(James 022) The Power of Persistent Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him 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 sins, 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 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 the earth bore its fruit.
1. Prayer is the natural response to life. (vs. 13-16a)
1. Prayer is the natural response to life. (vs. 13-16a)
James 5:13–16 (ESV)
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him 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 sins, he will be forgiven.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed…
(1) A. James teaches us when to pray.
(1) A. James teaches us when to pray.
I. We pray when we are suffering.
I. We pray when we are suffering.
II. We pray when we are cheerful.
II. We pray when we are cheerful.
III. We pray when we are weak.
III. We pray when we are weak.
IV. We pray when we are sinning.
IV. We pray when we are sinning.
(1) B. James teaches us how to pray.
(1) B. James teaches us how to pray.
I. Pray for yourself.
I. Pray for yourself.
II. Pray with others.
II. Pray with others.
III. Pray for others.
III. Pray for others.
2. Dispelling a myth about this passage.
2. Dispelling a myth about this passage.
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 sins, he will be forgiven.
2. Dispelling a myth about this passage.
2. Dispelling a myth about this passage.
Not every commentary teaches the same thing, but many do.
(2) A. It is impossible for this to mean what we think it means.
(2) A. It is impossible for this to mean what we think it means.
I struggle with this passage. It seems to contradict the rest of the New Testament.
If someone is sick…
If you call the elders…
If you pray with enough faith…
They WILL be healed.
Then why don’t we do this?
Because God doesn’t heal everyone.
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2) A. It is impossible for this to mean what we think it means.
(2) A. It is impossible for this to mean what we think it means.
We have studied James for over 20 weeks.
For 20 weeks we have been reminded that God allows trials for a reason.
We must endure through those trials for God to accomplish His plan.
In God’s plan some will be healed.
It is ok to pray for healing.
We need to be careful not to pray selfishly.
It is God’s plan that some people will not be healed.
It is God’s plan that the trial not always be removed from us.
So how could this passage mean what we often teach that it means.
There seems to be almost a mysticism about this passage.
You need to call the elders (pastors)
Circle around them, pour oil on their head.
Anoint them.
(What does “anointing them” mean?)
They will be healed.
Or maybe… it means that God will heal just not on this earth.
That’s true, but then why do all this?
Is it possible we are missing something?
Yes… we are missing context.
We are missing the original intent of the author.
Let’s read it again.
James 5:14–15 (ESV)
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…
(2) A. It is impossible for this to mean what we think it means.
(2) A. It is impossible for this to mean what we think it means.
(2) B. What this probably means is not what we want it to mean.
(2) B. What this probably means is not what we want it to mean.
We always need to remember when we come across a difficult passage that we can’t interpret one obscure passage without keeping in mind the entirety of scripture.
I. The context.
I. The context.
Jews who were scattered around the world.
Cut off from their families.
Under intense persecution.
Written at the end of a letter talking about how to endure adversity.
Even saying there are special eternal rewards for those who endure well.
Now… seemingly…
There is this random passage about prayer.
If you take it at face value it can be hard to understand.
If we understand that it is not a random passage.
That James is not a potpourri of random thoughts, but a flowing letter.
We already approach it differently.
II. What it means to be sick.
II. What it means to be sick.
Greek word “astheneo” is translated 18 times in the NT as “sick”.
It is also used 14 times to refer to emotional and spiritual sickness.
In the epistles, only 3 of times it is translated as “sick” is it talking about physical sickness.
In (2 Cor) Paul uses it in a context similar to James.
2 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV)
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Now we can understand that James is talking about weakness from suffering.
Being spiritually and emotionally beat down.
III. Why the elders were called.
III. Why the elders were called.
Some were beat down from the persecution.
Possibly to the point of not be able to pray.
There are times we face that kind of grief.
The Holy Spirit helps in these times.
In the context of groaning and agonizing under the weight of the struggle Paul writes…
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
III. Why the elders were called.
III. Why the elders were called.
We are also instructed to help those who are weak.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 (ESV)
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
III. Why the elders were called.
III. Why the elders were called.
In the case call the elders… the spiritually mature to pray for them.
The spiritually strong are to pray for the spiritually weak.
IV. Why oil was used.
IV. Why oil was used.
We could also ask… what is the oil of the Lord.
Let’s take some mysticism out of this.
They Jews regularly used oil as medicine.
These are people who were physically abused.
Possibly had physical injuries.
Put some medicine on them.
V. Why would sin be mentioned with physical illness?
V. Why would sin be mentioned with physical illness?
vs. 14 - If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
We are more apt to sin when we are spiritually weak.
We see the idea of repentance.
VI. God WILL raise up the spiritually weak.
VI. God WILL raise up the spiritually weak.
This is the promise!
This is a promise that can be backed up by the rest of scripture.
3. Power is seen when the right person prays the right way. (vs. 16b-18)
3. Power is seen when the right person prays the right way. (vs. 16b-18)
James 5:16–18 (ESV)
…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 the earth bore its fruit.
3. Power is seen when the right person prays the right way. (vs. 16b-18)
3. Power is seen when the right person prays the right way. (vs. 16b-18)
Why do we pray?
Because it’s powerful.
I don’t understand it.
God is God and God is going to do what God does.
Yet we are clearly told all over scripture that we should pray.
And that prayer accomplishes great things.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
3. Power is seen when the right person prays the right way. (vs. 16b-18)
3. Power is seen when the right person prays the right way. (vs. 16b-18)
(3) A. Power is seen when the one praying is righteous.
(3) A. Power is seen when the one praying is righteous.
One who is right before God.
He does not hear the prayer of the unrighteous.
Pray with integrity.
Having inward righteousness and outward morals.
A righteous person will pray according to God’s will.
Elijah didn’t just decide to ask for no rain.
Prayer is our communication with God.
We pray in response to God’s communication to us.
Unfortunately, too often, our prayer has become a string of empty words.
We don’t know God.
We don’t know God’s will.
We aren’t pursuing righteousness the way we should.
So our prayers are week and even useless.
(3) B. Power is seen when the one praying is persistent.
(3) B. Power is seen when the one praying is persistent.
Persistence means you have faith.
Persistence means you pray with intensity.
To have faith we must be praying according to God’s will.
Our best, most persistent prayers are specific.
Elijah prayed that it would not rain.
We don’t know what to pray for search scripture.
Our best, most persistent prayers don’t stop.
Keep asking.
Passionately and persistently!
(3) C. Power is seen when the one praying is righteous and energetic, not special.
(3) C. Power is seen when the one praying is righteous and energetic, not special.
Elijah was a man of with a nature like ours.
God didn’t chose Elijah to be the example because he was a great prophet, but because he was a man like us.
Go read the account of Elijah.
Elijah’s life was full of ups and downs.
He had victories and failures.
Prayer can seem too hard.
It can seem like only the super godly people can have a thriving prayer life.
The stories of saints on their knees for hours can be discouraging to us.
What mom has hours to themself?
God chose to work through regular, non special people.
What we see in this man is a persistence.
He prayed “fervently”.
This speaks to the consistency.
The speaks to the energy.
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.”
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed 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.
And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’ ”
And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.
(3) C. Power is seen when the one praying is righteous and energetic, not special.
(3) C. Power is seen when the one praying is righteous and energetic, not special.
Elijah prayed consistently with no answer.
What are some things you are praying for consistently?
Elijah prayed with intensity.
What is your prayer time like?
What is our prayer time like as a church?
The prayer of the righteous, persistent, regular christian is powerful.
It is energetic or boiling.
It is effective.
When Hudson Taylor went to China, he made the voyage on a sailing ship. As it neared the channel between the southern Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an urgent knock on his stateroom door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ship.
"Mr. Taylor," he said, "we have no wind. We are drifting toward an island where the people are heathen, and I fear they are cannibals."
"What can I do?" asked Taylor.
"I understand that you believe in God. I want you to pray for wind."
"All right, Captain, I will, but you must set the sail."
"Why, that's ridiculous! There's not even the slightest breeze. Besides, the sailors will think I "m crazy." Nevertheless, the captain finally agreed. Forty-five minutes later he returned and found the missionary still on his knees. "You can stop praying now," said the captain. "We've got more wind than we know what to do with!"
What if the greatest barrier to the spread of the gospel is not the self indulgent immorality of our culture,
But the self sufficient mentality in our churches.
What if our own church growth and our eternal impact on our community is being stunted because we are indifferent to prayer?
In churches all across America, including our own, prayer services are the least attended services.
When they are attended they are dry and boring.
There is no energy in them.
We have become indifferent to prayer.