Sunday Musings: Answered Prayers
When I was younger, I thought prayers were like wishes and God was a little like Santa Claus: You close your eyes and hope you’ll get what you want, but somewhere inside you know it’s just a matter of chance.
But then I discovered this verse:
James 5:16b … the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
The word “availeth” is ischuo. Sometimes translated prevail, ischuo means to be strong, to have power as shown by extraordinary deeds, and to be a force.
That does not sound like wishing on a star to me. So why didn’t I see consistent results when I prayed? Well, probably because I really was only wishing and hoping, not believing. I didn’t yet know this verse:
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Find a promise of God in the Bible and you know you have the right to pray for it. Believe when you pray, and you’ll receive it. These days, I get prayers answered. I’m not even surprised anymore - although I remain jazzed and thankful - when I see my believing prayers come to pass. The younger, skeptical me would protest, chalking it all up to coincidence. The wiser me of today would have to respond by wondering why I seem to have so many more coincidences in my life now than I did back then.