sometimes be so stubborn that, in our stubbornness, we are actually pushing away the very people who can give us answers.

When we have a great prayer life this stops.

You see I can’t pray for you and not at some point start caring for you. I might see a need that you have, or some emptiness in your life, or some blessing that needs to be filled. As I pray for that I start journeying with you.

I rejoice as God gives answers.

I cry as when life isn’t what you expect.

I’m excited to see what God is going to do.

All the while you start to see how having someone pray for you like that, and journey with you like that, is so much more comforting … and so much more appreciated.

Then you see someone in need. And you journey with them. And you rejoice … and cry … and get excited.

You see what James is doing? He is getting us to realise that as we strengthen our prayer life and communication with God, that this will cause us to strengthen our prayer life and communication with each other. More and more our agenda is set by Jesus who died to put in place a community of believers who would support one another, pray for one another and carry one another through the difficult times.

When Jesus has placed us in fellowship together we cannot be distant and unconcerned about the spiritual welfare of others.

People of God Jesus Christ the perfect Son of God gave His life for us.

He was rejected by us and the offer of life He came to give was not appreciated at all.

But still He kept on working – with the Spirit opening hearts to see just how much we need a Saviour.

Jesus did not owe us the gift. Jesus could have just turned His back on a people determined to be His enemies. But He didn’t.

He came with compassion.

He suffered with compassion.

He caused us to be His children because of compassion.

And now we are community. A body drawn together by the one truth that Jesus is the Lord of our lives.

All undergirded, and founded, and filtered through prayer.

Don’t go home today feeling guilty about your lack of prayer.

Go home today motivate to have a more fervent prayer life because, when we pray, exciting things happens.

Prayer