Effective. Fervent. Avails.

A couple of days ago I got to visit, in person, with a friend I made two years ago while I was working in the Dominican Republic. He and a buddy of his came down for a month or so right after graduating from med school and just before beginning their residencies. They interned with Students International during our Spring Team season and were incredibly refreshing company for both my roommate Amy and I. I was really sad when they left, but managed to keep in touch with one of them, Ryan, via facebook over the last couple of years. Ryan was just in Denver for 24 hours and squeezed me into his schedule and for this I am incredibly thankful. We wasted no time in catching up and just generally talked non-stop for the two hours we had. He joined the Navy just out of med school and is now working for the Marines as a doctor. He used military language that I am unfamiliar with, but basically he is over an 850 person corps. He is stationed in Okinawa, spent time in Korea and is about to head over to Afghanistan for 7 months before returning to Japan. Among the many exciting and wonderful things we talked about, I asked him what books he was reading. His response was: INSIDE THE REVOLUTION by Joel Rosenburg. I hadn't heard of it. Ryan explained it well, but I'm not going to try and give a summary on a book I haven't read, so here's one I copied off the author's website (www.joelrosenburg.com):

INSIDE THE REVOLUTION
Inside the Revolution takes you inside the winner-take-all battle for the hearts, minds and souls of the people of the Middle East. It includes never-before-seen profiles of the Radicals, the Reformers, and the Revivalists. It explains the implications of each movement and the importance of each leader – not only through the lenses of politics and economics but through the third lens of Scripture as well. Today, wars and revolutions define the modern Middle East, and many believe the worst is yet to come.

The one thing Ryan shared was how Rosenburg addresses very strongly that the war in the Middle East is not only a political war, it's a spiritual war-- a war that was started way back when Ishmael was born to Abraham. Although most Jews and Muslims understand this, and some Christians understand it, it re-ignited the understanding within me when I heard Ryan recount, "The problem is that America is going in to fight a battle, but it's the wrong battle. The Muslims know what the battle is really about." Wow. That shook me for some reason. It shook me because I know in my core that it's true. Unless we are dealing with the true Enemy, we fight in vain. Lives are lost for no purpose. Time, money, power... all of these are wasted in the process of trying to eradicate a physical enemy and trying to bring political reform to a spiritual issue. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. " Ephesians 6:12 As Ryan talked, I felt my spiritual eyes open up and I was able to see all of our troops as spiritual workers and I felt a surge to really be praying at a deeper, yet higher level. My prayer for Ryan, and this is what I spoke to him, is that his spiritual eyes would be opened while he is over in Afghanistan and that God would train him in how to stand and advance within the spiritual battle that is raging over there.

I get so overwhelmed sometimes by all of the prayer needs out there and easily lose my fervor. This week, God corrected me by bringing this Scripture to mind: "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" James 5:16
How is prayer effective? When we pray according to God's will. How do we know God's will? It is clearly stated in many ways throughout Scripture. I have read various books by spiritual teachers I very much respect who often suggest praying only Scripture and asking God to fulfill his promises, His will. We don't need to invent anything in prayer. We don't need to come up with things we think God should do. It's all laid out for us in His Word. Well, how do I know if my prayer is fervent enough? I think we know the difference between praying with conviction, faith and passion and praying out of obligation. I have seen mountains move when I have prayed from a place of desperation and groaning. And, a righteous man, person, is simply someone who is in Christ, the only Righteous One. God calls us righteous who have received the blood sacrifice of Christ as our payment to God for our sin. God hears me and responds because I am Christ's. Does God not hear the cries of everyone? Certainly He does. God searches the hearts and answers prayers of those who do not even know Him, yet, because they are sincerely crying out for help and because He wants all people to come to Him. But those of us who have received the redemption of Christ's blood have a place of partnership with God in prayer. God answers prayers of humanity; God MOVES on the prayers of the righteous.
I have been re-encouraged in the place of prayer after talking with Ryan. I am writing to stir that same fervent desire in the bosom of you who are reading this-- whether you know you have a personal relationship with Christ and the Father or whether you just believe that there is a God and He loves you. If you are one who believes in God, but doesn't get the whole Jesus thing, I invite you to ask. There is a position for you in God's Kingdom that you don't even know about yet that is better than living where you are and still wondering. I asked and made the choice 9 years ago. The difference is like night and day.

Let's pray my friends!