Praying in a Crisis
Scripture says that "the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16 NKJV). Effective—that is exactly what we want our prayers to be, especially in a crisis. When we meet God's requirements, we can be confident that He will release divine energy into the situation and our prayers will produce results.
Requirement #1—Fervent prayer. Motivated by a deeply burdened heart, fervent prayers are filled with passion and a strong sense of personal helplessness. They also have a narrow focus on some specific difficulty about which we care deeply. Scripture calls this type of prayer "laboring earnestly" (Colossians 4:12).
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Requirement #2—Righteousness. At salvation, we become rightly related to God as His children. We are permanently sealed with the Holy Spirit, and we are declared righteous forever because of our position in Jesus Christ. But the word "righteous" is also used to describe a believer's conduct. This means that to be called a "righteous person," we must be found in Christ (Philippians 3:9) and have an obedient lifestyle before God. If we willingly and knowingly engage in sin, then we are not living righteously and our prayers will not be effective.
When the Lord hears an impassioned prayer, He knows who is praying. If it is a righteous person whose life reflects God's ways, Scripture promises the Holy Spirit will begin His divine work.
God responds with great power to the prayers of even one righteous person. That person can be you!
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