Notice that James instructs us to first confess our sins to one another, and naturally to God, since if we have unconfessed sins, He might not give us what we ask for.
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
We can pray but when we give Him thanks, it shows we appreciate what we already have, taking nothing for granted, and that is pleasing to God. Praying is a powerful weapon in our spiritual warfare but so is giving thanks. Maybe then we can lose our anxiety, knowing that He already knows our every need. Paul points out that we shouldn’t be “anxious about anything” but rather “in prayer and supplication” let it all be known to God but adding thanks to it. Since we know that the Father loves to be glorified and the Father desires that His Son’s name be glorified, we can bring glory to God by answered prayer because we are praying in Jesus’ name. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:7-8). Jesus said “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. That’s the very reason that we pray in the first place. When things seem to be at their worst and any solution looks impossible, God is delighted to answer in ways that glorify His name. Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” It feels like the Sahara Desert, but that’s when the Spirit of God translates our pain in groaning’s, moaning’s, and sufferings that we can’t even put into words. There are times when we feel so overwhelmed that we can’t even find the words to pray.
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom 8:26-27). For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. We know that praying in the Spirit is mentioned in Romans 8 where the Apostle Paul writes, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18 “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. When you enter into prayer, you are entering into your own war room, wherever that might be.
I recall the account where David prayed but only received an answer three weeks later (Dan 10:13) due to spiritual warfare, even though Daniel’s prayer was immediately heard (Dan 10:12). Maybe it’s because we’re in a spiritual battle and aren’t wrestling against a physical enemy that can be seen. When I pray, it seems the phone rings, the dog barks, the doorbell goes off, the…etc., etc. I begin the day with prayer and end the day with prayer, sandwiched in between are Bible readings, but for me, it’s hard work. Maybe it’s easy for you but I have a hard time when I enter into prayer. Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
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