by Jenny Harrison
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 5:16 (NIV)
Recently, some precious women from our church and community gathered to “Paint and Praise” with my dear friend Kelly Moore. The topic and theme of our potential masterpieces was the power of prayer. Kelly shared that Godly women bound together were the recipe for strong communities, churches, and homes.
James 5:16 states to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed. So YOU may be HEALED!
What if:
We were able to acknowledge the best in others, and unwilling to believe the worst?
We recognized the God-given strengths of fellow believers and encouraged them to use their talents to glorify the Lord?
We decided to listen to the needs of others without a condemning or judgmental heart?
Gossip ceased and we stood in the gap as a prayer warrior for our fellow man and lifted each of their needs to the Lord?
A few weeks ago, I confessed a weakness to a trusted Christian friend. I admitted that the enemy would often use my deficiency to keep me vulnerable with deceptive messages and lowered self-esteem. I felt stuck! I earnestly asked for prayer to release the snare of my sinful nature.
My confession was not necessary for my Lord to accept and love me, but critical in that vocalizing my confession to a Christian friend ended my personal justifications and denials. It was imperative to swallow my pride and fully own my weakness.
The ongoing prayer of a righteous person was truly powerful, and I felt an enormous weight being lifted and my shackles removed.
Can you imagine the results of dedicated and purposeful prayers for our Christian brothers and sisters? We could move beyond merely existing and live a life of significance. No longer would we be so busy making a living that we forget to make a life. The ripple effects of our humble sacrifice would transcend our human expectations.
Confess. Pray. Let the healing begin!
How can we pray for you today?
Copyright © 2015, Jenny Harrison, all rights reserved, Breath of Life Women’s Ministries. Prayer image from Pinterest. Scripture from The Holy Bible, New International Version.
