Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops (James 5: 17-18).

I went to Catholic schools from elementary through high school.  I heard the phrase, “Let us pray” a lot.  In elementary school, we prayed in the school yard before going inside the building in the morning.  We prayed before we started our first class. We prayed at lunch.  We prayed at the end of the day. When we heard an emergency vehicle loudly pass by the windows, we would pray. 

I also prayed that Sister Mary would be a little more forgiving on my cursive. 

James has taught me many great ways to integrate my faith in Jesus into my life. He wrote of perseverance, faith, actions, loving our neighbors, and taming our tongues.

I’ve taken away a lot of great lessons from James, but it’s fascinating for me that he ends his book with the importance of prayer.  His words, “Let them pray” are an echo of those words I heard all the time as a child.  James is showing me how important prayer is as a capstone to a truly integrated life.

I’m inspired when James points to the example of Elijah, “a human being, even as we are.” Elijah prayed earnestly throughout his life, and while he was a great prophet for God, he was also just another guy, just like me.  I, too, can focus on praying earnestly.

I will pray like I mean it! When my family says grace before dinner, we thank God for the food and for the time together. I will be earnest when I thank God for those blessings.  When the worship leader in church asks us to pray with them, I won’t just be following along, I’ll be earnest in the moment.  And when I hear about someone in need, I won’t just think about praying.  I’ll make the space into that moment and pray earnestly, just as James suggests. 

As a child, I let the phrase “Let us pray” become a rote task. Today the words of James, “Let them pray” alongside the example of Elijah’s earnest prayer is my new model.  In good times or bad times, or just because Jesus is great, I will pray because I mean it! 

This week focus on integrating more prayer into your life.  Pick a spot where you’ve found yourself just going through the motions of prayer, or a place where you’ve opted not to pray or only thought about prayer.  Follow the advice of James, in the example of Elijah and pray earnestly as a way to more fully integrate prayer into your life.