So, Let's Pray

Is Prayer Worth It?

When you pray, what do you hope the outcome is? Maybe you’re praying for something specific, or about something that is happening soon. When you do, what do you hope happens next? Prayer is an interesting part of the Christian walk because regardless of what happens regarding what you prayed for, prayer is still worth doing. In the New Testament epistles, we are given some great examples of prayer, both how to do it and its purpose. And more often than not, the Bible isn’t too concerned with the outcome of prayer. Instead, Scripture points us towards the fruit of being a prayerful person, or, in other words, what comes out of a prayer filled life.

In this series, we’ll use the epistles to help us better understand how and why we pray. Whether or not what you pray for ends up how you wanted, it is worth to be a person who can’t help but pray.

5. So, Let's Pray

Verse: James 5:13-16 (cf. Colossians 3:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Big Idea: We've spent three weeks naming everything wrong with how we pray. Tonight we stop talking about it and do it.

Introduction

ICEQ | …

Series Summary

When you pray, what do you hope the outcome is? More often than not, the Bible isn’t too concerned with the outcome of prayer. Instead, Scripture points us towards the fruit of being a prayerful person, or, in other words, what comes out of a prayer filled life.

In this series, we’ll use the epistles to help us better understand how and why we pray. Whether or not what you pray for ends up how you wanted, it is worth to be a person who can’t help but pray.

Introductory Questions

Before we do that, let’s think about where we’ve ben so far…

Week 2 :: Idol-Worship Prayers (Colossians 3) — prayer as "God, I need," treating God like a means to get your earthly wants met.

Week 3 :: Wishy-washy Prayers (James 1:5-8) — asking without trusting, doubting the God you're praying to.

Week 4 :: On-again-off-again Prayers (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) — praying only when desperate, going quiet when things are fine.

Q | Of these three, which one feels the most common for you?

Getting Into The Text(s)

James is writing to Christians scattered and under pressure, and near the end of his letter he gives about the most practical thing in the New Testament on this.

Read James 5:13-16.

Think About It | Look at how simple he makes it. Suffering? Pray. Cheerful? Sing. Sick? Get the church praying over you. There's no technique here. No right words. Just, whatever is going on with you, bring it to God, and don't do it by yourself.

Q | Why do you think James pairs singing and praying so closely together?

Did You Catch That? | Verse 16. Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another. The praying he's describing isn't private. It's out loud, with people who know you.

Tonight before we move on, I want to take an opportunity to do that together.

Worship / Prayer Activity

Week 2 :: Idol-Worship Prayers (Colossians 3) — prayer as "God, I need," treating God like a means to get your earthly wants met.

Week 3 :: Wishy-washy Prayers (James 1:5-8) — asking without trusting, doubting the God you're praying to.

Week 4 :: On-again-off-again Prayers (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) — praying only when desperate, going quiet when things are fine.

Before we close, what did we think about that?

Q | What was hard about that?

Prayer was never meant to be a solo activity. James says pray for one another. Paul opens almost every letter he writes by telling a church he's been praying for them, and then he asks them to pray for him.

You didn't only pray for yourself. When someone else prayed, you were praying with them. When we sang, we were saying it together.

Conclusion

Prayer is worth doing not because you get something out of it, but because your life depends on it.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–19 ESV

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.

Q | Why does Paul say you should pray?

Two to three sentence re-statement of the conclusion statement.

What should we walk away from these readings having understood?

How does it fit into our series?

How can we contemplate this throughout the week?