Living As Mighty Men

I found myself at a different church this last Sunday. My car had "died" and I had to walk. My church is 13 miles away and so I walked to a closer place. I've been going through a hard time, financially. Now, with my added car problems, I owe on at least 5 large bills. I'm a month behind on most of them and have deadlines, at which point the service will end.

I believe I've been doing all the "right" things. Yesterday God encouraged me with the pastor's message, essentially saying, "Here are some areas you can improve in that will make your prayers more effective."

In James 5:16 we learn that "the effectual prayers of a righteous man availeth much." What I will share here are some simple, yet powerful things that will actually make your prayers more effective. They could be called mighty works - they are powerful, transforming things that will both move God's hand and His heart.

The first of these activities is to spend time before the Lord worshiping Him. In chapter 4 of John we read of Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well. He said that "the Father is seeking" people to worship Him"in spirit and in truth." There are many examples in the Bible that show the power of true worship. I'll share two. In 2 Chron. 20 we read of a "great multitude" of people that were coming against Jehoshaphat and Judah. They were overwhelmed and things looked hopeless [Hmm, sort of like my situation now].

Jehoshaphat sought God, and with him, all of Judah. The Lord's answer, "Be not afraid ... for the battle is not yours, but God's. ... You shall not need to fight ..; take your positions [look like you are going to war/fight], stand still, and see the delverance of the Lord." (v. 15-17)

They followed God's instructions and received the victory. Jehoshaphat appointed singers to worship in front of the army as they went out. In verse 22 we see that when they began to sing ... the Lord "caused the multitude to be self-slaughtered." Their very act of obedience moved the hand of God.
Another powerful example of worship is found in Acts 16. Here we see Paul and Silas, their hads and feet in shackles and locked in the innermost place in the prison. They had bee severely beaten. Surely, they had every legitimate reason to be unhappy and complain. "But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise (not complaints) to God ... all the doors were opened and everyone's shackles were unfastened." (v. 25-26) They didn't complain - they worshiped! It was their worsip that moved God's hand to shake the entire prison and free them all.

I won't share details of the other "things" listed, things we can do to walk in a way that makes our prayer life most effective. I will tell you what they are, however. Praying in the spirit, declaring the gospel, and exercising great faith.

By working on these areas and doing these things, we are in fact, living as Jesus Himself. When we received Jesus into our hearts the seed of God was planted in us. It is God's intent that we should look like and, in truth, be like Jesus. Didn't Jesus promise us that "the things that He did we would do also?"