Honoring God Through Prayer, part 2 | James 5:13-18 | Pastor Jose Brevil

Honoring God through prayer. So last week we started looking at prayer and we saw that prayer was the most neglected spiritual discipline of all believers. And let's just recap a bit of what we talked about last week and then we'll go right in and then continue in and learn some more as we didn't get a chance to finish last week. So let's just read the text in James chapter 5. It says, is anyone among you suffering? What should you do? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful letting sing praise? Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the Elders of the church and let them pray over him. Anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith. Will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed since he will be forgiven, therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed the prayer of a million righteous people. Oh, okay, you lie, awake good. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed fervently that it might not rain and for three years and six months. It did not rain on the earth then he prayed again. And Heaven gave rain and deep board, it's fruit to honoring God, flu Prager, honoring God flu prayer. So last week what we saw was that the very first thing, when we praying God's talking about the trailer for suffering, says whenever, Are going through trouble, we are going through our trials, what should we do? We need to pray to the message. In one sentence again is that the mature deliver does not complain about his problems or that of others. But rather practices what? Pray in faith. The mature believer does not complain about his problems or dad up others but the mature believer practices, pray in faith. And remember last week we looked at what it means to pray in faith. That is 1st. John 5-14 215. It says and this is the confidence that we have toward him that we if we ask Anything or according to his will he hears us and if we know that he hears us and whatever we ask we know that we have the request that we have asked of him. So the key here is to pray in his will when we pray in his will, he will answer. So, three things, we saw the last two last week, prayer for suffering, prayer for the sick. And today we will mostly spend our time on prayer for the super natural. So first, just to recap a prayer for the suffering. Memory says, if you are suffering you need to pray. But also if you are so boring in life, like if things are going well, you if you are still full price and we learned that our praise was a form of prayer, and when you faced difficulties, this is the most large cool things for you to do. What James is trying to say. I just as believer, prayer, really means don't suffer alone, bring it to God and God will be your helper cuz I put the holy spirit is with her two, in the Bible, in John 16. It says I will send you another helper. That's what the holy spirit is. The holy spirit is our help. And when Jesus was he working on our that was our help her. So difficult times, are there to go to Shannon? Just let me know if you realize when you actually chin. That's when we had a problem. When everything was going right? What did, what did you have to change for? Lieberman's going well for you. What do you have to change? Do you have any incentive to changed? It's all going well, as count it all joy. When you fall into Trials of various, I'm for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and when steadfastness that is fully expect, so you will become more mature. When problems come your way, it's to grow you to change you to change your crack character to form your character to be more like Christ and so that you would become fully sure. It says, has anyone among you suffering, let him pray. Is any one of you, cheerful. Let him sing for Joy because praise is a form of prayer, but I love it. You see that? God says, it's not going to be all bad and it's not going to be all good when the bad comes praise. When the good comes praise him. So the bottom line we saw was that Affliction and blessing can both come from God will uses them to accomplish his purposes. Member you pray in his wheel. It's all about him not about our self then when it comes to prayer for the sick, it says that if any one of your sake, let him call for the Elders of the church. Does the established leadership of the church to pray over you and anointing you with oil, in the name of the Lord. Met some people, make a whole denomination about this using of oil or not. It's not like you don't have faith in. If you don't use the order of the whole business or whole industrial about oil, you can buy like some holy oil. I didn't say anything about getting some holy oil. Okay, just him only Paul will do. Okay. It's just hear. God is telling us just to be obedient to those reefs or we looked at Purposes for oil, in the past member of the Good Samaritan. That all wood is used as medicine because for medicinal purposes and he rub oil on the man, that was just for medicine is that I share with you? Some cultures like mine ain't letting you know, the rub you with that oil, okay? So it could be both the medicine and also for anointing when kings were being anointed, anointed them with oil soap. And remember, I hear it's not the Oriole that healed. What healed? Pic of the next verse 10. The prayer of faith will save. The one who is week, sees the prayer of faith that will save the one who is sick. So, what saves you? It's the prayer. It is not the oil capacities that save. You got your heart with God. When you go in with God for prayer, these are the things that save you. It's the prayer of faith that will save you. The one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven here. Also, does that mean I have every illness that we have is as a result of no. But there are some illnesses that we get is as result of illnesses. Like you look at some Viral illnesses that you might get from STDs, is as a result of Lifestyle issues that you have taken. So we saying that if any of your committed sins he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be here Thursday and there is power in confessing you soon with others and it reminded me about a story about three pastors. We went to just to like on the retreat to let you know just to build each other up and then there were confessing sins to one another. The first one says are you know I got a problem with alcohol and actually I have one stack in my car all the time. Ms says man. My problem you know it has to do with a sexual Temptations and I really struggle there and then the third Pastor, I said, maybe my problem is Ghost, if I can wait to get out of this meeting,

So, be careful when you confess your sin to carry, be careful where you confess your sins and where they should somebody that's going to help you. That's going to be praying for you, but not somebody that you was going to gossip and put all your business out. You need somebody. That will be praying for you. That will be building you up that way. No matter what you share with them that they are there as support in to help you to grow in Christ. This is the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. So you need to seek help those who are sick, are to take the initiative to contact that. You're so remember, it says that if you are safe, you need to call the church. Okay? You called the church, if you need help or it was you As medicine for both physical and spiritual healing and emotional healing member. We saw that and look 10:34 when the Good Samaritan he went to human bound him up. He's ruined pooing on oral and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to the end. And to care of him, you see, always use their how as medicine cats Den. We saw the word sector. Also mean that you being weak in the book of Acts was there. An example of weaknesses photos this people's hard as grundorf and weave their ears. They can barely hear, and their eyes, they have closed less, they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn. And I would do what Kill them so you can be safe emotionally and being which being sick spiritually and then God says, hey you call upon me. I, what am I going to do? I'm going to heal you, so you see the ore was not just use for physical healing here but also for emotional and spiritual healing as you call out to God, then we saw a horrible example for anointing. Remember Psalm 23 anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows? So remember, so I'm here on this or direct result of sin as we've already looked at and really, the idea there, if you look on your notes, because there's no substitute for a Godly life, we need to live Godly lives. And when we do, we will not be face. You know, what would spiritual and emotional sickness that we need to be restored from look up Psalms 66:18? David says, if I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have what a listen. You see your prayer? Life is directly affected by the way that you live. Another verse about Elijah in 1st Kings, 18 to 21 days and Elijah came near to all the people in said, how long will you go limping between two different opinions of the Lord is God, what should you do? Follow him, but if they'll then do what follow him

I don't want to. That's where we are. We just doing things halfway and pretty much Elijah say stop doing things after I pick one and do what you will have better results incident, the people did not answer him or words so hear the toy. The backdrop of the story that you see that he's using the example of Elijah, which will look at more. We need to be a source of encouragement to one another. Remember how it says, do we need to confess our sins to one another and then what did he say for one another? See it is important for us to be in relationship with one another so that we can be afraid for you. See it moves from just having church leaders to pray for you. But and then move to everyone praying for one another. So, do tell me if you have a problem, you only called a basket. OK. Google call somebody else from the church to K. We all belong to Christ, don't worry, I'll be glad to pray for you but you know somebody who knows you who was in a relationship with you might even pray for you even better. This is the truth, okay, I'm 6 this faster than when I pray for people that's what I'm saying. We all need to be in relationship with one another because Bible say we can take our sins to one another and we pray for one another. Look at Hebrews 3:13 it says but exhort one another when so, do you need to be in relationship with one another As long as it is cold today that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin for some of us, our sins, linger, more and more with our struggles because we are not wet in a relationship with fellow Believers. If we were in a relationship, our sin would not linger, as long as it does in our lives. Hebrews 10:24 says, what let us consider how to do? What store won another? Okay to love and good works. Not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some good. Do what? And courage in one another And all the more as you see the day is Drawing Near in silence and alone jams. The saying this is not how God designed us. God designed us to be in relationship with one another so that we can be a source of support for one another. So here's the bottom line. The bottom line is that prayer works Jen says, prayer Works. Will look up prayer for the suffering. Prayer for the sick. Now, let's look at prayer for the supernatural intervention. I'm going to give you a face like difficulties that is just beyond you. Any of you? You see that somewhere thing? God will work it out, man. A few years ago I was going through some really difficult times. That's the song that got my flu every single day. That's the song I was singing. I was playing in the car, I know I know it's it looks really bad right now but I know that God will work it out and that's what God does and that's what God did. And I know that all of you, you have your own stories about the way that God works. And God has a way of intervening in the Affairs of life in Supernatural ways. And if you have not experienced God, doing Supernatural things in your life, you need to pray. Fervently like Elijah. So here, James gives us an example. He gave us an example of Jobe as we saw before suffering, and now, he's giving us an example of Elijah about praying for the laces. Elijah was a man with like nature. Remember, this was Elijah. A Superman. Elijah was able to frame Supernatural Lee because Elijah realize that he's praying to a supernatural God See, the power is not in the man or the woman. The power is in the object of our faith. Elijah was a man with an H true like ours. So if Elijah was no different than you and me, and he prayed how fervently, he prayed like it mattered, that it might not rain for 3 years and 6 months, and it did not rain on the earth. I know some of this is big right now, you think, now you saying, why don't you pray this morning today? We didn't have rain. We had all that flooding back there. But I've never seen another shade of bag. Drop of that story and it will make more sense to you than he prayed again and haven't gave Ren and the Earth bore is fruits. Here's the backdrop to the story in 1st Kings verse 16, into a 29 233 tells us what was going on at the time in Israel. Let's pick up the store is in the 38-year of Asa, king of Judah. A have the son of only began to Reign Over Israel and Ahab. The son of only Reign Over Israel in Samaria, 22 years. So the Jewish nation was divided against two Nations, you have Israel and then you had Judah, Judah, usually followed God and they did the right thing, but Israel was always a problem. All those kings were Wicked and they were not following God, And they have the son of only did what? Evil in the sight of the Lord. More than all we were before him and as it had been, in a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jobe on the son of nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel, the daughter of the king of the sidonians and went and surveilled and worship him. So he he went on and got another woman from another nation. That is serving a false god called Baal. And now that become what they worship in Israel, then he directed on Altar for bail in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria and Ahab made on Asherah Ahab, did more to provoke the Lord, the god of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel were before him. So now you can see why Jim's was using the example of Elijah. That's where you see that, you know, I know one thing revolves not just physically, see those people here were sick? What how spiritually those people here? Had some problems and Elijah if you just look the chapter before like that had Jim, I told nothing chapter Elijah had, just killed the son of a woman who actually died and he knew that kid. So, you see, it's not all about the physical here, but he's using the example here of prayer feet, those people were Wicked. They did not want to follow after God. And then now I'm divorced. 17:1 Elijah talk to the king. He says, as the Lord Elijah said to Ahab the king as the Lord, the god of Israel is before whom I stand there shall be neither do nor rain these years except by my word. So I just say you don't want to follow God. we're not going to have any rain, so if there's no rain that's going to happen, Batman. No food. Nothing is going to work out. So we like just at 8 until you turn to God. No rain and then look look what happened to you in a chapter 18, verse 36. Elijah had a vocation told the king and Jezebel the the the king's wife bring all the bill prophets. Okay, let's let's see, who has the power here? And all the profits came, they did all their rituals and it and nothing could happen. Ben and I just showed up. Let's see what happened here. That was like 450 Bill profit. So I just say I'm going to show you was God today. So let's read it. Let's pick up the story. In chapter 18 of 1st. Kings verse 36 it says, in, at the time of the offering of the oblation Elijah, the prophet came near her and said, O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and eat, and Israel. Let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all. This thing's at your word Was Elijah.

Who was going to get the glory? Is it when we praying, we always need to give God. A reason to answer our prayer. God, I want you to bless me with more money so that I can have. Oh, you don't want more to buy clothes, more to to give more to help others, God. I am sick right now. I would like to be made well, so that I can Serve you with no problem, so that I can be unable body. God, I'm in school right now. I want to get that degree so that I can All are you in everything that I do? See if you want God to answer your prayers, you want to pray prayers. That works more. You need to give God, a reason to answer your prayer and invoice them and it says answer me. O Lord answer me that this people may know oh Lord Our God and that you have turned their hearts back. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed, the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people, so it they fell on their faces and said, what the Lord, he is God, the Lord, he is God. So now, the people repented remember the bill, he build the altar to God, or to build to Bailey, Bailey Alton Belle. Now, you showing them eggs. We need to be author's to God and then Elijah said to them, seize the prophets of Baal, let not one of them escaped and They seized them and Elijah brought them down to the brook, Keyshawn and slaughtered them, their 450 prophets. And Elijah said to Ahab, go up, eat and drink for there is a sound of the rushing of rain so a have went up to eat and to drink and Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel and he bowed himself now. One on the earth and put his face between his knees. Do you think there's going to be some serious prayers? You think it's the little prayer you do over your food. Lord, bless this food. I'm about to receive in Jesus name.

If you do, would you write knowledge God when you're eating? But when it lightning, when it, when Jim is talking about praying fervently here, this is the kind of prairies talkin about. This is the kind of prayer, you go home and you close your, you get into your closet, you close your door, and then you doing some serious praying, you see the plaster, there, he's putting his face between his knees, he's really getting there. See, Elijah goes down, face down. He's really like seeking out and praying about your Godly. See, no distraction. She doesn't want to put his face between his knees, like it just like him and God, she have you done some serious praying lately? Why is your prayer being like the Casual died? Just over your food? You know, or when you're about to sleep and then you just say those memorize praise Lord. I lay me down to sleep. I can see somebody's repeating that prayer there but usually we pray, this prayer as mindlessly. Do you realize the prayers for food? You pray. They are the same prayer. Probably some of y'all still reciting the ones you learn in elementary or kindergarten. Is Hebrew prayers are good to acknowledge God, but sometimes you really need to come to God and do some serious prayer. The Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel and he bound himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees and he said to his servant go up now look toward the sea and he went up and looked and said there is nothing and he said go again seven times. How many of you have really prayed for sis, Natalie for something that you really wanted? Or did you only pray one time Thurman? I got is not going to do with you. Elijah was a prophet and he still went on and prayed how many times. 7 * 3 to the lesson for us to pray, how Persistently, you need to pray constantly. You should not give up. Don't think that because I just said, one prayer that God is going to answer. And a lot of time before we load of us, we pray for things until we realize, I don't really need it. You see how God is running the teachers 8, if you really want something, you should be willing to pray about it. Persistent Lee, and you see alive when there was praying for sister, matly, and U-verse 44 Aces, and at the seventh time, he said, behold a little cloud, like a man than is rising from the sea and he said, go off, say to Ahab, prepare your chariot and go down, less the rain stop. You need to pray persistently. We also need to pray. Expectantly expecting anything.

Any witness here. Tell the truth and shame the devil. You know, sometimes you praying but you not really expecting God. You're not really trust in God that anything will happen. You're just saying, I'm just using words right now, but I've been praying for this. Wherever, how do you think is going to happen? Lord, I've been broke for so long. I've been asking you for some money but it's not coming. Lord, I desire to be married and this relationship and working. I've been single for too long and then you praying and then you said this is not going to work. If you've been praying for that relationship. I wanted to get better and I'm done.

Think Elijah or not only you pray for sister ugly but he also prayed expectantly, maybe it's a wayward child and then you praying. I don't think I will ever change that person but got the Elijah. He he was playing for something big. Not only he was persistent, but also the expected, something to happen. And then it says in in a little while that haven't grew black with clouds and when and there was a great rain and a road and went to judge Israel She does exactly what I saw happening. This morning, I was sitting on my porch. I was with my devotion this morning and then all of a sudden, the wind started blowing in the rain coming down. Why? I got the old Lord nobody's coming to church this morning. Are you guys must be the real ones? You know, like really following got tracked for yourself that you are. What is c? O u. P of little faith. See, but God, you see, Elijah prayed he expected something to happen and something did happen to me, but now he's the thing. That's where lifestyle is important. Rain did not come until what the people repented and they had turned to God, then the rain came. See, that's why I love the way that

I love the way that the pastor Tom Holladay puts, it says you pray better when you live better. You pray better when you live better. Do you think that Elijah could have prayed? So fervently, if you was not walking with God, if he was living in sin or unrepentant sin, he could not have the because he was walking with God and you could have prayed for system, flea and expectantly to God, sent his, the thing Elijah was righteous. That means he was working with God and he was just like us, he was an ordinary man. But also he knew God's word and prayed confidently in his will. Tomorrow be saying I was praying in God's will talking about it rain. You don't know what scripture? Look at 2nd Chronicles 7 verse 13 through 14 Allied that knew something about God's word is he, when Solomon was, dedicating, the temple. And then God said this to him when I shut up the Heavens. So that there is what no rain or command a locust to Devour, the length, or send text to Lance among my people. And then, what does the verse 14? You all should memorize 2nd Chronicles 7:14. If my people who are called by, my name would humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their Wicked Ways. Then I will hear from Heaven, I will forgive their sin. And do I hear you dear Lynn? It's not the oral. It's the repentant heart, it's the prayer of faith. That's what moves the heart of God. It's not a religious activities, that's moved. The heart of God, but it's the prayer of faith prayer of repentance that we are walking with God. And you see their God move for Elijah. Because Elijah I knew what God's word says. And Elijah prayed confidently, he could go before they can get to 8th and going to rain for three and a half years. He could say that confidently. Why? Because it was in God's word because God said to the Israelites if they're not walking with him, that's what's going to happen. And then when will I die, when I'm prayed. And then see the people repented, Elijah knew that he could pray confidently knowing that God now will send ran, why? Because the people has repentance

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their Wicked Ways. Then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. Now, my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. That was the dedication of the temple to the bottom line. Is this our lifestyle affects the effectiveness of our prayers, I would lifestyle affects the effectiveness of our prayers. If we want God to answer our prayers, when it to be walking with him to close our time together. Suffering, first lesson suffering and sickness are part of life. I said with a smile suffering and sickness are part of us. Can you save more confidently? And we will smile and sickness are part of life. Believers are not exempt and should expect to suffer for the cause of

Do you still want to follow Christ?

Look up what Paul says in Colossians. Now, I rejoiced in

I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake. And in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ Affliction, for the sake of his body that is the Church of Christ offered to the policeman's 310 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share in what Said with me, make sure and his cell phone rings becoming like him in his death. You want to be like Christ

Pray for some suffering, Hebrews 12:2 what does it says, looking to Jesus, the founder and Perfecter of our faith wu4. What are of the quote that was sent before him? He and Diesel look like

Already says the joy that was set before him. Despising the shame and is seated. At the right hand of the Throne of God knew, what his death was going to do. Same thing. Like, you know, when you share the gospel your coworker, they ignore you. That's just offering, okay? But you take a chance, you take a step of Faith, even though they reject you, it doesn't matter because I'm doing it for cries because I know the benefit that can come if they actually turn to God because they can spend eternity with God and you know how God has changed your life and doubt God can change their life. So I'm not going to be afraid to take a risk. We're looking to Jesus and do the cross. Despising, the shame, and is seated. At the right hand of the Throne of God, second one do not underestimate the impact. The prayer of one righteous person can have do not underestimate the impact that one righteous person can have and that one righteous person can be you. You you you you you you and me. If we walk with God, our prayers will have an impact. We can pray considered Lee persistently, and expectantly, and God will move. Card. One, ordinary people like you and me can pray extra-ordinary things to happen because we pray to an extra-ordinary. Got it is not about us. It is about God. One. It is our faith that make spray your respective not our feelings or religious activity for some of us sometimes the more volume we give The more that God will answer is God deaf?

Bible says in women 8, this is like God, even understands our groanings, which are too deep to other. So sometimes you go through some hard times, you cannot even express it with words, but God says, even when you said

God already on the stand. So, is that the feelings? You know, that we put into our prayer? It's not the volume that we pulled, you know, how loud that we can get. But it's our thanks. Are you walking with God, are you praying in faith? Are you praying in his will? That's what, bring the confidence, the persistence. And that's what brings the expectation in God to move makes sense. It is our faith. That makes prayer effective. Not our feelings or religious activity. You don't have to have a specific way to fold your hands. You know? Like as kids, when you go, your parents made you go in front of your bed to pray and then, you know, you got to fold your hand. And I find a bed that goes kids, move so much and 54, Johansson has nothing to do with ripened spiritual located.

And every night when my parents would make me my and my brother, you do go in front of the bed, to break, you know, how is usually end up?

Inside the form that we take you know trying to be all spiritual you know like we have to find the right word. Oh great, God Of Heaven and Earth. We pray that thou art the Kingdom's people. Do you speak to God the way that you speak. Okay. And God, God already knows everything that you're going to say.

He knows everything that you'll go to whatever you're thinking, you can pray a lot of time. Sometimes we scared to pray, you know, deep things that we might be going through this God already know. Whenever your struggle, whatever your problems to speak to him, he already knows. And lastly we need to pray for sister ugly and expectantly which I already mentioned. So the bottom line is, this a message in a nutshell is pray. Like it matters seek out when suffering and live righteously for the Bible say the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Father, thank you for your grace this morning. Thank you for teaching us more how to pray. So father helped each one of us here to pray confidently because we're praying. According to scripture. We praying in your will help us what God not you. I just do casual prayers that help us look. God to pray persistently. Help us, Lord. I to expect you to move when we pray. They were beach one of us here. I know each one of us here. Haven't need And even if we don't realize that we have an email, you revealed that to us, o God, to help us to realize what we need in this season of life and help us Lord God to pray to that effect. So, I pray for each one of us here this morning, Meaning of us starting today, never again, suffer alone. May none of us here today starting today, never go flu and illness alone. And make all of us here this morning. Pray extraordinary prayers because we pray to an extraordinary. God may we pray for the supernatural, maybe, pray for you to move for big things that we've been dealing with for years. May, we pray Lord God for you to move in every aspects of Our Lives.

Don't bother me. We enjoy the grace that you have in each of Our Lives. Thank you, Lord. They were beach one of us. Teach us to pray. If usually, for those of us with some of us here with never prayed, before we start to pray at least once a day. Some of us all that we prayed for is for our food. May. We take that a little more in set some quiet time and pray, flew out today. I'm father wherever we are in this journey or wherever we are in prayer. Alpine Slide. To pray better and to grow in this very important spiritual discipline. They re remember the example of Elijah Lord. And pray, fervently, pray like, it matters.

You go ahead and pray for something big right now. Whatever you might be dealing with you, go ahead and pray to God right now for something big. Nothing small. Something big that you're dealing with right now going and pray. And expecting God to answer.

What's your now? Go ahead and write down what you just prayed for and pray for that. Same thing for the next 7 Days. Praying persistently, to guy, don't you write it down?

So that you're looking at it everyday.

Father, I pray over all those prayers that have been prayed this morning. Nazareth. Continue to pray over. This thing's does big needs that we have in our lives? So I would this week. We pray. Lord, God that you will show up.

may you help each one of us to examine our prayers, to make sure that we are praying in faith that it is according to your will And if we're not sure whether it's according to your will, may you bring the right scripture to us. May you help us to dig into your scripture to really see that if the prayer that we are praying, if it is in your will and, Help us to pray confidently. And persistently this week. And expecting you to move.

Thank you, Father. For your Amazing Grace.

In Jesus name, we pray.

Amy.