What makes prayer successful?
What makes prayer worth the while?
The effectual fervent prayer
of a righteous man availeth much.Elias was a man subject to
like passions as we are,
and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain:
and it rained not on the earth
by the space of three years and six months.James 5:16-18
If you are a praying person, what keeps you at it?
If you aren’t, what keeps you from it?
I fear having unbelief take root in my heart. I don’t want to doubt God. So I’m particularly interested in the next Sunday School lesson in the sequence from Christian Light Publications.
The title of this post is the title of that lesson. The text of the passage is Mark 6:1-13. I read it this morning and forthwith present some excerpts that caught my attention.
His disciples follow him.
From whence hath this man these things?
A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
And he marvelled because of their unbelief.
And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
What effect do my doubts and unbelief have on my own prayers?
Am I enough of a disciple to do what disciples do — follow the Master?
Those “few sick folk” Jesus healed — amidst the surrounding swamp of unbelief, from where did their faith come?
I am also impressed by Jesus’ faithfulness in teaching, despite the dishonor and unbelief.