Prayer, Praise, and Power

Introduction

How many of you believe in the power of prayer?

How many of you wish you prayed more or saw more answers to your prayers? Or more consistently?

Now be honest, how many of you, like me at times, wonder if it makes any difference?

How many of you are struggling right now?

How many of you are happy?

How many of you are sick?

How many of you know someone who’s wandered away from the truth?

Please stand for reading of God’s Word.

Main Passage: James 5:13-20

James 5:13–20 (ESV)

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. 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.

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.

Context

2 main sections

prayer, praise, and power

restore the one who roams/welcome back the wanderer

mirrors Jesus’ teachings

written to Jewish believers

holistic; don’t separate physical/spiritual

dispersed = persecuted by other Jews and Romans

Prayer helps us persevere through suffering.

James 5:13 (ESV)

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.

greek = kakopatheo to suffer misfortune

to experience something that comes from outside

vehicle breaks down, injury, job loss or not rehired when told you would be, power goes out and leaves you without heat, spouse cheats/wants a divorce, death of a loved one, child wanders from the Lord, kicked out of place you rent bc owner’s selling it

story of Job - massive misfortune

1st lost animals, servants, and children

then afflicted with sores

Outside factors cause this suffering, so makes sense that we would invite God from outside our situation and into our situation.

Spend time reading/praying the psalms…have encouraged suffering believers for generations

Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

1 God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 50:15 (ESV)

15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Psalm 62:8 (ESV)

8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (ESV)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

james 1 Trials create perseverance, make us perfect/complete, lacking nothing

“Lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. Behold your King cometh to set you at liberty.” George Whitefield

Prayer enlists God’s help.

Expand of Jesus’ authority - death and demons, sickness and suffering, disease and death, marriage and workplace.

authority over the outside event, principalities, and powers causing the suffering

Are you suffering today? God wants to meet you, encourage you, and perfect you.

Praise gives glory to God and encourages others.

James 5:13 (ESV)

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

cheerful: having or showing good spirits

other translations: happy, joyful, feeling good

Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Commanded to sing praises to God

Psalm 95:1–3 (ESV)

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the Lord is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

expand on why the suffering need the cheerful - designed to be in relationship and gather together to help each other

something happens in spiritual realm when we praise God. OT says He inhabits the praises of Israel - picture of being enthroned, seated in the midst...

Have you ever been to small group or church service and struggling, and when someone praised God cheerfully? It changes your outlook…happy give hope, cheerful give confidence.

The power of God is unleashed when His people pray.

James 5:14–18 (ESV)

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. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. 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.

ἀσθενέω (astheneō). vb. to be sick, be weak. Refers to the state of being weakened

Lexham Theological Wordbook:

This verb and related words are among the most common terms used by the NT authors to depict illnesses and disabilities. The verb astheneō sometimes simply means “to be weak,” without specifically implying illness. This meaning appears most often in the letters, where Paul describes those who are weak (astheneō) in faith (Rom 4:19; 14:1) or in conscience (1 Cor 8:11–12). Paul also says that the law could not justify believers because it was weak (astheneō) through the flesh (Rom 8:3). The term can also refer specifically to being ill (e.g., Matt 25:36; John 4:46; Phil 2:26).

Article: “Weakness or sickness? A look at James 5:14” by Ted Bigelow www.sharperiron.org

Charlie comments “I agree that the meaning is spiritual weakness, not physical sickness. It is more parallel in thought with suffering hardship and being cheerful in v. 13. Also, the passage indicates a sure result, not a potential happening. If prayer and oil cured all physical sickness, surely there would be few Christians afflicted with disease.

Makes sense as James is addressing Jewish believers facing persecution. 3 possible perspectives - suffering, cheerful (james 1 take joy when facing trials), or weak in faith

Lexham Theological Wordbook πρεσβύτερος

πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros). adj. older, elder, presbyter. In general, a leader whose authority comes, in principle, from the wisdom associated with age; in the church, a particular kind of leader whose responsibilities included directing churches.

Explain anointing with oil: OT when the spirit comes upon someone, anointing with oil symbolizes us inviting God’s Spirit into the situation and expecting Him to work

James 5:15 (ESV)

And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

prayer of faith - used in a concrete sense to indicate a proof or guarantee, faithfulness, assurance, confidence

Asked 3 elders here about this and they said they pray in faith, knowing God is able to heal and strengthen, and leave the results in His hands

Lord will raise him up…to awaken…to resurrect

If you are weakened by illness, persecution, uncertainty of faith…Jesus can resurrect you, wake you up, make you new

forgiven: to leave or abandon…leaving a place or belief…what place, people, or philosophy do you need to abandon?

explore link between sin and sickness (sin invites sickness/weakness) not always caused by sin - jesus and man lame from birth

confess to each other and pray, why?

healing - restored to wholeness

importance of being in a small group

James 5:16 (ESV)

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

explain gospel - we are counted as righteous bc of Jesus

Hymn: hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Luke 18:1–8 (ESV)

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Matthew 7:7–11 (ESV)

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Persist and persevere in prayer.

Elijah nature like ours ; God is looking for believers today who believe He can and will hear their prayers to change the world. He sees the wicked leadership of nations setup against Him…who here is willing to stand in the gap and pray for repentance and revival?

John 14:13 (ESV)

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

1 John 5:14–15 (ESV)

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

Restore the one who roams

James 5:19–20 (ESV)

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.

Why?

to save his soul from death and cover sins

cover - hide/veil

we all like sheep have gone astray…God didn’t stay where He was but left heaven and was born a man named Jesus. Jesus pursued us and restored us when we were separated from Him. Welcome back the wanderer.

CONTEXT written to believers

possible to wander from truth

where are you getting truth?

If you wander, this is your warning that we’re coming for you…don’t harden your hearts and fight it…it’s to save your soul

1 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV)

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

How?

Galatians 6:1–5 (ESV)

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. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Jude 22–23 (ESV)

And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Ephesians 4:2 (ESV)

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

We restore, redeem, and renew others bc God has restored, redeemed, and renewed us.

Prayer, Praise, and Power relating to restoring

Pray for them

Praise God for His faithfulness to pursue us.

Trust that God has the power to make it happen.

Share story about Russ Wicklund

Application

We’ve talked about prayer, praise, and power and restoring the roamer.

Do you need to pray, praise God, or get anointed to experience the power of the holy spirit?

What sins do you need to confess so you can be healed? Who are you going to confess them to?

Who is roaming that you can restore?

Who is wandering that needs welcomed back into the family?

Let’s be honest…prayer seems like a roller coaster sometimes. We pray for healing and a loved one dies. We pray for deliverance and it gets worse. We pray with confidence, then doubt two minutes later.

Story of Clara’s nightmares. God working on me with prayer, found out preaching this passage, anointed her…worked 2 nights, worked a night didn’t do it, didn’t work a few nights…want to give up but confident that God can and will respond and deliver her and make her whole.

We’re going to take communion now, after that we’ll have elders in the back ready to anoint you with oil and pray for healing and strength

Doxology

Jude 24–25 (ESV)

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Resources for further study:

The Praying Life by Paul Miller

Prayer by AW Tozer compiled by W.L. Seaver