But, I Prayed Tho
13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. (James 5:13-15)
Sometimes we don't get what we pray for. Sometimes that's a good thing, but other times it's a painful reality. It seems like it would be nice if God was more like a genie or Santa, and we could just make our requests - maybe perform some act of kindness - and then we get what we asked for. But then God would be as small and short-sighted as we are. There are many examples in scripture of a prophet or believer asking God for something wondrous, and the amazing actually happening. One such passage is highlighted in James 5:17-18:
17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.
But when we read such passages and believe that God will bend to the will of humanity, we misunderstand the power of prayer. When we pray openly and honestly, it's God who bends our will to be on one accord with the divine. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that the "cup" of death would pass him, and he ended that prayer with a phrase of humble submission: "Yet not as I will, but as you will". Jesus didn't get what he wanted, but he yielded to the will of God.
We can be assured that God is faithful and trustworthy, and that every prayer is answered - even when the answer isn't what we expect or hope for. Through prayer we are empowered to do and be all that God calls us to do and be. When we earnestly seek to be closer to God, that closeness can't help but to transform our desires. Prayer does indeed change things - most importantly, it changes us.
16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
