If You Don't Pray, It Won't Work

Introduction

[[The title is lifted from the chorus of the song I Want to be A Worker.

The song says, I want to be strong and brave, I want to trust in Jesus’ power to save. . .]]

It is true that God is TRANSCENDENT He is also IMMANENT

He is great, magnificent, full of glory and splendor. . .but He’s within reach

So then prayer admits God’s transcendence but it demonstrates God’s immediate presence.

The true power of prayer is not in my ability TO PRAY but in the God I PRAY TO.

He is Jehovah Jireh/Nissi/Rapha/Shalom - El Elyon, El Shaddai - THIS IS THE GOD I PRAY TO - this is what makes prayer powerful

So then prayer shows my submission to this God and my ability to trust Him

The God I pray to is an able God

He is OMNISCIENT

He is OMNIPRESENT

He is OMNIPOTENT

Prayer was also central to NT theology and practice of the early church, is it the same today?

When we think of God’s will, do we think to pray?

Before Jesus completed His work on the cross, He prayed Lk 22:41 “And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray,”

Before Jesus sent the twelve he prayed for them - Jn 17:1 “Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,”

When Paul was about to be sent out, The church prayed - Acts 13:3 “Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”

We, like them, cannot accomplish God’s work without PRAYER

If we are to acomplish God’s will, know God’s will WE MUST PRAY. If we don’t it won’t work.

When we say, “it won’t work” we mean it won’t achieve God’s purpose, it might achieve yours, but not His.

His purpose is what should always be on the horizon of the church

Jesus said, Jn 4:34 “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”

Prayer turns the focus on what I can do about it, to what God will do about.

It dispels the notion of HUMAN AUTONOMY.

One of the texts in the NT that is clear on the power in prayer is:

James 5:16 NASB95

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

The truth that the effective prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much is couched inside a text that deals with prayer for SPIRITUAL and PHYSICAL sickness. [Examine]

Application Time - Here are somethings that won’t work if you won’t pray:

Evangelism involvement - Luke 10:2 “And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Also, I need to pray for those I study with.

Boldness to carry the word (witness) - Acts 4:29-31 ““And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”

Proper church organisation - Acts 14:23 “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

We need to bathe the entire process in prayer if we want it to work

Faithfullness - Col 4:12 “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.” [the word labouring means to fight for something or someone]

Pray for those in trouble [shackled] - Acts 12:5 “So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.”

Our Text

A careful examination of our selected reading would reveal that prayer is mentioned in every verse:

The predominant term being, proseuchomai. This is a petitionary prayer. lit. calling out to God

There’s is a call to pray in different circumstances

God through James, gives an invitation to pray.

“Is anyone among you sick?” This context is inclusive of a spiritual well-being also. This call to pray must be couched in assurance and confidence that you will find help.

If something is wrong, if someone has a plight, experiencing harm or emotional pain pray!

If someone is sick [physically or spiritually] the call is to pray!

APPL. What me must do in when we are challenged is to pray. God invites us to pray

Whatever you face, don’t forget to pray! It must be the first thing we do.

James 5:15 “and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”

A right reserved for brethren [Jas 5:7; 12] Heb. 3:1; 4:15-16 - The invitation to the throne room for forgiveness

The result is that God will raise them up. “put them in an upright position”

There’s a reason given for that call

There is purpose behind this introduced with a conjunction that makes a logical inference, THEREFORE. . .

“confess and pray for one another” - this is in the context of the healing

Then a authritative declaration. . .

The effective prayer - the prayer that works [as expected]

The prayer - urgent need, used exclusively of God.

The rigtheous man - the one wholly aligned to God’s will and way

The result - it “accomplishes much” [it has the power to do something]

The much means to a great degree