​POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE PRAYERS

As men who pray, we understand the verse in James 5:16, which reminds us that the prayers of righteous men can be powerful and effective. We see this need for powerful and effective prayers in the news, where we witness human suffering due to fires, flooding, other natural disasters, wars, and a host of other catastrophes and political fallouts.


We also see this need in our own lives, as we listen to our friends share their work, health, financial, relational, and spiritual challenges.


Maintaining a right relationship with God and others enables us to pray powerful and effective prayers. Today's verse states that we should “confess our faults to one another and pray with one another that we might be healed.” The word “faults” can be understood to mean our “slips, false steps, offenses, and sins.”


Consistent confession of these faults and accountability to God and trustworthy people can be considered disciplines of a righteous person. If receiving God’s grace and Christ’s sacrifice grants us righteousness, then these disciplines enable us to experience more of God’s grace in our lives. The less our hearts are cluttered with unconfessed “faults,” the more God’s grace can flow freely through our hearts. 


God’s grace enables men to pray powerful and effective prayers for the needs of not only ourselves, but also others and the world around us.


The morning men’s prayer line is as powerful as it is trustworthy. This prayer line allows a man to talk about any burdens or faults residing in his heart that may be hindering his prayers. The prayer line eliminates most personal distractions, most reasons or excuses to attend, and makes it easy to start your day off right with very little effort other than dialing a phone number.


Even though it is easy to get plugged into the prayer line, powerful and effective prayers are often hindered by the distractions we see on television, the internet, books, and media, social or otherwise. However, if we are honest with ourselves, we know that the main culprit to prayer is ourselves.

Simply put, we get caught up in ourselves and our problems so much that we forget about God. But check it out: God never forgets about us. He is always watching over us and loving us.

Fellas, receive God’s forgiveness and grace in your life, and let’s pray powerfully and effectively today.


Let us pray:

Father, we come to You today, bowing in our heads and humbling or hearts, asking for protection from the evil one. Lord, we are assailed moment by moment with images on television, the internet, books, and media that leave us vulnerable to sin of every kind. Surround us with Your divine hedge of protection.

Encompass us with Your strength and Your might. Let all who take refuge in You be glad, and let them ever sing for joy.

Strengthen us in the power of Your might, O God.

Dress us in Your armor so that we can stand firm against the schemes of the insignificant devil.

You are our keeper, O Lord. Protect us and all those around us from all evil, and keep our souls close to Your will. Guard our going out and coming in, from this time and forever.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen! Amen! Amen!


Scripture:

James 5:16

“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.”

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