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Earnest Prayer has Great Power

“But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.”
Acts of the Apostles 12:5 NLT
http://bible.com/116/act.12.5.nlt

Prayer. Whenever problems arise, we do it, and we do it diligently, but then don’t do when all becomes well. But after we pray, we still worry and anxiety grows very quickly in our hearts. We worry about how this may happen, what we’ll do next etc. But, let’s learn from Peter’s example. Peter was locked in prison by King Herod Agrippa, and the Christians knew about it. But instead of working out plans to get Peter out, or fretting and worrying about him, they knew that prayer would do much greater things than any of them could do by their normal power. They knew if they prayed with pure hearts and earnestly, they would be heard by God and God would deliver Peter. Their earnest prayer proves James 5:16. 

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
James 5:16 NLT
http://bible.com/116/jas.5.16.nlt

You see, when we worry we do nothing but make our spiritual lives worse. It doesn’t even help the situation. Here’s what Jesus said: 

““That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Matthew 6:25-28, 30-31, 33-34 NLT

http://bible.com/116/mat.6.25-28,30-31,33-34.nlt

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