"Availeth Much"

Coincidence: A striking occurrence of two or more events at one time apparently by mere chance.

I will file this posting under “more than coincidence,” a term I’m actually borrowing from the popular publication, “Guideposts,” in which it’s a regular department they feature. I really enjoy “Guideposts,” by the way, which I totally hated it in my “running away from God” days. But that’s another story.

Anyway, I love coincidences. Because I totally don’t believe in them. No, really! I have come to believe that God has ordained every day, every moment of our lives from creation. (Some might argue that if that’s true, He can’t hold us accountable for our choices. Well He CAN and DOES.)

So when “coincidences” happen, I look for God. He’s there. I think I can safely say He’s ALWAYS there.

Around the time in my life described in my last – and first – post, I was also seeing the words “pray” and “prayer” everywhere. EVERYWHERE! It was weird. I could pick up a secular magazine at the doctor’s office and randomly open to a big feature on prayer. I would drive down the highway and see like two billboards and three bumper stickers about prayer. Just in a half-mile trip! I would catch a news story on TV at a friend’s (we don’t have TV at our house except for movies we rent) and it would be about prayer. And it wasn’t even a Christian station! You get the picture. I got the message.

Well, I’ve struggled with the idea of doing this blog about prayer, as some of you will recall if I ever get around to inviting anyone to read this. When I was getting ready to set up my blog I couldn’t decide what to name it. I tried to think of catchy names, but could only think of non-catchy ones. One idea was “not a seasoned prayer warrior.” Duh! Why state the obvious, and in the process possibly offend those who really ARE seasoned prayer warriors, whom I so look up to and want to hear from!

Then “Availeth Much” popped into my head. Popped, but with this message. “I want you to call it ‘Availeth Much.’”

“Ah, sounds kinda, I don’t know, archaic, maybe a little presumptuous, don’t you think, Lord?”

“Availeth Much is the name.” Whew! All RIGHTY then. “Availeth Much” it is. Now I will tell you early and often that I don’t hear from God in an audible voice, and never have except for one time long ago when He said, and I do quote, “This is the place.” But that’s another story, as well.

I knew that “availeth much” comes from a Bible verse that says, in the KJV, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” But I had no idea where exactly that verse was. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not thinking or saying I’m righteous. No, no, no, no. No. OH no. But I do know that when we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, God sees us as righteous. Literally as righteous as Jesus. And that’s the message I feel the Lord wants me to get out there. That in Jesus, our prayers really do make a difference. Really and truly.

Well here’s the coincidence. The very next day Pastor Dave spoke on prayer (a “coincidence” in and of itself), AND the key verse and memory verse from the message was the very one that had “popped” into my head the day before. I was floored. “Okay, God, I get it!”

James 5:16 says in the NLT, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” Or as my NASB has it, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

So I say, let’s clothe ourselves in His righteousness and PRAY!