29th. April 2020.Daily Devotion.

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:13-18

I read an incredibly sad story in the Washington Post yesterday about an evangelist who went each year to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans to minister to people. Although he had a history of pulmonary weakness, he went again this year declaring he had asked God to work a miracle and preserve him from “bugs” of any sort. On his way home, he became ill with Covid-19 and died. What are we to make of this kind of bold prayer that some people ask of God? Compare this with another encouragement to pray from the Bible in 1 Kings 18

Thank God Elijah was “just like us”! He sat under a tree, complained to God, and expressed his unbelief—just as we have often done. Yet this was not the case at all when he was truly in touch with God. “Elijah was a man just like us,” yet “he prayed earnestly.” The literal meaning of this in the Greek is magnificent: instead of saying, “earnestly,” it says, “He prayed in prayer.” In other words, “He kept on praying.”

Elijah’s story is of a man who prayed persistently, but not for himself. He was praying for his people, his nation, in a great battle for its soul. If we foolishly put ourselves at risk, have we a right to pray for protection? God is of course still gracious even though we may be foolish at times. If, however, we find ourselves in a difficult place, then we may certainly pray for deliverance and we may always pray for others, maybe especially if they are foolish!

Elijah’s is a story of faith and sight—faith cutting itself off from everything except God, with sight that looks and yet sees nothing. Yes, despite utterly hopeless reports received from sight, this is a story of faith that continues “praying in prayer.”
Do you know how to pray in that way—how to prevail in prayer? Sight may bring you discouraging reports but pay no attention to them. Our heavenly Father lives, and even the delays of answers to our prayers are part of His goodness. Arthur Tappan Pierson

There is prayer which is foolish and presumptuous, and there is prayer that is persistent, but realistic. We all recognise that it is possible that our prayer may not accord with our life’s purpose, which is why Jesus prayed, “Not my will but thine be done.”

Each of three young boys once gave a definition of faith that illustrates the important aspect of tenacity. The first boy defined faith as “taking hold of Christ,” the second as “keeping our hold on Him,” and the third as “not letting go of Him.”

Psalm Fragment

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.

17 But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay. Psalm 40:1-3; 17

We need to pray persistently during this difficult time. Let every report that you hear inspire a prayer. Think of those you know who may be vulnerable and remember all who are suffering and grieving.

Pray persistently but wisely, asking for discernment and the ability to see things clearly yourself, and for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in praying for the needs of other people.