Fervent Prayer Of A Righteous Man Availeth Much...

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:16

Problems derive from faults not being confessed or mistakes made being shown through love… Today’s devotion reminds us of the importance confessing one another’s faults to each plays in the processes of healing… There are a lot of people walking around in life with open wounds; these wounds are infected daily because bitterness has not been removed and anger continues to fester like bacteria with oxygen… This same principle applies to the offender and the offended; as the offender, often times we will deny wrong doing which will allow a spirit of pride, self righteousness and an egotistical mindset to be rooted in us and drive us further from the truth… In order to have closure in your life which gives way to healing, you must either acknowledge your wounds or confess your actions which lead to someone being wounded… This acknowledgment must not only take place, but must also be prayed over; this is why James goes on to say that not only must we confess our faults, but that we must pray one for another… Recognizing the mistake you made or the offense that someone committed to you is the first step; however, until you seek a resolution and closure through prayer this issue will not and cannot be resolved… In understanding the importance of prayer, I am lead to reminding you that the issues you face in life are not meant for you to handle but to teach you to turn them over to the Lord… There are so many problems that could’ve been resolved and so many issues that could’ve been handled differently if we gave way to the plan and move of the Holy Spirit… Prayer is essential to being healed because it removes all the infected items (you and the other person) from being involved and thus making the matter even worse… When you carry envy, jealousy, anger and strife; you are infected and will do nothing but infect everything that you come in contact with… Healing can only be found in and through the hands of God… The bible declares that Jesus was presented with a situation after being transfigured before James Peter and John about a boy who as possessed and the disciples were unable to cure him… At the command of Jesus the was emoved and the boy was whole; in their astonishment, the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal him, Jesus declared that this could only be done by praying…

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer. This passage simple shines light on the fact that we must have a prayer life and must stand in prayer throughout our daily struggles knowing that it is only through our relationship with the Lord that we can overcome any situations presented before us… Prayer is a must and will produce results; this is why James concludes by saying that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much…

You must pray, but you must also be covered in the righteousness of Jesus Christ… As a child of God, one of the most important assignments we have is to lift up one another through prayer and fellowship… We need to be in support of one another in the body and cease gossiping or any kind of malice towards each other! James tells us to confess your faults one to another, confession brings healing, it brings true love and reconciliation; but, we must make sure that we live a life that will allow someone to confess things to us. There is a lot of hurt and pain that often times is bottled up inside someone because they have no one to talk too. As a child of God we have a duty to our fellowman to make sure that we create an atmosphere of love and openness that will bring others to Christ and not have them guarded about what they say towards them! Not only is it important to confess our faults so that we can be lifted up within the body, but we must also remember to pray for each other… The bible tells us that we are to pray without ceasing, we should be constantly in prayer for one to another lifting up the faults that are confessed to us to God and not to other parties through gossip… Prayer to God will ultimately bring healing into our lives, when we confess our sins we cause a multitude of people (who we have confessed too) to lift us up in prayer… The bible says that where two or three are gathered I will be in the midst! Jesus will come into your situation; he will be there right by your side and will deliver you out of your circumstances! When we pray, we must be sincere, we must be genuine and we must be honest… The effectual fervent prayers of the righteous availeth much; seek him while he may be found, open your heart to God and know that through Faith he will answer your prayers! Surround yourself with people who understand the power of prayer and will seek God in humility, prayer is not about boasting; it is not about rambling, but about standing before God and emptying your pitcher before Him! So cleanse your heart of all envy, anger, resentment, evil and lust when standing before the thrown and watch what he can do!

BE BLESSED!!!