The Prominence of Prayer (part 2)
Notes
Transcript
The Prominence of Prayer
Sermon by Ken Baratta
Based on James 5:13-20
INTRODUCTION
Let’s Read James 5:13-20.
The main topic of this paragraph is that of prayer, as it is mentioned in every verse from 13-18.
The context for this prayer are the trials that the community of believers are experiencing.
There are three kinds of responses to these trials that are addressed by James:
First, the response of suffering.
The individual who is overwhelmed by their trials and at wits end as to what to do next. They need to return to prayer and placing themselves in the hands of a God of mercy and grace. He is in control.
Second, the response of cheerfulness.
The individual who is enduring their trials with the realization that trials are something to be counted as joy because of the way they mold us to be more like Christ. This person sings praise because they know that God is in control.
Finally, the response of weakness.
The individual who is battle worn and at the point of giving up. In their weakness, they ought to call on spiritually strong believers who can pray for them. They may have lost the drive to pray for themselves, but they must not lose sight of the fact that God is in control. And God has provided people in our lives to help lift us up.
There is a divine intervention and restoration that takes place in the life of the weak believer.
The intervention is found in the phrase the Lord will raise him up.
In our own flesh, we are weak. We are incapable of enduring the hardships and trials in life.
However, when the Lord intervenes and raises us up, we have enough to get through.
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
The intervening prayer by the Holy Spirit is God’s work being done in our lives.
And through the strong, righteous prayers of godly men, God will restore His battered sheep’s enthusiasm and strength to endure the trials.
The restoration is found in the phrase if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
The spiritually weak and embattled believer is prone to sin.
Whether sin is the cause of the weakness, or the result of it, sin is always a bedfellow of death (cf. 1:14-15).
The antidote is to confess those sins to God and obtain His forgiveness.
Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Proverbs 28:13
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Thus, James establishes the principle of accountability for all believers
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
Again, this healing that takes place is not a physical ailment being relieved, but a spiritual weakness that is being strengthened and upheld.
For a believer, strength is not only gained from proper fellowship with God, but it is also gained through proper fellowship with one another.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
When we keep open lines of communication with other believers, sharing our struggles and interceding for one another, then we are helping one another from becoming spiritually weak.
That is not to say that we will not become discouraged due to our trials.
But we will be strengthened through encouragement by others bearing our sins with us.
Paul, in Galatians 6:1-2, also calls for this accountability principle.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
As seen in this passage, the spiritually strong benefits the spiritually weak.
However, the spiritually strong must also be careful not to be tempted by the trials of the spiritually weak.
James continues his point by giving an example of the power of fervent prayer: Elijah
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Spiritually strong people offer up strong prayers. Spiritually weak people offer up weak prayers.
The difference between the two is that the strong prayer is based on the truth of the Word while the weak prayer is based on the flesh of the person.
Scottish writer Robert Law:
Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done on earth.
This quote is a good lead in to the final verses of this epistle:
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
The implication in these verses is that the weak believer has wandered from the will and Word of God.
That means the person is looking to relocate their house from the foundation that is rock to the foundation that is sand.
Matthew 7:26-27
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
The benefit of a stronger believer praying with and bearing up a weaker one could bring them back to the truth of the Word and preserve their life.
CONCLUSION
Prayer is of utmost importance in the life of a believer… especially those enduring harsh trials and difficulties in life.
Whether someone is getting overwhelmed by their trials (“suffering”), or they are cheerfully enduring them, prayer is what puts us at the mercy and grace of God.
The one who has been made weak ought to call for stronger believers to pray with them, that they may be restored in their strength.
“Grace Greater Than Our Sin”
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
God’s grace offered at the expense of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross is freely offered to all.
Whether you need to commit to Him as Savior and Lord, or you need to be restored in your walk, God’s grace is available to you.