Article September 15, 2014 Issue

Prayer that avails much

Dorcas Strong

Many students of the Bible share a deep desire to learn from it how to pray more effectively. They see prayer as the greatest force for good in the world, establishing health, peace among nations, righteous government, and harmony in families and communities. The book of James teaches us that fervency is an essential element of such prayer: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (5:16).

Christ Jesus, who prayed more effectually than has any other man or woman, was fervent in his prayers. Among the dictionary definitions of fervent are “earnest” and “ardent” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary), and Jesus was indeed both when communing with God.

But rather than being emotional pleas to a corporeal God, his prayers were filled with the conviction that God is Spirit and All-in-all—that there is none besides God, and that He answers prayer. Mary Baker Eddy describes Jesus’ prayers as “deep and conscientious protests of Truth,—of man’s likeness to God and of man’s unity with Truth and Love” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 12). His mission was to prove the power of Spirit to overcome sin, disease, and death. But it was also to show mankind that this same power is available to all.