Effective Prayers

September 12, 2021

There is a difference between answered prayer and effective prayer. James tells us that the “effective fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much.” (James 5:16) Other translations render it, “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective,” or similar language. I like the Good News Bible: “The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.”

Although James cites Elijah as an example of powerful, answered prayer, he doesn’t conclude from the Elijah story that our prayers will be answered as was his, but that they will have a powerful effect. I take great comfort in this. I’ve often prayed hard for something, only to have the answer elude me. I’ve prayed for people to be healed, and watched them sicken and die. I’ve prayed to avoid certain trouble and difficulty only to have to wade through deep waters. I’ve prayed for calm seas and had to ride out the storm. Those prayers weren’t answered…at least not in the way I envisioned.

But James doesn’t speak of answered prayer here. He speaks of effective prayer, ie. prayer that changes things even if I can’t see what the change is. Let me give one example.

When I was a much younger man, between my freshman and sophomore years of college in 1968, I counseled at Miracle Mountain Ranch, a Christian horse camp for kids. One of our responsibilities as counselors was to go around to each bunk at bedtime and pray for the kids in our care. After lights out, I would stop at each bunk and talk with my boys, asking them about their day, and talking to them about faith in Christ. If any of them indicated that they had never prayed to receive Christ as Savior and Lord, I would ask if they would like to do so, and lead them in prayer if they wanted. It was not uncommon to have the boys pray and ask Christ to be their Savior, but even with follow up notes and letters, I soon lost track of them. 

Fast forward to about fifteen years ago. Linda and I were attending the graduation party of one of the youth in our church. The young man’s father introduced me to a friend. Hearing my name, the friend looked at me oddly and asked, “Do you like peanut butter on your pancakes?” When I answered in the affirmative, he then inquired, “Did you counsel at Miracle Mountain Ranch back in the ‘60s?” Again, I answered affirmatively, whereupon he grabbed me in a big bear hug and said, “You are my spiritual father. I’ve been looking for you for years! I prayed to receive Christ in your bunkhouse, and it changed my life!” I was, needless to say, dumbfounded. 

Years ago, a prayer was effective, even though as far as I could tell, it changed nothing. So today when I pray, even if it seems to go unanswered, I know there is an effectiveness I cannot measure, but for which I can give thanks nonetheless.