Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? 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 will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (Jam 5:13-18 NKJ)

Space, the final frontier, no, this is not about ‘Star Trek’ and the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Space is what surrounds you.  We might believe that it is just empty space, but is it really? I believe that there are times when we need to push back whatever is around us, create some sacred space, and invite God to come and reside. That is what James is calling on us to do. Whatever you’re going through, pray!

The key words I believe are ‘effectual’ and ‘fervent.’ Action in prayer produces results.  Having pushed back the world and created that sacred space, don’t leave a vacuum, fill it with prayers.  Prayers of faith, thanksgiving, rejoicing, Word filled, lament, confession. If you don’t have what it takes, invite the elders to enter your space and pray for you. And if you don’t see the answer straight away—keep on keeping on. God has answered your prayer; it’s coming through.