James Message 12

Pray until the Lord returns

James 5:12–18 NKJV

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? 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 will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails 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 land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Intro:

Last week James said be patient until the Lord returns. Now it’s be prayerful until He returns.

Jesus told His disciples to watch and pray.

Matthew 26:41 NKJV

41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

A week prayer live will cause us to fall when it comes to temptations.

Do we pray like we should? We should strive to pray like Jesus.

Mark 1:35 NKJV

35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Luke 6:12 NKJV

12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Matthew 14:23 NKJV

23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

Woman caught in adultery

John 7:53 NKJV

53 And everyone went to his own house.

John 8:1 NKJV

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

Luke 18:1 NKJV

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

James has talked to these Christians that were oppressed by the rich. About their faith being tested, winning the battle over temptations, living a life of Obedience, about seeing people the way God see’s them.

He wanted them to be sure that their faith was real. Taming the tongue. Real Godly wisdom. All these things James is saying is the way to live a Christians life. (Real faith that works)

Now He is telling them that the Lord is coming back, and to be patient, and prayerful.

We should always pray. No matter what we should always pray.

Today, 7 verses, 7 times pray is mentioned.

We should pray in suffering. VS 12-13

James 5:12–13 NKJV

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.

Swearing to cussing like the word is used today.

Oath taking. Not talking about taking an oath in court. Or oath of enlistment.

Talking about a foolish oath.

Yes be yes, your no be no. Just be a person of your word.

13. If anyone among you be suffering? What are you to do? Pray.

“suffering hardship”Exploring the Epistle of James: An Expository Commentary (1. The Hypotheses

Someone who is overwhelmed. Any kind of trouble. If you are sick. If you loss your job. If you are having a hard a work. Having hard time in your marriage. Death of a loved one. Etc. How do you handle it?

James says pray. First thing during suffering is to pray. Not talk to someone, not post of FB. Pray.

You can pray anywhere. But, this alter is a great place to pray and leave your burdens, not pray an take them with you, pray and leave them.

Pray during suffering. And pray when you are feeling good.

VS 13 Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.

The New Testament: An Expanded Translation Chapter 5

Is anyone cheerful? Let him keep on singing praises

Sometimes we only pray when we need to. Why pray when nothing bad is happening?

James says, pray and sing Praises.

Pray and be thankful.

Paul and Silas sang in prison. They were joyful while suffering.

We should pray when we are sick. VS 14-16

James 5:14–16 NKJV

14 Is anyone among you sick? 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 will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

There some that will teach, that if you are a Christian God will protect you from being sick. (Wrong)

Bro Myles was a Godly man. But he was sick.

By the way, he is no longer sick.

VS 14 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.

If you are sick, let me know. I will pray for you. Bro Walter, Bro Archie. (Not saying we will come over with oil) But we will pray for you.

VS 15

Pray in faith.

It could be that the sickness in this verse is a result of sin, (sinful life style)

It doesn't mean because you are sin, it is because of sin. We live in a fallen world, and people even Christians get sick.

But I don’t wonder it the sickness in see in the world today is a result of sin.

“Shall raise him up.”

God can and will heal the sick, but only if it is His will.

Have you have prayed for someone that was sick and God did not heal them?

If they are a Christian and they die, they are healed.

Bro Myles. Healed in heaven, new body.

Some teach that if are a saved and you are sick, it is because you don’t have enough faith.

Paul was a man of great faith.

II Corin 12:7-10

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 NKJV

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

God may not heal your sickness, He may not.

James 5:16 NKJV

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

The New Testament: An Expanded Translation Chapter 5

Be confessing therefore your sins to one another for your own benefit, and be praying for one another that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person is able to do much as it operates.

The healing here could be a spiritual healing. When we have a falling out with a fellow Christian, it has to be made right. If not, it’s not a righteous prayer.

When we pray a righteous prayer God will hear.

We should pray for our nation. VS 17-18

James 5:17–18 NKJV

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 land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

He prayed, the no rain.

He prayed again 3-1/2 years later and it rained.

Isreal had turned from God, and they were worshipping Baal (false god) Elijah confronted king Ahab.

Elab on the show down.

450 prophets of Baal VS Elijah.

1 Kings 18:36–38 NKJV

36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

Don’t we as a nation need to pray?

We as a church, need to pray.

Jesus is the only hope for America. And how does America get to know about Jesus?

Through the Christians in America. Salt, and the light.

Elijah prayed and it rained, and the rain bought forth fruit.

Elijah was just like us.