Improving our odds in our prayers to God


I grew up knowing the last part of James 5:16 - The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. But the first part was not so well known to me. Yet both are connected and inextricably linked.

If the prayer of a certain righteous man availeth much, it is possible for the prayer of others to avail little, or not avail anything at all. In other words, I am learning it is possible that God does not answer one's prayers at all. 

‭James‬ ‭4:1‭-‬3‬ ‭KJV‬
[1] From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? [2] Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
[3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Imagine, going to God in prayer to meet the requirements/desires of one of the seven deadly sins. For instance, a person going to God to sanction a request based on greed will not meet a positive response. 

The Seven Deadly Sins

  1. Lust: Excessive desire for sexual gratification.
  2. Gluttony: Overindulgence or overconsumption of food or drink.
  3. Greed: Excessive desire for material wealth or possessions.
  4. Sloth: Laziness, avoidance of work or duty.
  5. Wrath: Intense and uncontrolled anger or hatred.
  6. Envy: Jealousy or resentment towards others' success or possessions.
  7. Pride: Excessive belief in one's abilities or qualities; it is often considered the root of all other sin
Reference: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/sin/what-are-the-seven-deadly-sins.html

If any of these sins is found in a Christian, even though, that Christian continues to wear the righteousness of Christ as a garment, it is considered an anomaly, a spiritual sickness. 

Hence, the necessity of the first part of James 5: 16 - confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. 

This is the way of escape if we notice any of these faults in ourselves. We must not bury these faults in us, so that they do not fester, but rather we must do all that is required to get rid of them. 

Then our righteousness in Christ will not just be a garment alone, but it will be the essence of the fruits we produce - our thoughts, words, and actions and then we can be assured that our fervent prayers avail much (are answered bountifully) . 


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