In this daily Bible reading James tells the people, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” The Bible places great importance on prayer, saying that we should pray unceasingly. God speaks to us through the Bible. We speak to God through prayer.
The Bible says that God does not hear all prayers. The Bible also says that God will not hear prayers from unrepentant sinners. Their prayers are not in accordance with God’s Word. James’ words indicate that God will hear and respond to prayers from those He considers to be righteous. When we are aligned with God through His Word, the Bible, He considers us righteous and will answer our prayers.
Also, in these passages, James says our influence on other people is very important. James says, “He who turns a sinner from the error of his ways will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins.” What does that mean?
The Bible says that if we believe in Jesus Christ, God will forgive us our sins. We will be allowed into Heaven after we die. However, we will be punished for our sins while on Earth. James’ passage seems to indicate that God will not punish us for some sins if we influence somebody to turn from a sinful life to a righteous life. We should therefore strive to be a positive example to others. We should live a life that represents true belief in Jesus. Perhaps, in so doing we will influence others to do the same.
