Articles
Is "Please" All You Have to Say?
The little boy just loves to drink his milk all day long. It’s time for supper now and the little boy asks again for another glass of milk. The parent tells the little boy that he sure can after he eats his food first. The little boy wants his milk so all he says is “Please, please, please.” The mother tells him that as soon as he obeys her, he can have his milk. The child quickly begins to eat and his milk arrives in a few moments. How does this story relate to our message today? The point is when we pray to God, just saying “please, please, please” will not get the answer from God we want. Prayer will only work in your life when you ask and then you obey.
In James 5:16 we are told that the prayer of a righteous person is effective. Why is that so? The man is right with God. He is a faithful servant of God who is walking in the light and trying to follow God. James is telling us here that when you need help in your life, ask God in your prayers and expect Him to answer if you are a righteous individual.
If you don’t think God is answering your prayers and you continue to plead for his help, the reason may be that you are not living a righteous life. The little boy in our story could have kept pleading over and over again for his milk but he was not going to get it until he obeyed his mother. We can keep pleading and pleading to God but we have no assurance that God will help if we don’t obey him in our life.
Prayer is so important in our life. It is what holds us up in times of trouble. It is where we go when we need direction in our life. In Hebrews 10:22 we are told to draw near to God. Prayer brings us closer to God. Prayer is also a time where we tell God how great he is. Prayer is also a time where we say thank you to God for all He does.
For the Christian, striving to follow God everyday, we realize we fall short. Prayer is the avenue we go to God to ask Him to forgive us for our shortfalls. I John 1:9 tells us “Confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us.” It’s ok and in fact necessary to plead to God for help in our lives but never forget it’s the righteous individual, the one who is striving to obey God whose prayers are powerful and God will answer.
