James 5:16

Confess your trespasses to one another,
and pray for one another,
that you may be healed.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.


"That you may be healed." This is kind of an amusing verse for the week when our church school was canceled for a day due to massive numbers of sick students & teachers.

Now to the non-silly stuff from chapel:

Pastor asked how prayer is "effective." The answer? When it is grounded in God's word and His promises. When we speak back to Him what He has first spoken to us. Isaiah 55 tells us that God's word accomplishes what He intends.

Pastor asked how prayer is "fervent." The answer? When we cling to Him in faith and let nothing get in the way, but keep our eyes only on Him (and not even on the blessings He gives).

And most importantly, Pastor asked what "avails much" means. The answer? Accomplishes what God intends. Hey! Wait a minute! I never heard that before! What God intends? I always heard this passage used to say that the prayer will accomplish what the one doing the praying intends. What God intends? That puts it in a whole different light!