CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING PRAYER WARRIOR
"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words."
Matthew 6:7 (ESV)
For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve.
James 5:16 (CEB)
I used to identify myself as a prayer warrior. I never really knew what that meant, but I liked the designation because it made me feel important. The problem is that prayer isn’t really about the one praying. It's about the one we pray to that matters. Earlier this week, we addressed the importance of getting away from the crowd to avoid viewing prayer as a performance. Focusing on the length of our prayer time can become a way to measure ourselves against each other. In the verse above, we read that the pagans had gotten the idea that the more they repeated mindless phrases, the more the gods would hear them. The focus was on their performance, rather than on the God who can intervene on their behalf. I think this is a trick right from the pit of Hell.
James 5:16 says that as we receive confessions from others, the power of the Spirit is unleashed and burdens are released as an act of God’s grace. That’s the power of prayer at work. It then goes on to say that the prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve. Speaking words of grace changes the world. But notice that it doesn’t talk about how long we pray, or the style of prayer. It simply says that the prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve.
Who is the righteous man? Not a single one of us (Romans 3:9-20). Rather, righteousness is accounted to us when we trust in Him (Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:1-22, Galatians 3:6-9). Our effectiveness in prayer is all about our trust in Jesus, not our ability to pray well. Thinking of ourselves as prayer warriors only puts the focus on us. This is the same sin as the one who prays publicly to be seen by others.
APPLICATION: Write down three things that can only be accomplished with the intervention of God. Pray by yourself over this during the next month. Record what happens.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to put no confidence in the flesh, but simply to bring my requests to you. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?