"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man, availeth much" (James 5:16b). Perhaps the most powerful "tool" in missions is also the most unused or misused. The prayer of a righteous person can do so much, and yet we use it so little or ineffectively. We pray, that is for sure, but many times we pray without faith, according to our own will and not the Lord's, or we cease to pray after a short period of time thinking that God does not hear us. And yet prayer is so powerful. It is our line to God. Without God we can do nothing. Our work and labor is in vain without God's approval and strength. The fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man is what gets God working on our behalf and for our good and His glory.

Back in the seventies when my folks first went to Peru to start a church, some deacons in the church approached my father with a concern that the church was not growing as much as it could be. People were being saved, baptized, and added to the church, but the deacons thought that there was more to be done. They wanted to set a time in the week aside just to pray for the church. They didn't want people to come under obligation, but only those who really felt in their hearts to pray for the church. The only time they could decide on was Sunday mornings at 5:00 in the morning. They told no one about it. That first Sunday only my father and two deacons meet and prayed. One deacon had to walk several miles with a stick in his hand to beat off all the dogs between his house and the church. But he was there every Sunday. Little by little the burden grew among other believers and they heard about the Sunday morning prayer meeting. Only those moved by the Lord came and they prayed fervently. After months of prayer, our church had some evangelistic meetings. Our church attendance went from the fifties clear over one hundred. Many people were saved and most of those who made salvation decisions were later baptized and joined the church. It all began when a few righteous people began to pray fervently.

For prayer to be effective, one must first be righteous. We have to confess our sins before God or He will not hear us (Ps. 66:18).  Secondly, we have to pray according to God's will, not our own (James 4:3).  Even Christ prayed for the Father's will and not His own (Matt. 26:39). Thirdly, when we pray we must pray in faith, believing that God hears our prayer and will answer them in His time and according to His will (I John 5:14-15). As we pray in faith according to His will, let us not faint or grow weary but pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17). Don't ever underestimate the power of prayer. Prayer is the ignition to bring out the power of God in us.

If you feel it would be an encouragement or a blessing to someone, you have the Stilwell's permission to forward this article in its entirety. They just ask that you include this note at the bottom of the article with their name and e-mail address (Jeff and Kim Stilwell, jkstilwell@juno.com) in case someone wishes to contact them. Thank you.

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