Because I Believe . . .

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:13-16

Do you have problems or trials? Pray. Are you happy, thankful, grateful? Pray and thank Heavenly Father. Are you sick or in some kind of pain? Ask for a blessing, a prayer of faith. Have you sinned? Pray for forgiveness.

Prayer seems to be the answer to everything, right? I believe it is. It's like the the magic "fix-all". But we know that prayer is not magic on our part. It takes some work. We need to pray with a "pure heart" and "real intent". We need to have faith that Heavenly Father will hear and answer our prayers. And, we need to listen for and sometimes seek out the answer to that prayer.

But, look at the last line of this incredible set of verses: "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Effectual means valid and capable of producing the intended effect. Fervent means with great feeling and intensity. And availeth means to be of value or to profit.

We can think of it like this- The valid and 'full of potential' prayer given with great feeling and intensity and faith, by a righteous man or woman, WILL profit them and be to their advantage.

Heavenly Father WILL answer your prayers. He loves you and wants you to be happy.

I love you too!
-Sister Norman

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