THE PRAYER - THE PARDON

CHRISTIAN LIVING PT2

Richard Hoefler's book, Will Daylight Come?, includes A homey illustration of how sin enslaves and forgiveness frees. A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma's back yard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead.

The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to look up and see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch that day, Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally said, "Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn't you, Johnny?" And she whispered to him, "Remember the duck! So Johnny did the dishes.

Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, "I'm sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper." Sally smiled and said, "That's all taken care of. Johnny wants to do it." Again she whispered, "Remember the duck." Johnny stayed while Sally went fishing.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, finally he couldn't stand it. He confessed to Grandma that he'd killed the duck. "I know, Johnny," she said, giving him a hug. "I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

James 5 calls us to seek forgiveness and be open to bringing in those who have sinned and either wandered from God or never knew Him. Sin likes to keep us enslaved like Johnny.

James 5:13–20

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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 one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 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.

In all of life’s situations, pray, including sickness, confession of sin both commission and omission, seeking God’s will and for those that have wandered to return.

I. THE PRAYER—vv. 13–18

Prayer In Life’s Experiences

a. Praise to God.

When do you pray – is it when you are going through a trial? That’s ok – just don’t fall into the trap of self-pity, anger or gloomy introspection.

Is it when everything is going good? That’s ok. Just include thanksgiving and an attitude of gratitude towards God the Provider.

Is it both? That is where we need to check our heart and prayer life.

If you don’t pray during trials – when I’m found in the desert place, though I walk through the wilderness, on the road marked with suffering, though there’s pain in the offering,

don’t get caught in the enemy’s trap of isolation and gloominess,

If you don’t pray when in the land that is plentiful, where the streams of abundance flow, when the sun’s shining down on me, when the world’s all as it should be,

Don’t get caught in the enemy’s trap of self-elevation and pride.

We should be living out 1 Thessalonians 5:17 – pray without ceasing

Verse 16 before it states – rejoice always

b. Prayer in Sickness

2. Sickness—vv. 14–15. Note God’s plan for healing.

Includes all sickness – physical, mental, emotional, spiritual

The sick are called to call the elders to pray for them – double benefit

Elders pray fervently

Sick are aware and are encouraged

Those who pray in faith receive two promises –

Sick will be made well

Sins forgiven

Need to be careful of verse 15 – And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. Does not promise every physical sickness will be healed.

Paul left his friend Trophimus back in Miletus when he was sick – 2 Timothy 4:20. We can be sure that Paul prayed for his friend but when he left Trophimus was still sick.

In 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul advises Timothy how to deal with frequent illnesses – 23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)

My brother, Tony. We have faithful believers in several states praying for him to be healed. Does that mean God lied? No!

We must remember 1 John 5:14 – And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

According to His will.

c. Prayer in Confession of Sins

3. Sacredness—v. 16. Two steps: (1) Confession of faults and sins. (2)

Cleansing—prayer of a righteous man has great results.

Confess – means to say the same thing – we must identify sin for what it is. Identify the sin by name, acknowledge it and repent from it –

Repent means to turn 180 degrees from it.

Not confess like the movie A League of their own where the character Mae goes in to confess but no real desire to change – just cleaning the plate to go do it again. Confession must be followed by repentance.

His forgiveness is not permission to sin – His grace and mercy are permission to sin –

Paul in Romans 6:1-2 – What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

1 John 3:9-10 states – No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

And Hebrews 10:26 says – For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins

His forgiveness is not permission to sin – His grace and mercy are permission to sin – repentance following confession helps us navigate away from and turn towards Him again.

d. Prayer in the Will of God

Simplicity—vv. 17–18. Elijah was no superman.

Effective prayer contains two components -

Prayer must come from a righteous person – fully devoted to God a living faith.

Prayer must have energy and persistence to be effective.

Elijah is named by James as an example of both of these aspects.

Prayed earnestly with power

So intimate with God’s will he understood and could perceive God’s timing and purpose

II. THE PARDON—vv. 19–20

Prayer for those that have wandered from God

a. Warning the backslider—with love, kindness.

Those who wander in theology or life choices, choices that are contradictory Christian living.

Like the prodigal son –

Genuine believers will never lose their salvation – even if they wander into a sinful life.

We are called to do our best to bring them back – notice not judge them but bring them back,

b. Winning the backslider—save his eternal soul.

We get two promises -

a. Wander is saved from death

Some profess to be believers but have never experienced the power of the Gospel in their life – being saved is more than words said – when you are saved – you are transformed – a new creation in Christ.

b. Wander is forgiven a multitude of sin – the sin that they wandered into

Principles

• God hears the prayers of righteous people who pray with passion.

Applications

• Pray in strong faith to God both in times of trouble and in times of joy.

James reminds us in times of trial and hardship we must put aside the human tendency to grumble and complain, commit ourselves to God’s will, and “continue to do good” (1 Pet. 4:19 – Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good

And, we must be people who pray with praise, confession, and intercession. In Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 , we must be people who “pray continually”

At the conclusion of James, what changes will you make in your prayer life?

What will you do when your prayers do not seem to receive answers?

Do you know people who have professed faith in Christ but are not living the way Christ expects his followers to live?

What can and will you do for such people?

How fervently and persistent are you in your prayer life?

Let Us Pray!