Thought of the Day: Depth

"...The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth." James 5:16-17

During today's special fellowship among a few church men, Elijah was mentioned from the book of James. Elijah was someone who went through tremendous highs and lows in his walk with God. There were days when his faithfulness to God was exceptionally strong, and by the same measure, there were days when his depressions were exceedingly great. I remember how sar once text me this verse 'the prayer of a righteous person has great powers as it is working'. Strange that I actually remember the context of why the text was sent. But anyway, although I understand that verse, I have never read the verse in relations to the prayerfulness of Elijah. All of us, in one way or another, are like Elijah, as we all have great and bad days in our walk with God. In fact, James says that Elijah has 'a nature like ours'. But I think it is encouraging that James seems to suggest that righteousness is attributed to Elijah not by who he is, but what Christ has already done - and it is a righteousness that is 'powerful' and is 'working'. I find it hard to understand how I am righteous, on days when I feel a sense of total depravity. But I need to trust in Him, that He yearns to mould me to be a person of great character more than I yearn to do so myself. "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working". A powerful verse indeed.