Where Is The Power In Prayer? Part 1
James: Faith That Works... Your Faith in Action • Sermon • Submitted • 55:27
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Please consider taking a time slot for our focused day of prayer October 21st
Have you ever met someone whose life was characterized by their prayer life?
I will go through these slides and speak about them as I go
Prayer is a time of refreshment. Howard Taylor says of his father, Hudson Taylor, “For forty years the sun never rose on China that God didn’t find him on his knees.”
—Howard Taylor, Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission
You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.
—John Bunyan
Be Determined 2. He Depended on Prayer
“To be a Christian without prayer,” said Martin Luther, “is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”
Martin Luther was known to spend hours in prayer each day...
Understanding Theology, Volume Three III. The Purpose of Prayer
Martin Luther: ‘I have a very long day, I must spend not two but three hours in prayer today.’
If you recall… the author of the letter we are studying was also a man of prayer...
Known for his countless hours of prayer the half brother of Jesus Christ was given the affectionate nickname “Camel Knees”
They were calloused, enlarged from all the time spent on his knees in prayer to his Heavenly Father!
We don’t kneel much in our day… a sign of reverence, not comfortable, it is a humbling position
AND James spent long periods of time in this position, on his knees
some of the greatest men who ever stood for Christ and His Word did it on their knees!
Godly men and women who place their Faith into Action must be people of prayer
James has already addressed prayer in his letter...
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Now, James is going to close his thoughts with bringing his readers back to prayer…
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
We will take today and next week to look into What James is Saying About Prayer...
What James is Saying About Prayer...
Prayer is Pertinent
Prayer Brings Healing
Prayer Requires Faith
Prayer is for All Believers
In each of these areas we will look at where the power is found!
Prayer is Pertinent in ALL Aspects of Life!
Prayer is Pertinent in ALL Aspects of Life!
A wise man once stated… There is “A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.” ( ) and no it is not the group “The Byrds” it was Solomon.
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
Life brings to us waves of feelings and emotions.
Solomon also states that there is nothing new under the sun… we all experience evil, good, joy, sorrow…
It is a part of life… and Christ came to give life abundantly!
Paul in his letter to the Romans states in his discourse on how the believer should behave says in
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
As you go through life… is prayer ( talking to God ) your first response?
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Suffering… pray (911)!!!
Job didn’t, he grieved, he spoke to friends and others, do you realize it is not until the end he speaks to God?!
In suffering we ask a lot of questions, wanting answers, but seldom do we talk with God and allow Him to speak to us.
Cheerful… Do you tell God about your joys!
Do you praise Him?
In Sickness… do you see His will in your times or ongoing sickness.?
In times of Sin… Is your communication with God (who has power over sin) during struggles absent?
In times of drought or production of fruit… are you keeping your communication, prayers going before God?
In each of these areas prayer holds power… not because of the prayer, the timing, or even the one praying… BUT rather because of the WHO you are praying to!
Keeping God at the forefront of our lives, day in and day out has power in the believer’s life!
I was speaking with a man in our church this week who shared he can face many of the difficult things in this life because of Christ…Keep Him there and keep in prayer
Remember what Paul challenged the Thessalonians with?
16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Keeping God at the forefront of our lives
Prayer Produces Healing In People’s Lives!
Prayer Produces Healing In People’s Lives!
Physical Healing
Physical Healing
Verses 14-15 Speaks of one who is suffering from severe illness or injury
Anointing is applying to someone… this is not the anointing of the OT where the Holy Spirit would come upon.
The Holy Spirit does not come upon us… He indwells the believer and this occurs at Salvation.
This was an oil or lotion rubbed upon the one who was sick. Medicine of the day somewhat.
James is NOT saying avoid medical treatment… Rather with it pray!
Pray so God gets the glory
When we pray, just as we plan ( ) we leave it in God’s Hands
God’s Will is for us to pray… His plan is not always revealed to us
Joni Erickson Tada ( God has not healed her yet… One day He will! )
In the mean while He is using her for His glory!
Nick Vujicic “God will use a man without arms or legs to be His hands and feet. I didn’t write my story… God did.
God does heal, He still works miracles, on His terms, in His time.
The healing is not found in those who pray rather the ONE they pray to!
Spiritual Healing
Spiritual Healing
There is sin that leads to sickness… NOT all sickness is a result. “IF”
This world is stained with sin and its reach and effects impacts us all
The Lord will raise them up, He is the ONLY One who can restore one from sin
God is the ONLY One who can forgive sin.
You and I can forgive one another, we can restore fellowship with each other
BUT ONLY God can forgive sin
Emotional Healing
Emotional Healing
We will look into this more next week, but there is emotional healing to pray with other believers
Each of us struggle with various sin, help one another out… PRAY!
Pray with the person… keep it from transitioning to gossip and committing sin yourself.
Remember you are talking to GOD! He knows the situation. Keep yourself from sin and allow healing to occur!
The prayers of the righteous accomplish much. (not all we want)
How could God demonstrate His Power through your prayers this week?
How could God demonstrate His Power through your prayers this week?
What do we miss out on because we fail to include Him in our lives?
Begin speaking with Him… and leave room and time for Him to speak through His Spirit.