A Prayer of Faith
Friends. What are those?
Not meaning I don’t have any, so I don’t know……right ?
But seriously, friends, what is the first thing to come to your head? It is probably an image of a friend of yours or someone you are close too, right? It is because a friend means someone who has a bond or close relationship with another person.
-Our job as brothers and sisters in Christ is to help one another and keep each other accountable.-
As it is said in James 5:13-16, ” 13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 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.”
Prayer is a very powerful thing. Prayer is a talk with THE ONE, which should be our first to go to. Life is tough at times, God will give us trials and it will make us think, “Why? Why do you have to do this to me.”
But HE does it for our good, we are in this little picture while he sees the whole scene and everything that is and will happen in the long run, even when we are blind to it all.
The enemy is deceptive, he will try with every chance he gets to take us down (God has already won the battle for you! There is already victory !) but still the enemy tries to get us down or even our own human flesh. It hits us with those negative, lying thoughts that the world shoves into our little minds everyday. Even though it is rough now, there is a way out, Jesus. Prayer is so powerful, one prayer can change everything, don’t worry because God will cover that for you, HE loves you that much! Let’s say your friend is going down a wrong path, whether it is drugs, cursing, depression, hanging with bad influences, or just running from GOD at the moment. We as brothers and sisters in Christ can be there for them. I’m not saying to go change their life, because that is God’s job, but the power in praying, the power in helping and keeping them accountable when they are heading down that rocky road is our job as as family in Christ. Most of all, whatever is going on in your life or your friends lives around you, NEVER DOUBT THE POWER OF PRAYER!
“17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” James 5:17-18. Elijah is a human just like we are, he went through trails that God had put his way, just like all of us face now. In Elijah’s life having faith in God changed it all for the better. I’m not saying if you pray God will auto automatically solve your situation, but I am saying HE will know what to do exactly and at the perfect time. HE will do what is best for our lives, maybe not what you had in mind, but what is better than you thought or fulfill that prayer and cry out for help in a different way. Remember that HE works in his timing, not ours so be patient.
It is not even close to our job to judge our sisters and brothers, but something we are called to be doing is to help one another out as Christ helps you and forgives you. Whether it’s helping them with struggles, being the strong one and rub off your positivity on your friend who is depressed and going through a dark time. Another is to PRAY constantly for them and everything without any doubt, but have trust in the GREAT I AM, it’s a prayer of faith. Have faith and know God is right there. HE. IS. THERE. -Trust in his goodness-
My church did this awesome thing at my first 7th grade summer camp. We went into groups, made an agreement to pray for all the people we made the pact with and all the things listed in the picture above. Till this day, I still try my best to pray for them at times. Of course we are not perfect and it is hard to, as humans, do this all the time, but we can pray for our family of GOD. That is one of the best things to do in general and for a friend in need.
-YOU. YA YOU! YOU ARE BELOVED, LOVED, BEAUTIFUL, MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, A CHILD OF GOD, AWESOME, PRICELESS AND YOU ROCK, DO NOT FORGET THAT! (That is why it is important and in capital letters.) <3
“…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16