Praying Expectantly
By Sarah Nolan
James 5:13-18 is titled, "The Power Of Prayer" (NLT). Do we believe prayer is powerful? Do we believe the God of the Universe wants us to draw near to Him? Do we believe prayer is worth it?
James was a servant of God and of Jesus. His letter is written to the "twelve tribes" that have been scattered. This book is filled with warnings and encouragement, which we still need today. James was reminding the twelve tribes what a life lived out for Jesus would look like — the trials, the suffering, the joy, the glory, the pitfalls, the traps, the sanctification. All of these are things we still encounter today. The context may be different, but our hearts still wrestle with the same doubt and uncertainty as anyone who is under persecution.
The Bible is the living, breathing word of God. It knows no end, because God is so vast and holy. It is filled with prayers, praises, and records. And those same prayers, praises, and records are what we turn to today for guidance and instruction. But, how do we know that prayer is in the Scriptures?
I went to Chat GPT and asked: Can you give me all the examples of praying people in the Bible? Shortly after I hit enter, a list of twenty-two names flooded my screen. Sixteen were in the Old Testament, and five in the New Testament.
The example showed me that the Bible records the prayer warriors who came before us. How do we mimic that same behavior?
We must believe that God is with us. If this isn't our first belief, we aren't going to make prayer a priority.
We must believe God listens to us. If we don't believe this, we aren't going to talk to Him.
We must believe God is near. If we aren't aware of His nearness, we will always think He is a far-off God.
God doesn't forget our prayers, but we often do. Journaling helps us to remember what God is doing in each season. There are many ways to begin prayer journaling — 30-day prayer challenges, bullet journaling, gratitude, intercessing for others, and reflection, to name a few.
But why should we keep a record of our prayers to begin with? Biblical Remembrance. God tells the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:12 not to forget God and how He rescued them from Egypt. In Joshua 4:6-7, the Israelites are instructed to build a memorial that will remain among the people forever.
Builds faith. God is faithful, and having the opportunity to look back on everything God has done, protected you from, and brought you through (just like the Israelites) can encourage you to keep pressing forward.
Brings clarity. Sometimes it's easier to write things down, not only to keep focused, but once it's out of your head, you will be less likely to continue to ruminate on it.
It can be hard to start a new rhythm, and it can even be daunting. But here is my encouragement: get your friends together and ask them to join you. Use this as an opportunity to help with accountability and strengthen the faith among your friends. A group of friends that prays together is a mighty force to be reckoned with. Don't dismiss the importance of community as you're thinking of starting this new journey. After all, your friends might be praying even now that God would bring people into their lives so they, too, can grow in their prayer life.
Start typing, or writing, look back periodically, mark those answered prayers, and watch as your eyes open to God's movement in your life.