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Written by Claudia Perez, volunteer for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Alabama
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (Jas 5:13-18 NIV)
There are times when our lives are filled with grief. There are situations in our lives in which our spirit is filled with bitterness. Have you ever felt this way? Who have you turned to in those moments? It is sad to realize how many times we try everything but prayer.
As I studied this topic, the fervent prayer of a righteous woman, I was reminded of a godly woman who prayed fervently, and God heard her—Hannah— a righteous woman who, having an affliction and bitterness in her soul, prayed to Jehovah.
She, with bitterness of soul, prayed to Jehovah and wept abundantly. And she made a vow, saying, "Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head” (1Sa 1:11).
How many times have we prayed to the Lord for what afflicts us? How many times have we made vows or promises to the Lord? How many times have we kept those promises? It is necessary to remember that the prayer of a righteous woman is what the Lord hears. Returning to Hannah's example, the Word tells us that she prayed long before Jehovah and spoke in her heart. "Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk" (1Sa 1:13).
How important it is to pray fervently to the Lord! Prayer entails living a life that is godly, holy, and obedient to God. God looks at our hearts. God sees the fervor in us. Let us remember Elijah. The passage says, "Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years" (Jas 5:17).
Another example is Moses, who had intimate fellowship with God. Let's look at the passage where God speaks to Aaron and Miriam after they have murmured against Moses: "He said, ‘Listen to my words: When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house’" (Nu 12:6-7).
In every example, we have seen fervor and service to God: faithfulness, obedience, and trust in God. Sister, today I invite you to strive together to be righteous women who cry out to God fervently, who accept God's promises, who are dedicated to the service of the Lord, who obey His Word, and who always trust in Him.
After having studied this topic:
- Write on a sheet of paper: What place does prayer have in your personal life, home, or local congregation? How can you make prayer grow or flourish in your life?
- Describe and identify what situations in your life are taking you away from your prayer time that you want to eliminate with the help of God and your sisters.
- Join a sister or prayer group that will help you be a righteous woman who prays to God.
Written by Lisanka Martinez, volunteer for Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Venezuela
Every beginning of the year is an opportunity for a fresh start in our Christian life as well. We begin a new biblical year: projects for discipleship, planning activities in the congregation... We focus on praying for what we need to grow spiritually, and obviously, since wisdom is an essential part of that growth, it is always included as one of the first requests on prayer lists.
Let's see what the Bible tells us about it in two well-known verses:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding
fault, and it will be given to you. (Jas 1:5 NIV)
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. (Pr 4:7)
As is well known, when James writes his letter to the 12 scattered churches who have been persecuted and are going through various trials because of their faith, he encourages them to find joy in that situation. He tells them in this way: they will obtain the patience that will perfect them. Without pointing to anyone in particular, he immediately gives them this valuable advice in a general way, addressed to all the recipients: "If any of you lacks wisdom...".
The wisdom to which he refers leads to knowing, understanding, discerning, clearly understanding, having good judgment, making the right decisions, and knowing how to apply and defend the truth in every situation. This was not advised to only a few— all the scattered Christians needed that wisdom— but how to acquire it?
This kind of wisdom can only come from God; only He, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are wise enough to give it. This is why James continues with the second part of this verse: "... you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." As we can see, This is a precious gift that we should ask for and long for in order to share His Word with others to honor, praise, and glorify Him.
As for the second verse, we know that Proverbs is the book of the Bible where many quotations and instructions concerning wisdom appear with the purpose of bringing us closer to God. In its opening chapters, Solomon counsels his sons to seek wisdom and recalls that he received this counsel from David, his father. In verse 7 of chapter 4, Solomon stresses the importance of acquiring that wisdom before anything else, which he tells them is the most important thing they can have— the most valuable possession above anything that man desires. Do you have an idea of the importance of asking, seeking, and acquiring that wisdom with God's help? It will enable us to know, understand, and obey His divine will.
So, knowing that acquiring wisdom has great relevance for our spiritual growth, what stops us from asking God for it first and dedicating ourselves with effort to seek it and acquire it? We should not have limitations or fear to ask for it as we have already learned.
Therefore, one way in which we must grow or flourish is by acquiring wisdom that comes from above. For this, we must eliminate the thorns of indecision, procrastination, and pride (believing that we are already wise because we have great knowledge of the Bible, we can quote many verses from memory, or we have spent time in theological studies). We also need to recognize that we need the help of someone as a sharpener in our lives to pray for wisdom, to practice as wise women in all aspects of our lives, and to remember that God wants us to ask Him so that He can give this wisdom to us without reproach.
Do you dare to practice being wise from now on with God's help? Let’s start by asking Him for wisdom.
