Ingredients of Effective Prayer (Part3)

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.’ – James 5:16 (NIV)

God is gracious and because of this he sometimes answers prayer even when we are not living right, but it is dangerous to make this exception a rule. The general testimony of scripture is that our walk with God has a lot to do with the effectiveness of our prayers.

The Bible says ‘The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful.’ James 5:16 (Message). It is prayer born out of a correct walk with God that produces power. Our walk with God is a crucial ingredient in effective praying. The NIV puts it this way: ‘The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective’.

There are many who are careless about this. They seem to feel that the way they live has no bearing on their prayers. Our prayers cannot be divorced from our lives. We cannot live wrong and pray right. The Bible teaches that unconfessed sin hinders prayer. The Psalmist said: ‘If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened’ (Psalms 66:18).

The Lord Jesus taught that when we stand to commune with God and remember that there are issues in our lives we should stop and sort them out with God and man before proceeding with our prayer (Matt 5:23-25). One of the sins that hinders many is the sin of unforgiveness. We cannot bear a grudge against another and be effective in prayer. Jesus said, ‘And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins’ (Mark 11:25)

Of course one of the enemy’s fiery darts is to keep us continually  in condemnation thinking that perhaps we have sinned. If there is sin, you will know it. If you have repented of it in the past, then it is done and doesn’t count before God again. But it is sin that we are holding onto and not releasing to God that hinders.

The beautiful thing is that we can easily remove this hindrance by repenting of that sin. God is gracious. God forgives us when we confess and repent of our sin because of what Christ has done. So let us remove every hindrance and receive an open heaven for our prayer from God once again.

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Comments? Questions? etc. If these messages have been helpful or unclear it would encourage us to hear from you, please write to chim_ibidun@hotmail.com
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PLEASE are you born again? It is not enough to believe in the existence of God, to go to church, or be interested in spiritual things. Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus died to deliver you from sin so that you can come to God. (John 3:16) If you ask him to forgive you and give you a new heart he will. (Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-11).Try it. I’d love to hear from you @ chim_ibidun@hotmail.com
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Chim’sWRITE are regular articles on Christian living and cross-cultural missions from Chimezie Onyebilanma a cross-cultural missionary with Calvary Ministries (CAPRO). CAPRO is an indigenous African non-denominational cross-cultural  mission agency involved in reaching the remaining unreached peoples in 22 countries of Africa and the Middle East as of present. CAPRO is involved in missions mobilization, training, and research as well as church-planting and mercy ministries (literacy, rural development, primary health-care, relief and rehabilitation). CAPRO is a faith mission, both the ministry and its missionaries depend on God’s provision through the giving of his people. None of its missionaries are salaried. All gifts are used as designated.

Surface Address: CAPRO MISSIONS SA, Durban, 47 Sutherland Rd, Waterfall, 3610, Durban, P.O.Box 207, Hillcrest, 3650, South Africa.Tel: +2731 766 2336; +27 794737208 (cell)

To learn more about the ministry of Chimezie Onyebilanma and how you can partner with us please email chim_ibidun@hotmail.com
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