The Efficacy Of Prayer
Prayer has both a subjective and objective value and effect. It affects God and produces a good effect in the soul of him who prays.
The many promises of God to the prayerful, and the numerous examples of answered prayer demonstrate its objective value. Jesus said, "Ask and it shall be given you.... for every one that asketh receiveth....If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matt. 7:7-11) "Ye have not, because ye ask not," said James. Again, "But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
Skepticism regarding prayer is due largely to two erroneous theories pertaining to the laws and providence of God.
One of the theories reasons that every thing in the material world is fixed by natural law; that obedience alone to God's immutable natural law will produce a predetermined natural result, and obedience alone to God's immutable spiritual law will produce a fixed spiritual result. Then the theory concludes that an answer to prayer would require a miracle — an operation of God independent of these recognized laws — and the days of miracles being over, prayer cannot change these laws, and therefore the results will be the same as if no one ever prayed.
The other theory grants that answer to prayer requires a miracle, and claims that God in answer to prayer performs miracles even today by setting aside his natural and spiritual laws.
Both of these theories are wrong. In the first there is no place for the providence of God; in the second God's natural and spiritual laws are disregarded.
It is true that all of the laws of God are immutable. It is true also that no miracles are being performed today. But it does not require a miracle for the Almighty Father to answer the prayer of the righteous. He who created and is over the laws of nature can answer prayer by working through these laws. "Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again; and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." (James 5:17, 18) No miracle was required to produce that drought of three years and six months. No miracle was required to produce the rain in answer to Elijah's prayer. The rain came from a cloud through natural processes just as rain falls upon the earth today.
James teaches that prayer should be offered for the sick (Jas. 5:14,15) and promises that such prayers will be answered. In the days of miracles many were healed by miracles, and independent of all natural remedies. But the healing in answer to prayer mentioned by James is medicinal or through the use of natural means. If the best that science has produced is applied, and the prayers of the righteous are connected with every remedial agent, all who can be cured at all will be cured in this way. James does not teach that this remedy is an antidote to death and decay, for there was never a time when the righteous did not sicken and die.
God can and does answer our prayers for daily bread by working through the laws of nature. If we expect him to rain manna from heaven as in the age of miracles, or feed thousands with a few loaves, we shall be disappointed. We must use the means he has given us to produce our bread by his laws of nature and he, working through these laws, as in the case of Elijah's prayer for rain, will grant our request. We must remember that prayer without works is just as dead as faith without works. But that does not mean that either prayer or faith is ineffectual when brought to life by activity of the right kind.
The righteous are taught to pray for sinners. Jesus prayed for those who crucified him (Luke 23:34), and his prayer was answered in perfect harmony with God's spiritual law of forgiveness as set forth in the Great Commission. The people for whom he prayed were present on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached that memorable sermon of the second chapter of Acts. They were pierced in their hearts by the words spoken by the apostle, and asked "What shall we do?" Peter told them to repent and be baptized, and they obeyed; they were forgiven, and the Savior's prayer was answered. Not a single spiritual law was over-ruled or ignored, and no miracle served as a substitute for their obedience to God's spiritual law of forgiveness.
Many times renewed zeal and courage are made manifest in the fervent prayers of the righteous. Such prayers will make you a better, a more useful and a happier person. Prayer does something to the hearts of the prayerful. It does have subjective value.
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