Can a Sinner Be Effective in Prayer? PART II

I found a new blog, Wisdom of the Wounded. It's a great site by Karen Mulder about caring for the those in need. While she gives practical advice on how to relate to those who are sick or hurting she also talks about the power of prayer.

 I think I was too hasty in writing my last post “Can a Sinner be Effective in Prayer?” I sometimes forget that we are all sinners, so naturally we can all be effective in prayer. Each of us comes from a place of sin and the magnitude of those sins does not affect our ability to ask God for help. Important to remember, as well, is the fact that we are an integral part in answering our own prayers. When we ask God for help with someone else, He tends to guide us to be His earthly hand.

After talking with God about someone in need, how often do we realize that we have a role in His plan? Perhaps we’ve prayed diligently for this person but have not reached out to them. As Mulder says, “Pick up that 200 pound phone and call!” God breaks down the barriers that have stopped us from connecting. Those fears about what to say and what to do diminish and suddenly we can act. God performs His miracles but he also makes us effective vessels to do His work. Just being there for a hurting friend (or stranger) is God at work, answering our prayer.