James 5:13-18
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
The power of prayer is an amazing phenomenon. Most of the time, we look at prayer as strictly a communication between us and God. I don’t think we really take the time to witness how powerful prayer can be in many situations.
Prayer has the capacity to do many things for an individual. First, it provides the opportunity for us to experience a peaceful setting between us and the divine. Second, we are given the opportunity to express our joy, pain, happiness, or sadness to a power greater than ourselves. Third, prayer grants us access to power that can literally move the impossible.
In this season, prayer should not be used strictly as a communication tool. Prayer is a multifaceted element that can lift us from various places in our spirit and even our emotions. I can no longer pray. Prayers with shallow intentions. My prayer life should be such that it can move all types of mountains pertaining to my life. No matter the obstacle, no matter the difficulty, prayer is my method of choice to alter my atmosphere.
Dr. Charles W. Ferguson 