effective prayer

I would like to talk about what effective prayer is. James chapter 5 verse 16 says: "Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another so that they may be healed. The effective prayer of the righteous can do much."

Brothers, I have a question, what is this, what is it eaten with, how is it made? What is an effective prayer? Several people can give me a formula, the effective prayer is the one that begins with adoration, then goes to confession, then has petition, then intercession and then ends with thanksgiving again. They give me a formula: that is the effective prayer, that is the prayer that God listens to!

Others tell me that the effective prayer is the one you do after 21 days of fasting. That is the formula, you have to suffer there in your body, surrender, sacrifice to the Lord, so that your prayer is effective and reaches seventh heaven. But if I read this text, effective prayer has some variants of things that we often do not pay attention to.

Look how it says: "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another so that they may be healed." That clause that says before being able to mention "the effective prayer of the just can do a lot." What is a just person, a man, a just woman? The Scripture says justified by faith, we are accepted before the Lord. A just person, a just man, is a person as Psalm 32 verse 2 says, a person in whose spirit there is no deceit. He is a person who can be said to be right with God and with others. He is a person who has no remorse of conscience before God and before other people.

At least in this context in which we are reading that is what a man means, a just woman. I start to wonder wow, is there deceit in my spirit now, is there remorse in my conscience for something? But by faith I believe, if I let myself be carried away by my human side, I throw myself on the floor, oh mercy on me Lord, if I let myself be carried away by my human side. But I know who I have believed in, I know who is the one who justifies me, I know who is my lawyer who is up there in heaven. I know who I have approached just as you also know who you have approached.

As it says in Hebrews, let us approach confidently before the Throne of Grace to find that favor of the Lord on the opportune day. All of us who have put our trust in the Lord, God is the one who justifies us. God is the one who makes us be right with Him and with others. That is speaking internally, but effective prayer also has a dimension that is public, as that text says, confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another so that they may be healed, healed of what? From a headache, healed from a kidney stone and have that stone come out without much pain, or healed from interpersonal situations with each other?

Do you know what is one of the biggest blocks to prayer? The mere fact that we have conflicts with other people. We can go on living like everything's alright, oh, time heals all things, but it's not. Here he tells me a formula, and it may sound simple but it is not. How am I going to go in front of a person and confess, look, I spoke behind your back Gloria, forgive me?

That's not easy, I can't do it just like that. There has to be a sense of conviction that comes from the Lord for me to be able to move and do that, for you to be able to move and do that, for me to go to another person, for you to go to another person, look, forgive me because I did something against you, I said something that I know did you wrong or that you yourself let me understand that it did you wrong. Or maybe you didn't tell me anything but after that I realized that your life went from bad to worse, and I know that it was partly because of that that I told you.

There are times when we open our mouths and screw up, so to speak, and there are times when those words, when they have an effect, going back is very difficult, and one has to go through that healing process, of confessing my faults with other people, but not only confess it but also seek that healing in prayer with that person. That I could pray with him or her, and in that prayer ask that God restore all things and that he or she pray for me too. That's where the healing happens. When one then reaches that point, my brothers, what the other part of that text says 16 can be applied, the effective prayer of that man, of that woman who has gone through that process, who knows what it is to reconcile their differences. With other people, the prayer of that man or that woman can do a lot.

Do you believe it or do you not believe it? Look what Santiago does, he gives you the example of the prophet Elijah. How does verse 17 say? It says: "Elijah was a man subject to passions similar to ours." In other words, Elias, you know who I'm talking about, right? I'm not talking about Elijah the drummer, I'm talking about Elijah the prophet, okay?, from the Bible, the one that appears here in 1st and 2nd Kings. That prophet Elijah, do you remember what were some of the great things he did? Ah ok, well they read it there, obviously.

"He prayed fervently so that it would not rain on the earth," for how many years? For three and a half years. He did a miracle there, from the little oil that was left and the flour that was left, the jars of oil were multiplied for this woman. The fire on the altar, ladies and gentlemen, don't forget the fire on the altar too. One against four hundred. He was subject to passions like ours, he was as human as you and me. What happened after that event at the altar of fire and all that, what happened to Elias? He ran away, why? Oops, to run away, little legs, why do I want you, there is a queen who wants to cut off my head, let's go.

See if he was as passionate as you and me that the guy was depressed and wanted God to take his life. Oh Lord I can't take it anymore, kill me, or you kill me or I kill myself, one of two. The man suffered a serious depression, there was no Prozac that really worked, nor a ginger tea of those that grannies make in the country, it was not going to work for him either. He was as subject to human weaknesses as you and me, but still his prayer was effective, his prayer was heard, his prayer bore fruit.

Ah no Pastor, but that was Elias, I am another person here. You are as human as he is, I am as human as he is, why not? That's where disbelief comes in, when we start to think about those things, oh well, I'm going to start praying so that it doesn't rain. Look, no no no, better pray for it to rain in due time, on time and out of season, because we need the rain.

Do you remember what he was preaching in days gone by? When you are praying, take a good look at your motivations when you pray. That is part of an effective prayer, what is it that motivates you to pray for X, Y, Z situation? Are you doing it as they say so that they recognize you and say wow, look Emanuel, how well he prays, he is the best prayer in the entire Church? Or are you truly praying for God to be the one to put out his hand and for him to be the one to get the glory?

I faithfully believe my brothers that all of us can reach that level of having an effective prayer, I faithfully believe it. I think so for me. There are times when I don't feel that way, but there is a big difference between believing something and feeling something, and I am very convinced of that. How many times have I felt in some way and when I act according to my convictions, that feeling, pff, is completely cancelled? As the opposite has also happened to me, I have a conviction but a feeling is dominated by the conviction and when I act according to the feeling, it's like the conviction lets me know like hey, what happened? Why didn't you listen to me?

I have lived the history of both parties, and because I have seen it that way I dare to say brother, your prayer is effective, your prayer has power. But we have to make sure my brothers that our hearts are right before God for that prayer to be effective. I am not saying that when you pray there will be villages and castles, and fireworks and that the sky will be torn with lightning, no no no, I am not saying that. I am perhaps saying a prayer as simple as that of brother Julio who is there with his cart and says look Lord, I need you to help me with this. Julio did not throw himself on the floor there on his knees and spent two hours praying, there crying out to the God of heaven, no, he said it in his heart Lord, I need you to help me, I am going to talk to him, I am going to talk to him other. It was in action, but it was a simple sentence.

When you go in your car, if you are right with God, if there is no deceit in your spirit, if you can sit there and know in your heart that: Lord, I am at peace with you, I am right with you, and just in case Lord forgive me. I cover myself with Your blood and I dare to say that I am fine with You, therefore, Lord, please listen to this prayer.

I go to the hospital to pray for someone, they tell me their whole story and I say to myself: oh Lord, here I am going to need a gallon of oil to pray for this person because this is strong. But as I am there again comes the conviction: just pray. Let's not forget to pray, let's not underestimate the power of that prayer that you can do for someone. That simple prayer that you say in the morning when you are having your coffee with your toast, that you sit there: Lord, look, bless this day, help me with everything I have to do, believe that the Lord has heard that prayer and He he will answer you

Of course, perhaps the answer that you are waiting for does not come out, but if it does not come out: Lord, I accept what You bring, help me to know how to proceed. If it doesn't work on the first try, I'll go for it on the second try. If on the second try it doesn't work I throw myself on the third, and I continue like this Lord, and if in the process You let me know hey, your intentions, your motivations are not correct, help me Lord to understand this so that my prayer is more effective ahead of you.

If in the process you realize that you have an obstacle with someone: Lord, help me then to be able to go to this person, to have the courage to be able to say: look, forgive me for what I did to you, or for what I told you, or for what I thought against you. Well you thought about it, I didn't know, anyway I'm telling you because I thought about it. When we act like this my brothers, that is the law of God's love, when we operate at that level and we are not there operating with machinations to hit the other person over the head, believe me, your prayer will be effective, your prayer will have power Sooner or later you are going to see the answer to your prayer, amen?

Move the person next to you, tell him: your prayer is effective, your prayer has power, because you are a man, a woman of justice. Lord I thank you for this Word Jesus, I ask that all of us can treasure it in our hearts Lord, that we can live in the light of it Lord, and that day after day your Holy Spirit makes it relevant to our lives and to each deal that we have with other people around us. Lord that we never allow ourselves to be carried away by unbelief, but rather that we can always have that faith like a seed, like a grain of mustard, Lord.

A simple and simple faith that is based on You Lord, that when we turn to You, You who are the creator of all things, the Provider, the Healer, You have the power to work Lord. And that power works in us Lord, even when we don't know what to ask or how to speak or how to pray, Your Spirit is there to intercede for us. So thank you Father, for those endorsements that You give us Lord in our prayer life. May we never underestimate that simplicity, that simplicity, but behind it there is great power. We thank you Lord, take us safely to our homes, cover us Lord with Your Grace, give us Your peace, grant us a peaceful, restful sleep, and that tomorrow if You allow it, Lord, we can lay hands on the day, whatever Jesus brings and see You to You working in great ways. We give you thanks in the name of Jesus, amen and amen.