Three Prayers

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for eachother so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful andeffective” (James 5:16).

“This service that you perform is not only supplying theneeds of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks toGod” (2 Cor. 9:12).

“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that isreaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the gloryof God” (2 Cor. 4:15).

These three verses have something in common. It is prayer.

James 5:16 tells us of the quality of prayer or, rather, thequality of the man who prays for healing. The next two verses tell of thequantity of men who thank God. 2 Corinthians 9:12 speaks of God’s people whoare grateful, having had their physical needs met by those who had given. Thisresults in “overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”

2 Corinthians 4:15 is speaking of the salvation of more andmore people. This causes “thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”

Praying for the sick, giving to the poor, preaching thegospel to the lost! The church on the whole is weak in all these areas.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the Tothe Word! Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading plan,please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with us.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships