Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: 1 Chronicles 15-17
     New Testament Reading: James 5

The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit (James 5:16b-18).

You and I live in a loud world. Getting someone’s attention is no easy task. They must set everything aside to listen; turn down the radio or TV, turn away from their cell phones or computer monitor and stop reading their Social Media posts and watching YouTube videos. When someone will silence everything else so they can hear us clearly, it is a privilege. A rare privilege, indeed.

You can talk to God because God listens. Your voice matters in heaven. He takes you very seriously. When you enter his presence, God gives His full attention to you to hear your voice. We don’t need to fear that God will ignore us. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one—it impresses God, and He listens.

In every circumstance of life, we should go to the Lord in prayer. When in trouble, we should approach Him with earnest entreaties. In times of rejoicing, we should lift our hearts to Him in praise. He wants to be brought into all the changing moods of our lives.

God honors our prayers as precious jewels. Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God. Your prayers move God to change the world. You may not understand the mystery of prayer. You don’t need to. But this much is clear: Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth. What an amazing thought!

James gives us the example of Elijah as an encouragement for us to pray. He reminds us that Elijah was human, just like us. He was a mere man, subject to the same weaknesses and infirmities as other men. Elijah wasn’t perfect, but he was persistent in prayer.

James was also a man who believed in the power of prayer. Because of his habit of always kneeling in intercession for the saints, his knees became calloused like a camel’s, and he became known as “The Man with Camel’s Knees.” His friends respectfully called him Old Camel Knees. James was a man of action, a diligent, practical-thinking Christian. But he was also a man of prayer. He marched forward on his knees, taking heaven by storm with fervent, bold, effective prayer. Elijah and James are both great examples for us to follow.