Your Prayers Carry Weight with God

‘...earnest prayer...produces wonderful results.’ James 5:16 NLT

In the Old Testament Abraham journeyed south. When he reached Gerar we read that he ‘…said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.’ (Genesis 20:2 NIV) Can you imagine how Sarah felt, trapped and alone in the palace, contemplating what lay ahead at the hands of her captor? And what’s worse, her husband, the man she trusted with her life, let it happen! We’re not privy to how Sarah prayed that night. But she must have touched the heart of God because He ‘…came to Abimelech in a dream…and said…”the woman you have taken…is…married…return the man’s wife…and you will live…if…not…you…will die.”‘ (Genesis 20:3-7 NIV) God’s directives are always clear; there’s never any ambivalence about what He says. ‘The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it…wherever He pleases.’ (Proverbs 21:1 NIV) That means authority figures who don’t even know you exist, have to stop and listen when God speaks, because to Him ‘…one man is not different from another.’ (Romans 2:11 AMP) So what can you do when you’re helpless to change a situation you didn’t create? Or when someone you loved and trusted lets you down? Pray! Instead of giving in to bitterness or fear, cry out to God. He will hear you like He heard Sarah. How can you be sure? Because His Word says, ‘The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.’ No matter how bad things may look right now, and they looked pretty bad for Sarah that night, your prayers carry weight with God.