"UNLOCKING THE POWER OF PRAYER"

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James 5:15–18 “and the prayer of 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. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”

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James 5:15 “and the prayer of 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.”

PRAYER OF FAITH

>>>In this verse, James had just talked about the elders praying over the sick but includes this “category of prayer”-prayer of faith.

*The word “prayer” in this sense means “petition”.

>>>This prayer was one of great faith that could bring about healing and the forgiveness of sins.

*The word “restored” means “delivered”/“saved”. The prayer of faith saves from sickness.

*It was sometimes believed that sin brought sickness (NOT EVERY TIME!). In these scenarios, there was a spiritual healing that happened along with the physical.

*FAITH REQUIRES CONFIDENCE.

James 1:6 “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.”

>>>There is a humble confidence Christians are to have when praying. Confidence is the evidence of faith.

>>>We pray too much for God’s will. What do I mean by that?

*We should always be submissive and accepting of God’s will.

*(Illust). Helping JK move

*“You can grab that and bring it down…you don’t have to…if you want.”

*We pray a lot of “if it’s in Your will”. But what about boldly calling on God to heal?

*God wants us to come boldly (still humbly) before the throne to receive grace in times of need.

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James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.”

>>>This verse continues the correlation of confessing sin, prayer, and healing. Healing can be both spiritual and physical but leans physical.

>>>However, this verse also transitions to the prayer of righteous people.

PRAYER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

>>>Simply put, the prayer of a righteous person is effective and can accomplish great things.

*The word “prayer” in this verse is used in the sense of being “supplication”.

*Righteous prayers are effective.

>>>Confession and repentance keeps Christians in a right standing with God.

*REPENTANCE PRODUCES RIGHTEOUSNESS.

>>>“Not only does confession bring us into our relationship with Jesus, it sustains our relationship with Jesus.”-Brian Jennings

>>>Repentance is how a believer becomes a believer, but it also keeps him in a pure fellowship with Christ.

2 Chronicles 7:13–14 “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

>>>How does revival happen? It happens through the people of God turning to God and away from sin.

*God will substitute judgment for mercy. There can be physical, spiritual, political, social healing through the repentance of God’s people.

1 John 1:7–9 “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

>>>Walking in Christ sanctifies in Christ. When sin is confessed, the believer is forgiven and cleansed from anything that is not righteous.

*This was written to Christians.

*An example of this is communion.

>>>What if prayers for salvation, healing, nation, etc. are not answered because of the people of God being out of fellowship with Him?

*Living in sin

*Lukewarm

>>>If we live in ways that are not within God’s definition of righteousness, our prayers will not see the effect that Scripture says they can have.

*RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE PRAY RIGHTEOUS PRAYERS.

James 5:17–18 “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”

>>>James gives the example of Elijah. He is the example of a righteous person who prayed effective righteous prayers.

>>>Righteous prayers are prayers not just prayed by righteous people but are born from what is in Scripture.

>>>God told the people of Israel in Deuteronomy that there would be no rain should they turn to other gods. Elijah’s “prediction” and prayer of this was based off of what God already said.

*He was in line with God to know what God says and to pray accordingly.

>>>The words “pray earnestly” in the Greek literally translates “pray pray”.

*This is consistent prayer.

>>>Righteous prayers are not magic prayers. They are prayers that are based on God’s commands, promises, and character seen in Scripture.

*God does save.

*God does heal.

*God does bless a nation.

*All of this is done through the faithful, consistent prayers of a repentant (righteous) believer, and they accomplish much.

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>>>We are the people of God. We have the power and equipping of the Holy Spirit. Yet the people of God are always the first to roll over and take it.

*IF we pray for healing/salvation, it’s “whatever God’s will is” and maybe never thought of again.

*We get too frantic over elections or indifferent due to “not being political”, and whatever happens, happens.

*We say we trust God, but trusting God looks a lot like apathy.

>>>Praying at all times with supplication is the final exhortation in Ephesians 6 and the armor of God.

*Nowhere in Scripture do we see the people of God roll with the punches. We see people of God harness the power of prayer and punch back.

>>>What if we came boldly to the throne in repentance (apathy;sin;lukewarm)? What if we prayed out of renewed and righteous faith?

*People were healed.

*People were saved.

*Davids, Hezekiahs, Josiahs were all over our government.

>>>We are going to have a time of prayer. Be honest with God in repentance. Then pray for what’s on your heart/how God leads.

*This may also be repenting and becoming a Christian.