Prayer & Praying

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

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

“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is
reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory
of 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,
the quality of the man who prays for healing. The next two verses tell of the quantity
of men who thank God. 2 Corinthians 9:12 speaks of God’s people who are
grateful, having had their physical needs met by those who had given. This
results in “overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”

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

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