Prayer Counts

It is disturbing but not shocking that in recent years the power of prayer has been under attack. The enemy is cunning and can use good hearted people to undermine this most powerful avenue of communication even in the information age. It stems from Christians, specifically those in leadership roles saying in response to suffering “You just need to pray more.” There are two issues with this statement that I agree are unhelpful. First of all, we all need to pray more. Paul encourages us to “Pray without ceasing” in his first letter to the Thessalonians (5:17). Second, the word “just” is unhelpful because it implies that no other route of assistance is necessary.

Unfortunately at this point, I’ve witnessed people quote James 2:14-17 to undermine the value and effectiveness of prayer. It reads

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

I’ve seen posts that equate “Go in peace, be warmed and filled” with “I’ll pray for you”. Those two previous statements are not the same as James laters explains in chapter 5:13-18.

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

While true if I say “I’ll pray for you” and I don’t then it can be similar but actually praying for someone is an action of faith. This is why when someone needs prayer if at all possible I do it right then and there, no matter how awkward it may be. We have been duped into thinking a social media post is more effective than praying to the God who spoke the world into existence. As a Christian I believe in the power of prayer. As a Cancer survivor I believe in the power of prayer and the training of oncologists. As both I believe in the power of prayer, oncologist and my friends/counselors to help me process this life. God has given us all these avenues as a tremendous blessing that we should use to its most beneficial level. We can encourage people to pray more and at the same time show them other avenues of help that might be out of our expertise while doing what we can. I’m intentional in my prayers both public and private to ask for God to reveal opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus so obvious that we can’t ignore them. Then it is up to me to be obedient in serving others.

Travis