I love memes. They make me happy; I look at them almost daily. You’re probably wondering what memes have to do with prayer? Not much haha… but there is this one you’re all probably familiar with that goes…

I don’t know about you, but I’m 30 and I still do this and I realise it applies to other areas in my life as well. Like prayer. James 5:16 says that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. In the Amplified version is says that it makes tremendous power available.

Yet, if I am honest, I have stood in church and looked around and felt like I needed someone more righteous than myself to pray for me. If you had asked me, I might tell you I am no expert on prayer as I am just a Mum who prays – mostly of a night before bed, or when I’m in hard times and I’ve been known on occasion to ask God to help me find my missing shoe. I realised long ago that I am incredibly time poor and getting up for 5am prayer meetings is no longer part of my repertoire. In fact, I hope so much that the kids sleep through so I NEVER have to see 5am again.. ever!

However, I’ve realised I am selling myself incredibly short. My first mistake was I have forgotten the very words God has spoken over me, spoken over every believer: righteous, powerful and effective. Just because I don’t have a proof of righteousness card, like my license that states my age, does not mean I am disqualified. However, not having a firm grip on who I am, might.

Secondly, I think it’s important to pray with others (Matthew 18:20). I realised again recently how important praying together is. It raises faith. It has raised my faith. Being vulnerable with people makes room for God. My testimony to this is the house that I am now living in. We recently moved to a bigger house after praying for one. It’s been at the front of my mind for weeks now that God, who knows what we need, provides just like he says in his word (Matthew 6:25-34). It’s not that we got a house, we got just the right house for us. In fact, the house we wanted was gone and it was seemingly impossible, but by a miracle, we received a phone call to say that THE house had become available and we watched the rest unfold. God knows what we need and he will provide over and above.

So after contemplating answers to prayer, I started thinking about prayer in general. Alone and together. Why have I never before considered it to be tremendously powerful and importantly available? I mentioned I have prayed for lost shoes, yet I realised I probably prayed for lost shoes and car parks more than lost souls. My prayers have been selfish. I am just being honest. Before I shifted my thinking, I had to think about what I had been thinking. I am not just a mum who prays. I am righteous woman; my prayers are powerful and effective. When I speak to God he listens. He knows. When we come together to pray, He is there.

Most of the time, when I am trying to practise being righteous, I do what the bible says; I go into a room and close the door. I try to make it private and BAM: fingers under the door. Everyone is knocking, wondering where I am. I can’t catch a break, no wonder I am standing around wondering where all the righteous people are. Then I realised, this is everyone. We are all busy. We all have distractions coming at us under the door. Just because the season I am in means my children are needing me ALL the time, doesn’t mean when they’re grown ups and won’t be needing me so frequently that I won’t find myself asking the same things.

So how to get around this? Hebrews 4:16 says to approach the throne of grace with confidence. The amplified says, FEARLESSLY, CONFIDENTLY, BOLDLY! So this is what I will aim to do. I will stop feeling guilty and start recognising that my conversations with Jesus result in stuff being done. On earth, as in Heaven and all that: that’s what I am aiming for. So, what is your prayer level? I begun this journey thinking I was just a mum who prays; God has challenged and shown me so much more.

Written by Tenille McNamara