Daily Walk Through the New Testament

February 17

Read James 4:11 – 5:20

Mark Twain once wrote, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.” Elijah, the man who prayed there would be no rain for three and a half years (1 Kings 17-18) is the example James used to encourage God’s people to pray. The danger in examples is that we may feel we do not measure up. But James said that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17). The power of Elijah’s prayer did not lie in Elijah’s ability, but in God’s ability.
James repeatedly encouraged God’s people to pray (1:5-6; 4:2). Effective prayers are not often flowery, but they are always fervent. God works mightily through our prayers. Call upon the resources of heaven for every problem you face today. Turn to God in prayer!