I don’t know about y’all, but I know a topic that has come up many times recently at [church] is prayer. But let me ask you this: Is prayer a placebo to you or any of your friends? Now some of you are scratching your heads saying, “placebo?” To spare you a trip to the dictionary, it simply means a drug that doesn’t do anything. An easy example is Dumbo’s feather – he didn’t really need it to fly, it just helped him have the confidence to fly, and he did. So on with the article. How many of you truly believe in prayer? Now I’m sure at one time or another we have all questioned just how truly effective prayer is, but what I’m referring to is different. What I want to know is whether you, or perhaps friends of yours, trust that God will truly come through for you, or if prayer is more of a “just in case” kind of thing.
Now many of us know the verse, James 5:16, that tells us that prayer avails much. But it does not say just any old prayer – it says, the effectual fervent prayer.” This means a prayer that is heart felt and also a prayer that is zealous. If you want more faith, more patience, or if you want your friend to obey the gospel, you’re going to have to pray sincerely and repeatedly for it. Man, it is just too easy to think, “I’ve waited six months for this, and it has not happened, just forget it.” I personally have had this one request in prayer for a few years now, but what keeps me fervently praying for it is the knowledge that if God wills it, then it will eventually happen.
That actually brings me to the next point regarding making sure prayer is not a placebo. If you constantly pray for something and think, “I know God will come through for me eventually,” but you aren’t going to do anything about it, don’t expect it to happen. The feather didn’t fling Dumbo into the air; rather he had to flap those ears for it to happen. So, along with remembering to trust God, and being patient in waiting for Him to answer prayer, you need to do your part. That means if you want that best friend of yours, who’s not a Christian, to become a Christian, you need to invite them to services and perhaps find a method of teaching them the gospel too [such as through the Fishers of Men course or other personal evangelism courses]. Also, sometimes the answer to prayer comes through God’s providence; so if you’re looking for more patience, start by giving people the benefit of the doubt. Or, if you want more knowledge of God’s Word, maybe crack that Bible open for an extra hour more than you usually do.
Now some may be thinking, “Well, yeah, I basically knew all that,” but, as my dad still likes to say to me sometimes, “remember 2 Peter 1:12.” We all need a friendly reminder sometimes, so please take it as such. If you aren’t trusting that God answers prayers, or you find that the only time you pray is before meals and at bedtime, then consider praying more often and more fervently. You may just be surprised at how soon your prayers are answered if you have faith and don’t watch the clock waiting for the answers to your prayers.
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always
in remembrance of these things,
though ye know them, and be established
in the present truth. 2 Peter 1:12
