Friday 20 March 2009

"Effective” prayer

Over the past days some of my friends have challenged my thinking on “effective” prayer. This world demands that we should be effective at all times – why bring such a word into the sanctuary of our private prayers?

In my devotion the other day I was reading 2 Peter 1 – and verse 8 says: "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The qualities are listed in the verses prior to the quoted verse and they are what the author asks us to “add to our faith”. My faith comes from listening to the preaching of the word (Rom. 10:17). The qualities I am asked to add to my faith are closely related to “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22). In other words they are not something that can be accomplished through my own effort – but they are the fruit of the Spirit working in me. If this is correct, my most effective moments will be the time I spend in prayer. So help me God to be more “effective”!