James 5:16 - Prayer

3:03 AM....eyes pop open and the urgency to pray kicks in.  The Lord continues to amaze me with how many times He has me praying for this one I don't know.  "His spiritual needs."  That's what I hear.  After praying as I drift back to sleep the thought occurs to me again, "Why me?"  But I soon go back to the same answer that it doesn't matter why me.  I must admit though the thought goes through my mind if I'm the only one praying.  I know that's can be because he is on our church prayer list and I'm sure many others.  

When I think about prayer, it's more for us than for the Lord.  He already knows all.  He doesn't need us repeating names in a corporate setting where names have been shared.  He doesn't need us telling Him our problems because He already knows them.  But we need to share them.  Sometimes we need to work things out in our minds or just get things off our chest to give us peace of mind.  That comes through sharing our requests with the Lord.  Praying creates a link between us and the Lord.  It creates and maintains a relationship with Him.

Why do we pray for others?  Especially, when we say the same prayer over and over and over again.  Does He not hear us the first time?  What kind of impact does our prayers make in our life and in the lives of others?

When Jesus was on this earth, He gave us many examples of how He prayed.  He didn't do anything without asking His Father for His Will and Direction.  He gave us the Lord's Prayer as a way to pray in Matthew 6:9-13.

James 5:16 reads, "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."  I can't say that I totally understand how prayer works but I can say it does work.  It draws me closer to the Lord.  It also encourages me as I see answers revealed.  

As I think about how much time I spend in prayer and how it relates to my relationship with the Lord, I am amazed.  The more time with Him, the closer I feel to Him.  The more that I am obedient in praying for others, the closer I feel to Him.  The desire of my heart is to do my best at being obedient to Him.  

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the 3:03 wake-up call to pray.  Thank You for laying this one one my heart throughout the day to pray for him.  Lord, bless my prayers for him in a mighty way.  As he has surgery today, direct the surgeons hands.  Give a gentle spirit to all those who care for him.  Lord, he needs Your closeness in a mighty way.  Would you please put someone before him today to be Jesus to him?  Thank You Lord for being My Wake-up Call!  Amen.