When you need prayer, whom do you ask to pray for or with you? Why do you ask that person?

When others need prayer, do they ask you to pray?

Those questions are important because they speak to the way others perceive your walk with the Lord.

There are people whom we believe can sit at the Lord’s feet and talk to him about our needs. They know God in a deeply personal way. They know God’s word so they know how to pray for his will and for his glory. They are people who pray with a heart of compassion and grace for us and others. 

James said, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power.” That is biblical truth that applies to all generations. We should want to be that righteous person so we can pray those powerful prayers.

A righteous person is simply a person who is right with God. None of us is perfect, but there are those who quickly seek forgiveness for imperfections and work hard to live a life God can work through and bless. A righteous person isn’t a sinless person, just a person who wants to sin less today than the day before.

How do we become a righteous person who can pray powerful prayers for others? Consider James’ advice to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another.” Christians should be a safe place for people to share successes and sins. We should help one another and learn from one another as we pray for one another. We should be a community of believers who encourage one another to become increasingly right with God, knowing the prayers of a righteous person have great power as they are working.

Yielding to God’s wisdom is spiritual strength. Let’s be people who are yielded to God’s wisdom and filled with God’s love so others can trust that our prayers will be offered to the Lord with spiritual strength.