Effective Prayers of Righteous people, etc...

I know that you are familiar with James 5:16 about effectual, fervent prayer.  Honestly, I think it depends on who it is you are praying for.  The widow who wearied the judge was praying on her own behalf (avenge me of my adversary-Luke 18:3).  Job made offerings according to the number of his children in case they had sinned. 

If it is someone with whom you are very close, it will be on your mind a lot and you will naturally pray often.  A FB prayer request just won't be as urgent to non-family members. 
 
I believe it is praying when it comes to our mind
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I believe prayer is ultimately less about whether or not God answers (in our minds) favorably and more about what the act of prayer itself does to the one praying.
 
Web said:
I guess I didn't phrase my question very effectively.  :)

I understand the James passage.  I agree with "as God brings it to mind" although I'm not totally sure that's a scriptural prescriptive.

How many times must we pray for a situation before we know that God has answered that prayer?  Are we personally responsible for repeatedly reminding God of the requests of family or friends?  Or is He able to answer a one-time prayer for a specific situation?
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He always answers our prayers; we just might not like the answer from this perspective. ;) That's part of what I meant...if we can truly get to the point where we are praying "thine will be done" and trust Him regardless of how it turns out, prayer becomes a means of transformation and relationship.
 
I do not see anywhere in the Bible that the Lord requires a set amount of prayers in order for Him to answer.  Nehemiah made ONE quick prayer in Neh. 2:4. 

David did not make the same prayer over and over in Psalms. But he frequently asked the Lord to attend/hear his prayer.

As to your query: "Will my failure to pray have a negative effect?  If so, God couldn't work without me?"  I just don't see in Scripture a negative impact on the outcome of a situation due to lack of prayer.  The positive effect is not in the answer, but in the resulting Father/Child fellowship produced by prayer  "..but the prayer of the upright is his delight." Proverbs 15:8
 
My prayers are totally ineffective.  So I must be about as unrighteous as they come. 
 
Castor you have lifted many of our spirits with your humor and let God be the judge...
 
Web said:
I've struggled with whether to post this or not, as it can be a flashpoint for people, and I truly don't want to offend people, but...

How many times should we pray for requests?  If I stop praying at 19 times, and God needed 20 prayers to answer, did I change history?  If I pray one time, is that sufficient for God to answer?  Does His answer truly depend upon my quantity?
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No scriptural support for such^^

This came to mind because, I have a Facebook page that someone signed me up for... the baby born has SERIOUS disability issues, and maybe God can have it survive with life-long disabling issues requiring 24/7/365 care for the rest of the child's life.  Or, maybe God will do an amazing thing and somehow, miraculously cure all the incredibly serious medical issues that will allow this child to survive without life support, feeding tubes, ostomy tubes, urinary bags, etc.
This afternoon, Mom asked us to pray that the baby would urinate the required amount to show that the child's kidneys and bladder were working properly

I've prayed for this child many times.  Do I now need to pray that pee output will increase?  Is God not aware of what the child needs in order to survive?  I really struggle with this.  How much of prayer is about my efforts, and how much is about the ability of God to provide what He wills and desires?  What if I fail to pray that "one final prayer" that would have made the difference?
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It's not criticism but I'm not understanding your struggle to just pray for her. She's clearly on the right track scripturally, despite the terrible blow. She's identified her need for comfort via prayer for healing. It behooves you to meet that need. And re-assure her you will continue to do so.

2 Cor 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Normal amounts of urination evidences Baby's Body parts are functioning as they should, hence the expected prayer. However worded.

I'll add them to my prayers, and also, you.


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