The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
—James 5:16
Prayer “availeth much.” It “availeth much” with God. It “avails much” in the history of His church and people. Prayer is the one great power that the church can exercise in securing the working of God’s omnipotence in the world.
The “prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” That is, a man who has the righteousness of Christ, not only as a garment covering him, but also as a life‑power inspiring him, is a “new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24), a man who lives “as [a slave] to righteousness” (Romans 6:19). These are the righteous whom the Lord loves and whose prayers have power. (See Psalm 66:18–19; 1 John 3:22.)
When Christ gave His great prayer promises during His last night, it was to those who keep His commandments: “If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter” (John 14:15–16); “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love…[and] ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:10, 7).
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” It is only when the righteous man stirs up himself and rouses his whole being to take hold of God that the prayer “availeth much.” As Jacob said, “I will not let thee go” (Genesis 32:26); as the importunate widow gave the just judge no rest, so does the “effectual fervent prayer” bring about great things.
And then comes the “effectual fervent prayer” of many righteous people. When two or three agree, there is the promise of an answer. (See Matthew 18:19.) How much more when hundreds and thousands unite with one accord to cry to God to display His mighty power on behalf of His people!
Let us join those who have united themselves to call upon God for the mighty power of His Holy Spirit in His church. What a great and blessed work, and what a sure prospect, in God’s time, of an abundant answer! Let us ask God individually and unitedly for the grace of the “effectual fervent prayer [that] availeth much.”