James on Prayer Part 3 (POTHB
Notes
Transcript
Read: James 5:13-18
Read: James 5:13-18
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? 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: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Introduction:
Introduction:
We have been talking about Jame’s description and teaching on prayer.
Angus Buchan, a missionary in Africa wrote a book called “Faith Like Potatoes” where he chronicles his journey of faith and answered prayer in starting the mission.
On one occasion he was praying for transportation and the Lord showed him a Mercedes Benz truck. Some of his friends looked at him kind of like we do a prosperity Gospel preacher wanting a new plane. “Isn’t there something a little less expensive” different ones asked? That’s what the Lord showed me and told me to get.
Well they found one an old Mercedes Benz fire truck and they fitted it for their work.
Later they found out that in their location, about the only spare tires and tire replacements that could be found easily, was the ones for the Mercedes. God knew and answered in a an amazing way.
Angus Buchan; Val Waldeck. Faith Like Potatoes: An Inspiring Story of Faith in Action (Kindle Locations 1661-1663). Monarch Books. Kindle Edition.
Our passage tonight shows us a little picture of the power of prayer.
Prayer operates and is accessible in any realm.
A couple of things jump out at me here:
Distress drives men to God and He graciously undertakes (James 5:13).
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
We are to draw nigh to God, not merely for our own sakes but also for others. "Pray one for another" (James 5:16).
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Prayer must be offered for the sick and afflicted (James 5:14, 15).
14 Is any sick among you? 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: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Life, whether glad or sad, should be conspicuous for praise (James 5:13).
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
The prayer of faith to save the sick was accompanied by an anointing with oil (James 5:14). Belief in the power of the Name must accompany prayer (James 5:14).
This helps to encourage our faith in the power of earnest prayer.
Lets look for a bit at the interesting phrase at the end of James 5:16
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Effectual = means to function - to do what something is used for; perform as expected when operating.
James is saying prayer that is in proper working order does some amazing things.
How about your prayer?
My van has been missing. Not missing as in gone, but in how it runs, I don’t know if you know what that means, that is what my Dad used to call it when you would feel or hear the vehicle kind of misfires, one or more of my spark plugs are going bad and I need to get it either to my brother in law or a mechanic and get it tuned up. Which I plan on doing soon.
Sometimes it seems that my prayers misfire - it just doesn’t run right -
Is your prayer in good working order or does it need a tune up?
James gives a few things to help tune up your prayers -
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
It’s good to get things clear, if you need to clear things with your brethren do it, if you need to get things clear with God do it.
Pray for one another, don’t criticize one another or beat them down.
He goes on and illustrates this with the prophet Elijah -
He says that Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are - he had feelings, friends, things he wanted, temptations he faced, he was just an ordinary person is what James is trying to say
And yet he was able to pray that it wouldn’t rain, and it quit raining.
He prayed again and the heavens were opened and rain poured out again.
But I want you to notice a principle of prayer that James shares with us in the life of Elijah;
James says Elijah - prayed earnestly - James 5:17
That is a fascinating phrase - “prayed earnestly”
It shows us the supernatural power of prayer - I like what Lockeyer wrote on this, “The prophet of old, whose prayers were miracles of power, never discussed natural laws, for he knew that God's power could transcend the known laws of His world. In Elijah, prayer was the greatest force on earth and his prayers prevailed seeing they were energized prayers.”
Another said, “The prayer of faith, moves the Hand of Him that moveth all things”
But Elijah prayed earnestly or “prayed in his praying” He wasn’t just saying his prayers, he was petitioning God with great passion and desire.
J. M. Hames wrote in his book A Bouquet of Graces “Real earnestness gets us somewhere.”
I’ve seen people pray real loud and you wonder why? But they are doing their best to be earnest in their praying. They are attempting to pray in their praying. Now praying doesn’t have to be loud, we don’t have to scream to be heard, but we do need to pray in our praying.
One has wrote:
Pray, pray, pray—no help but prayer,
A breath that fleets beyond this iron world,
And touches Him who made it.
or another put it this way:
Pray in your praying which exercises “the slender nerve that moveth the muscles of Omnipotence.”