Practical Living, Part 8 - Prayer & Praise -James 5:13-15

PRAYER & PRAISE - James 5:13

INTRO: Congolese Soldier hates Ethiopians

We are to live in the world but not be of the world. World = System of evil.

As Kingdom Citizens we have to KNOW how PRACTICAL LIVING changes our world and the WORLD around us.

PRAYER IS ESSENTIAL IN TIME OF DIFFICULTY. - 13a

E - If you are suffering hardship - PRAY!

R - HARDSHIPS - Afflictions (to suffer evil); Trials; Misfortune

Hardships cause silence; isolation; worry; sadness.

Consequential Hardships - Poor Decision (Financial).

Victim Hardships - past returns; attempts to imprison the mind (Emotional).

Demonic Hardships - habit you can’t break; Porn; Alcohol; Gambling;

Providential Hardships - Job

A - You Should Pray! Prayer = speak your requests to God.

Why? Because Prayer is Communicating with God Himself. You pray to the God who listens. Mt 6:8 “8 Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”

How? Set specific times to pray about the specific hardship; share and pray WITH trustworthy people.

Luke 18:1-8 “1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’ ” 6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?””

When? Day and night. Not bothering God; He hears you; God is building your FAITH!

SO, when you are suffering, the trials of life are upon you, PRAY to god Almighty. He has the power to DELIVER you. Deliver us from evil.

PRAISE IS ESSENTIAL IN TIMES OF DELIGHT. 13b

E - Happy = Cheerful; to be in good spirits; to encourage others.

If you are DELIGHTED, SING PRAISES.

R - Gratitude leads to Joy.

Eph 5:19 “be filled with the Holy Spirit...singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Living by the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 95:1 “1 Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.”

Bible contains over 400 references to singing and 50 direct commands to sing. The longest book of the Bible, the Psalms, is a book of songs.

A - I should SING? YES. The Power of PRAISE and SINGING - Luther Vandross.

You should sing praises. Acts 16.

SO, Sing PRAISES for who He is to you, What He’s done for you, and encourage others to TRUST Him.

CLOSE: You SHOULD Pray. You SHOULD Praise. IT’S ESSENTIAL!

Pray in times of suffering...

Pray in times of illness...

PRAISE in time of DELIGHT.

Rev 5. The 24 elders sing praise; angels sing PRAISE; every creature sing PRAISES.

Rev 7. The crowd that couldn’t be numbered SINGS PRAISE;

Rev 19.5 ““Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.””