Pray Always

James 5:16 (KJV)

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.

Several decades ago, a song appeared on some of the country music charts that was titled, “Who Will Pray for Me When Mama’s Gone?” In the song, the narrator regrets the life that he has lived and confesses that he does not feel worthy enough to get down on his knees to speak to God.

No one, we believe, is so far away from God that he or she cannot call upon God and be redeemed. But we can certainly understand that lost feeling. In this instance, the narrator’s hope is that someone else — in this case his mother — can pray effectively for him. But what if his mother is no longer with us?

The song’s narrator fears that no one will take him up in their prayers.

In the passage of scripture that we just read, the writer of the epistle makes the point that prayer should be more than just individuals in communication with God. Prayer should be a communal effort. For that to happen, those who enter into prayer should, if possible, do so as members of a community of faith. We should pray for one another. We should share each other‘s joys, concerns, and sorrows. Again and again, while he was on earth, Jesus prayed for other people. His example is one that we are admonished to follow.

I confess that I do not know how prayer works. What I do know is when I pray for others, the burdens that I carry seem to be lighter and more bearable. This passage of scripture and the old country song raise the questions: who is praying for us, and who are we praying for?

Prayer

Dear Lord, we come to you today with thankful hearts that just as we pray for others, there are people in our lives who are praying for us. May our prayers join with those of our family and friends to keep us close to your kingdom. Amen.

This devotional was written and recorded by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.