Learning to Pray Earnestly

The Prayer of Faith
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5:13-20)

What does it mean to "learn to pray earnestly"?
In this kind of prayer you have to involve your emotions and literally catapult yourself into your prayer. It's not a casual exercise but a serious-minded endeavor, intense, with a singleness of purpose, such that you aren't distracted by anything that's unrelated to your goal.


Learning to pray earnestly means that during this kind of prayer you have to turn off all distractions so that you can pray effectively.

This was the kind of prayer Elijah prayed when he prayed that it shouldn't rain on the earth for three and a half years (James 5:17). 1 Kings 18 throws more light on how he prayed earnestly: "And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees" (1 Kings 18:42). Elijah put off every distraction and that is why he got such great results.

So if ever you are encountered with a difficult situation, learn to pray earnestly. Look for a quiet place where you can shut yourself away from all distractions and focus all your energies on the Lord. You have to learn to pray earnestly and refuse to allow your mind to daydream.

Cast your entire self and emotions into that prayer, for the earnest, heartfelt prayer of a sincere petitioner produces results; it makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its working. The results your want are based on your ability in learning to pray earnestly.



A Prayer to Pray Earnestly

Earnestly pray for the Lord's help in everything you do and never try to do anything for the Kingdom of Heaven without the Lord's help.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and with his help there is nothing that is impossible.

Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Brothers and Sisters, if we attempt to labor in the vineyard of God's fields of harvest without God's help, our labor will be in vain; but with God's help all things are possible and we will reap bountiful harvest.

Whatever you do, do it with God's help. Amen.

Peace and love,

Sue


"Be still and know that I am God"(Psalm 46:10)