Magnificent Prayer #51
Magnificent Prayer #51
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:15–17
When praying for others, we must be willing to be part of the answer if necessary. If we aren’t willing to be used to answer our own prayers, we aren’t cooperating with God. As a result, He won’t cooperate with us; He won’t answer our prayers. Why? Because these are prayers of isolation and separation. We are saying, “God, I don’t want to get mixed up in anyone’s problems. You take care of that.”
Can you imagine Jesus doing that? “Sorry, Bartimaeus, I don’t want to get my hands dirty.” God will not hear our prayers of isolation. If we aren’t more interested than that, then He’s not interested in our prayers. As long as we ask and do nothing, He will listen and do nothing. If it costs us nothing, we can expect little in return.
Don’t pray for more missionaries unless you’re willing to go yourself or are willing to send your children. Don’t pray for another’s financial need unless you’re willing to give yourself. And don’t pray for the lost unless you’re willing to go to them and share what Christ means to you.
CHARLES STANLEY
Pray About It: As you pray today, ask yourself, what can I do for these people for whom I’m praying? Can I call them and tell them I was thinking about them? Can I visit them if they’re sick or lonely? Can I send money to support them if they’re in need?
If you’re praying for a certain country, can you go there as part of an outreach? There are ministries that offer numerous opportunities to get your hands dirty for Christ.
Be available, and willing, if God calls.
The best way to do ourselves good is to be doing good for others. The best way to gather is to scatter.
THOMAS BROOKS
From the book
