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 (James 5:16-18).

God doesn’t need our prayers to fulfill his purposes. But for reasons that aren’t entirely clear to us, he promotes his glory, and our significance, by using our prayers to advance his kingdom. The Bible says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power.” 

That promise is not just for spiritual giants like the Prophet Elijah. The Bible says, “He was a man with a nature like ours,” assuring us that we can pray with as much authority and effect as he did. 

Much as an old-fashioned steam engine uses coal to power a train, God uses our prayers to empower the engine of divine transformation. Of course, he could transform our world without our prayers, just as he could make trains run without natural resources. But he has not chosen to operate that way. 

So that we would treasure our role in God’s plan, he reveals that he uses our prayers to work all things together for good – even when we don’t know how to pray (Rom. 8:26-28). 

How it all works, I cannot fully understand, but if our meager petitions fuel God’s divine engine, then let’s keep “shoveling coal” by praying. The destination and timetable are always subject to God’s wisdom, but his power is in our prayers. So, get on board, and pray!

Prayer:
Lord, help me to follow Elijah’s example by praying fervently that your will would be done, so that my prayers would be an instrument of your blessings for many.