Our Scripture reading today is James 5:16-18.
Verse 16, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
I would think most people who pray want their prayers to be answered. It is very true that not everything we pray for would be good if it were answered. This is why it is important that we pray according to God's will. His will is much better for us than our wishes.
The verse we are highlighting today gives us a very important key to having our prayer answered. They must come from the heart of someone who is righteous. If I am living any old way that I please, it should not surprise me when my prayers are not being answered. In order to be a righteous man, I must recognize my righteousness can only be through Jesus Christ. He is the source. In addition, I must choose to walk in the ways He would walk. If I am living in disobedience to the Word of God and continuing to disobey when challenged to repent and live righteously, I should not expect a very productive prayer life. Psalm 66:18, "If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me."
The place to start in prayer today just might be confession. I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." By humbly admitting we were wrong and confessing that to God, our prayer life will once again become effective.