The Faithful Prayer

Intro - Don’t read this line

This week’s sermon is really a part 2 to last week.

If it’s a part 2, then let’s reread last week’s text and then move on into this week’s.

Please open your Bibles to .

Read .

Read James 1:1-8.

Jesus warned us that there will be times of trouble in life.

, “In the world you will have tribulation. ...”

It’s going to happen, the question is, how will you respond to trials.

Maybe you are in the middle of it now, how are you responding?

Last week, we saw in verse 2, that we are commanded to respond to troubles how? With joy.

Verse 2, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds ...”

Joy is the response that God is looking for.

So our pursuit, our effort when we come into trials, is to have a pursuit of joy.

Last week we tried to understand how that is possible.

We looked at how God has a purpose for trials.

They test the quality of your faith.

They are not seeing if you have faith, but the quality of your faith.

And God uses trials to shape you.

Verse 4 says that they make you perfect and complete.

Think of trials as a way that God either teaches you lessons, or makes you more Christlike.

You are able to make it through a trial on the other side by seeing how God is using it for your good.

Maybe you’ve tried to do that, but it’s hard.

You’re trying to have joy, and it’s not happening.

You’re in a trial and things are getting pretty hard.

A parent dies - you’re trying to consider it all joy, but your having a difficult time.

How could the death of a parent be joyful or for your good, when what would make you most happy is having him or her back.

A friend hurts you - and now you are anything by joyful, you’re lonely and damaged.

You were joyful before.

But now it’s as if your very heart has been torn out.

Disaster strikes, and it consumes you.

You’re supposed to be joyful, that’s what the text says, but slowly depression starts to cloud your eyes.

Like a fog, coming out of a lake in an early morning, it drifts into your life, and creates a shadow, blotting out hope like the sun.

You’re trying to be joyful, but it’s not there.

What are you to do?

What are you to do when you can’t find a reason to be joyful?

In these next 4 verses we ask.

You go to the Lord, and you pray.

And perhaps you wonder if prayer is even worthwhile, is it even affective.

So James gives us 3 ways to pray when facing trials.

We pray giving thought to what we are asking for.

We pray asking in faith.

We ask in faith.

And we pray in confidence.

The first part of an affective prayer, asking for the right thing, and James tells us in verse 5 to Ask for Wisdom.

You are going through a trial, your trying to have joy, but you’re not seeing a reason for joy.

It’s just not there.

What’s the answer, well of course it’s to pray.

We are quick to say we will pray.

You are at your whits end.

You need help, so you pray.

Many times we pray, and the prayer is not answered.

Why? The reason is we aren’t praying for the right thing.

You are praying for the trial to end … but really that’s not the solution.

In verse 4, James says, “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

What is it you need the most when facing trials … wisdom.

So God’s plan isn’t that the trial immediately end.

So endure it.

Sometimes, the problem with our prayers is we aren’t praying for the right thing.

It’s like needing a screwdriver, but asking for a wrench.

The wrench isn’t going to get the screw out of the wall.

When going through trials, we need to consider what is it we need.

Verse 5 tells us what we need, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God ...”

So you are going through a trial, God says to be joyful, but you’re having a hard time being joyful, what is it you need?

God says you need wisdom.

You need a mind that is on the same page as God.

You need to understand what God is doing through the situation.

When you are going through trials, that is what you need the most, you need wisdom.

If you want joy … you need wisdom.

If you want joy … you need wisdom.

This is different from what the world thinks you need.

The world around us is always trying to sell us something, they are trying to tell us what we need.

They know you have trials, and the world’s solution is never God’s solution.

That’s what advertising does.

Advertising tells you that if you have that new car … then you’ll be happy and all your troubles will go away.

Maybe it’s a possession that will make you happy.

Sitcoms and movies tell us that if you have can find a clique, or some group that you’ll be happy.

Think of the old TV show Cheers.

What made that show so special?

You want to go where everybody knows your name.

Then you’ll be happy.

Maybe you think of the TV show Friends, a group of people who find meaning together.

Find a group of people and you’ll be happy.

Sometimes, the world around us says that what you need is more education.

Get a degrees, an education and you’ll be happy.

Because you’ll be smarter.

And sometimes we are told that, the solution to trials is found in a psychologists office.

But wisdom isn’t found in any of these places.

Ask for Wisdom.

It’s not so easily grasped.

Look back in beginning in verse 12.

“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its worth, and it is not found in the land of the living. The deep says, ‘It is not in me,’ and the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ It cannot be bought for gold, and silver cannot be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx or sapphire. Gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal; the price of wisdom is above pearls. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold. “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air. Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears.’ “God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.”

Where is wisdom found?

It’s found with God.

That’s how verse 23 finishes, “God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.”

If you want wisdom, don’t follow the world’s advice.

Don’t follow your heart.

It’s found with God.

The book of Proverbs is all about wisdom.

That’s the overall theme of the book.

And repeatedly, it explains going to the Lord for wisdom.

- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Wisdom isn’t found within us.

It’s found by trusting in God.

He’s the wise one.

All this to say that God is the source of wisdom.

If you want wisdom you go to God.

And as verse 5 opens, in the context of trials and hard times, you pray, yes that is the right thing to do.

But what do you pray for?

Wisdom.

You pray to God for wisdom.

And God will not disappoint you.

Verse 5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously ...”

He is the source of wisdom.

But He doesn’t horde.

He gives it.

God is a giving God.

This verse describes the nature of God - He gives.

He is a a giving God.

So you approach and you ask in boldness.

And He gives generously.

This means He gives wholeheartedly.

When God gives, He does not give like you and I.

We often give with strings attached.

We hold back.

We give and our heart isn’t in it.

But God gives abundantly.

Think of salvation.

God didn’t say, I’ll forgive you of some of your sins, then you work at being perfect.

He forgave all of your sins.

God didn’t say, I’ll provide a little lamb for a sacrifice.

God gave His one and only Son to be the Lamb of God to take away all of our sins.

He doesn’t hold back.

Not only is God a giving God, but He gives without reproach.

This means that God will not mock you or insult you.

Think about what prayer is.

Prayer is approaching God, and you talking to Him.

Prayer is this amazing form of communicating with the Holy God, who created all that there is.

If you wanted to talk to have a talk with the President of the United States, how would you do that?

Go on to Twitter and hope he responds to you?

Call the White House?

You aren’t getting through.

And yet, if you are a believer and you have the Holy Spirit within you, you get to talk to God through prayer.

And you get to make requests of Him.

Little you.

Isaiah says that we are grasshoppers approaching God.

That’s what it is like talking to God.

Only God doesn’t respond the way you would think He would.

He doesn’t say, “I’m God, and you’re little grasshoppers, let me step on you.”

He cares.

He listens.

You might even feel guilty making a request of God.

Have you ever felt guilty praying?

He’s so big, and you’re so small.

He’s got universes to run, and people to care for.

And here you are … a grasshopper.

Why would He waste His time on you?

Because we worship a God who gives generously to all without reproach.

You can approach God without fear.

He won’t mock you for asking.

He won’t say “Do it yourself”

In fact salvation is God doing what you cannot do.

What pleases God the most is when you come to Him, completely dependent upon Him.

That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

He wants a child like faith.

One where you see your complete and absolute needs, and depend on Him.

In fact, we are encouraged to pray.

And to pray frequently.

says to “pray without ceasing.”

Your prayers are not a burden to God.

You will not exhaust His ability to respond.

What ends up happening is that trials are a reminder that we should pray.

Trials should bring you closer to God.

How is that?

Because they remind you of how weak you are.

Prayer is a demonstration of your great weakness.

We pray, because we are nothing more than grasshoppers in this life, and we are completely helpless.

So boldly pray.

Boldly make requests.

To make requests of Him.

Through trials you end up praying more, worshipping more, studying more.

And what do you pray for?

You pray for wisdom.

“God give me understanding.”

“God let me know your heart.”

While Paul was in prison in Rome, he wrote Ephesians.

I’m sure he was wondering what the purpose of his suffering was.

From his jail cell in Rome, writing to the Christians in Ephesus he says these words in ,

“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”

Don’t lose heart over what I am suffering … which is your glory.”

Paul’s in jail, and he pursued the wisdom of God.

Why am I here?

And the conclusion is that it is for the Gospel.

God gave Paul wisdom.

And your prayer is to have wisdom.

James moves on and says that you must ask in Ask in Faith.

Prayer isn’t a magic formula.

Say these words in this certain order and watch the magic happen.

Yet many people approach prayer that way.

And then their prayers go unanswered.

“But I prayed in Jesus name.”

You know why so many people think their prayers are ineffective?

It’s because they don’t ask in faith.

Their prayers are just utterances to the wind.

We ask in faith, and that first means remembering who you are talking to.

You can’t pray in faith, if you don’t know who you are talking to.

At the root of prayer is the understanding that God is the only one who can help you, and you go to Him because He alone can help you in your circumstance.

It’s funny when we pray we have made these extra requirements about prayer.

You must:

Fold your hands.

Take off your hat.

Bow your head.

Some people think you must do the sign of the cross.

Muslims think you must bow towards Mecca.

But James says you must ask in faith.

That’s the requirement.

So when you pray, you must ask knowing that God is completely capable of answering your request, and fulfilling what you ask.

He’s not too far away.

You’re not too small.

Your request is not too easy.

Your request is not too hard.

This is God who created all things with a word.

Millions of stars.

Infinite molecules.

And yet, He knows the hairs on your head.

Your request is not too hard.

records a Roman centurion coming to Jesus.

He was a Roman official, and a man of authority.

He was a leader.

He had a servant who was sick and dying.

So the centurion sent some people to Jesus to ask Him to heal his servant.

Jesus went to heal the centurion’s servant, but as He approached, the centurion sent some of his friends out with a message.

“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

He understood power.

He understood that someone with authority speaks and things happen, that’s leadership.

And he understood Jesus.

He had faith in Jesus.

He knew that Jesus was completely capable of healing his servant.

Jesus only had to utter a word and it would be done.

This is how we approach God.

With a certain amount of boldness.

Not carelessness, or pride.

But with an understanding that God can do and will do whatever He pleases.

Prayer becomes a practical demonstration of what you believe about God.

And if you have a hard time praying, that might be because you think too little of God.

So we go to His Word, and we learn of His bigness.

And His sovereignty.

And His majesty.

The more you learn of God, the bigger He becomes, the quicker you fall to your knees in prayer.

And the third way to pray in trials is to Ask with Confidence.

James concludes this section with a warning to those who lack faith.

Verses 6-8 says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

If you’ve prayed and found that your prayers weren’t answered, this text might explains why.

You are doubting.

If you doubt you are sabotaging your prayers.

You are sabotaging your prayers if you doubt.

He says do not doubt.

Doubting is a middle of the road judgment.

It’s a middle of the road judgment.

It’s not a yes or a no.

A doubting prayer is the type of prayer that says, “I’ll try and what do I have to lose.”

Doubting is the very opposite of faith.

It’s a gamble.

But not faith.

Not solid.

Not true.

Doubting is the very opposite of faith.

says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

So in order to have faith, there must be an assurance.

And the result is that not only do you doubt, but there are consequences to your doubt.

A doubting prayer says 5 about you.

Verse 6 James says that if you doubt you are like “a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

The picture that James is giving us here is of a leaf floating on the ocean.

A leaf is at the mercy of the waves.

It has no power to direct itself.

It goes where ever the water throws it.

And if you doubt, you have no confidence in life, because doubting is the very opposite of faith.

Faith keeps you grounded.

Truth keeps you grounded.

There are certain things that I know, because of God’s Word.

I know that everything was created in 6 literal days.

Why?

Because the Word of God tells me so.

Scientists may come up with their different stories and theories, but nothing will change what I know, because I have a confidence in the word of God.

I don’t have to fear death.

Why?

Because I know from God’s Word, that there is a resurrection.

Jesus died for sins.

Jesus paid for sins.

God accepted His death.

Proof of the acceptance of Jesus’ death is the resurrection.

And for all those that Jesus died for, they don’t have to fear death, because they know that they will be brought to Him.

But if I doubt, if I take a middle of the road approach, what happens?

Well, I’m able to be persuaded.

I’m being tugged at by both side.

I see something on National Geographic and it tells me that the earth is 6 billion years old, and I waver.

I wonder, is Genesis accurate.

I go to a funeral, and I wonder, what about me?

And I tremble at death.

You go through a trial, and you wonder if God has forgotten you.

If you doubt, you are never confident.

You are a slave to whatever is the loudest voice that you are hearing is.

You are tossed like a leaf on the ocean.

You are driven and tossed by the wind.

No one wants to be a leaf.

Wisdom defends you from being tossed around.

The context here is trials.

And if you’ve gone through trials sometimes they are described as ups and downs.

But you don’t have to have the ups and downs.

Be rooted in the promises of God, and you can be sure about things.

Jesus said to not be anxious.

Being anxious is like being a leaf.

You become the victim of circumstances.

You afraid and you say, “I hope it comes out okay.”

So how do you fight anxiety … with wisdom.

Knowing something about God.

If this is you, I’d encourage you to pray the Psalms.

I love praying through the Psalms.

I read a Psalm, I pray the Psalm, I meditate on the Psalm.

For example, says, “For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

Then I break that down.

I’m feeling like a victim.

Life is confusing.

“For you are my rock and my fortress.”

And I pray that line with confidence.

I’m running to you for protection.

“For your name’s sake you lead me and guide me.”

You act and you act for your glory.

You are leading me.

Nothing is left to chance.

I pray specifics.

God I don’t understand why this is happening, but I trust that you are leading me faithfully.

“Into your hand I commit my spirit ...”

I will rest in your sovereignty.

Team me to trust in you more.

That’s my confidence.

But if you doubt … you aren’t even sure about the God that you are praying to.

This sabotages your prayer.

Imagine, you are going to take a trip to Hawaii.

That sounds good doesn’t it.

Your doubting says God is too weak.

Then in verse 8, James makes this statement about a person who doubts, “he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

You can either take a cruise.

Maybe you wonder why God doesn’t listen to your prayers, and this part tells you why.

It’s got the entertainment.

He says if you doubt, you are double-minded and unstable.

It’s got the buffets.

To be double-minded is to have 2 different minds.

It’s got room service.

James made up a word there.

He’s the only one to use it.

It’s a boat, with an engine, that will get you from point A to point B.

It’s to think 2 opposing or contradictory thoughts.

This is like the schizophrenic.

You’ve got got two personalities.

To be double-minded is to play the hypocrite.

Or you can take a raft, but no paddle.

One minute you say one thing and another you say something different.

You go down to Oceanside, bring your raft, and sit on the beach waiting for the tide to take you out.

Think about this in your Christian life.

Are you going to get to Hawaii?

You proclaim Jesus as Lord.

Of course not.

You are baptized.

You place membership in the church.

You swear that you belong to Him.

These are all big statements.

You say, this is who I am.

There’s one way of thinking.

And that’s a good way of thinking.

Then the next moment you pray, and you doubt.

You wonder if any of it is true.

Is God really who He says He is?

Can He really help you?

You read about God in His Word, but you think it's made up.

This is being double minded.

This is professing faith in Christ one second, then saying He can’t help the next second.

This kind of double-mindedness is hated by God.

It’s like Israel in the Old Testament.

One minute freed by God from Egypt.

The next minute worshipping a golden calf.

The solution to being double-minded is to draw near to God.

Later on in the book, in , James will say, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Later on in the book, in , James will say

Notice how being double-minded is sinful.

The word to doubt means to cut something in half and judge both sides.

To say both ways are right.

But this is not how we are supposed to be.

We are supposed to be singular.

Maybe even predictable, doing what is good.

Instead, we cling to what is good.

Hate what is bad.

We draw near to God.

We trust in His promises.

We understand who He is

And we trust in that.

And lastly, James says that to have doubt is to be unstable in all your ways.

This means to be uncontrolled.

To not be able to get your footing.

To constantly be slipping.

This is especially important today.

The church is filled with nominal Christians.

These are people who attend church from time to time.

They might even be regular attenders, but they refuse to let God interfere with their daily living.

They have a religious life and a secular life.

They have religious goals and they have secular goals, and they can’t let them interfere with each other.

The result is that though they might claim to be Christians, they are sliding deeper into sin.

Here’s the beauty of God’s Word.

It gives us absolutes.

This world does not have absolutes.

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

You never know who our nation will be at war with next week.

You don’t know what the headlines for next week will be.

The world is ever changing.

Your life is changing.

But you can be prepared for any circumstance by having wisdom.

By trusting in God.

By trusting in His Word.

The world around us may be on shaky ground, but you are on firm ground by being rooted in God’s Word.

That’s what I like about Biblical Counseling, something that we continue to embrace and be trained in.

Biblical counseling is really about going to people who’s life is currently shaky, and bringing them back to the Word of God.

Think about it, God has told us how to live in His Word.

And He’s told us how to live very practically.

He’s given instructions for:

Homelife.

Worklife.

Married life.

Church life.

Business life.

All you need to do is do it.

Biblical Counseling is going to the Word and saying, “Here’s what God’s Word says.”

I trust that if you obey God in these areas, you will do well.

I believe that God will honor His Word when you are obedient.

You will have tribulations, there will be hard times in life, and the solution is to pray for wisdom.

Later on in James, He will say, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Without out doubt, you have powerful prayers, because they are rooted in the wisdom of God, and they are directed to the Sovereign God, who rules over the nations.

The evil Bloody Queen Mary of England from the 16th century was a force to be reckoned with.

In one brief period of time she sent 283 Christians to the stake to be burned.

But her biggest opponent was John Knox.

John Knox was a frail man.

He had a rough life.

He’d been defeated.

One time he was captured in from a castle that was defeated from canon fire.

Then made to be a galley slave in the bottom of a boat.

But John Knox was a fierce preacher, who trusted in the Word of God.

He was nicknamed the Thundering Scot.

He fearlessly preached the Gospel throughout Bloody Mary’s persecutions.

She said of John Knox, the broken galley slave, “I fear his prayers more than I do the armies of my enemies.”

Why?

Because he had powerful prayers.

They weren’t powerful because of eloquent words.

They were powerful because he knew who His God is.

They had no doubt.

He did not doubt.

His prayers were were filled with fire and trust in the sovereign God.

I’m sure you are in the middle of tribulations, you’ve got trials.

You need wisdom.

Wisdom to do the right thing.

Wisdom to trust that God is doing the right.

You need boldness.

You need to not doubt.

We’ve talked a lot about prayer.

We will conclude in a time of prayer.

I’d like to do something a little uncomfortable.

I’d like us to pray and to pray for wisdom.

We don’t do this kind of thing, but I’d like you to even pray aloud.

Let’s be pointed.

Pray for your trial.

Be specific.

Unless, the trial is the person right next to you.

Pray for wisdom.

Pray for obedience.

Put this text to action.

I’ll start, and at some point Jason will bring it to a close.