Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make them well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 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 5:13-16, TNIV)
I don't know about you, but my prayer life is a bit like my experience fishing. Some days, I set the world on fire. Other days don't hit on much at all. Actually, the fluctuation is not really daily...it's more seasonal. I have seasons where I feel like my prayers can move mountains and other seasons where it feels like I'm talking to myself. 'Feels like' is the operative phrase, though. James doesn't address feelings. God is listening whether we feel His presence or not. When we are seeking to be 'right' with Him (that's what James means by 'righteous person' in v.16), our prayer is powerful and effective, even when we don't feel like our prayer has any 'umph' at all.
The key is a steady, consistent, disciplined time with God. Do whatever it takes. Get up earlier. Go to bed later. Give up watching your favorite show. Pour out your heart to God and your spiritual life will experience more ups than downs.
Let me offer a couple of resources to you. Bill Hybels wrote an excellent book titled Too Busy Not To Pray. I read through it again as part of my preparation for today's message. I also recommend James Emery White's You Can Experience a Spiritual Life.
Why not give daily time with God a try? Try it for 30 days. What have you got to lose?
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