5 Principles of Prayer
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Tonight, we will learn 5 principles of prayer that will help you in your prayer life. God has principles in place for prayer that will bring him to answer you and all of us want God to answer our prayers.
Tonight we will look to James, the half brother of Jesus and draw some principles out of them that will help us all.
1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?
2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.
6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
James is not a theorist, or a philosopher, he is extremely practical in his teaching. In this passage he shows us three different types of people who pray.
3 types of people who pray
3 types of people who pray
1. The un asked prayer of an self reliant person
1. The un asked prayer of an self reliant person
James shows ua a person who is fighting to get what they want but fails to ask God.
1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?
2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
This person has evil desires and is scheming, fight and even willing to kill to get wha they want even though God is telling them to just ask. James tells them you don’t have what you need because you don’t ask.
Jesus said this.
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
This is God’s plan. He never wanted for you and I to do it on our own strength. He wants us to ask him.
A little boy was trying to move a huge stone. His daddy watched him as he struggled and pushed. He asked him, son, are you using all of your strength? The boy said yes daddy, I am using all of my strength to which the dad replied, no you are not because you have not asked me to help you.
Too often we are trying with all of our strength, but you need to know that God is our strength. Have you asked him to help you? Have you asked God to help you?
You need to quit trying and start trusting.
You need to quit trying and start trusting.
Not only are you missing out on a great blessing by getting God involved, but you are actually sinning.
23 “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.
When god puts it on you to pray and you don’t, you are sinning. We are to never stop praying.
17 Never stop praying.
Jesus said we should always pray as well.
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
Jesus says we should always pray… and never give up until we see God’s answer.
Prayer keeps you from falling to temptation
Prayer keeps you from falling to temptation
38 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
The second picture is one of ....
2. The Unanswered Prayer of a Selfish Person
2. The Unanswered Prayer of a Selfish Person
You have some folks who don’t pray because they think they can do it on their own. Then you have the folks ask for the wrong things with the wrong motives.
3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
I don’t think James is saying that you can’t have nice things, but he is saying that putting them ahead of your relationship with the Lord and serving Him is wrong and why your prayers are not being answered.
He actually says you make yourself an enemy of God. When the Bible mentions “world” it’s talking about an ungodly system or culture that has set itself against God… like ours.
James actually says that being a friend of the world is like adultery. Jesus is the Bridegroom and the church is the bride and when we are friends with the world and attach ourself to that culture, we have commited adultery against God. What he is saying is that this world is like a prostitute that tries it’s best to steal our love for Jesus away from Him. And, when we flirt with the world, when we run with the world, when the ambitions, ideals, and desires of the world find a lodging place in our hearts, we set ourselves at warfare with God.
Suppose a worldly Christian comes to God with un-confessed, un-repented from sin and asks God to bless them… do you think God would bless them? No. He cannot and will not.
Suppose a woman is cheating on her husband and comes to him, with him knowing about it and asks for some money to go out of town with her boyfriend, do you think the good husband would do that? Of course not.
So when a worldly Christian comes to God and asks for strength and blessing from God, why should he give them strength to keep serving the devil? He won’t.
There are the un-asked prayers of those who struggle to do it on their own. There are the un-answered prayers of selfish person. Then there are
3. The Un-Hindered Prayer of a Spiritual person
3. The Un-Hindered Prayer of a Spiritual person
Your prayers ought not to be hindered. It ought to be normal for God to answer your prayers. We should never be like… hey God answered my prayer… I just can’t believe it. Answers to your prayers should be the norm. The un-answered prayer should be abnormal.
Here are 5 principles for prayer that will help us all.
Five Principles of Prayer
Five Principles of Prayer
I believe God has placed principles throughout scripture. I look for principles. When I read the OT, I look for principles but do so looking through the lens of the Cross.
1. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
1. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.
The spirit he has placed in us is the Holy Spirit. Every saved person has the Holy Spirit of God living inside them. Look at what Paul said.
9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
You either have the Holy Spirit living in you or you are not a Christian.
Now, James says that God is passionate that we should be faithful to him. He wants our full devotion. He has every right to say that your full heart’s devotion belongs to Christ. You are not to be a friend to this world. You are not to commit spiritual adultery. The Holy Spirit that is in you is put in you to cause you to love Jesus Christ passionately.
Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to cause you to love Jesus deeply?
When the Holy Spirit brings your heart’s devotion ti Jesus, when you yield to the Spirit in such a way that you don’t quench the Spirit, then you are to pray in the Spirit.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Praying in the Spirit is letting the Holy Spirit of God dictate our prayers, letting the Holy Spirit of God lead our prayers, letting the Holy Spirit of God direct our prayers, letting the Holy Spirit energize our prayers, and letting the Holy Spirit of God move us to pray. You may also pray in a prayer language. The very first principle of prayer is there must be a submission to the Spirit. And, He makes prayer not a duty, but a delight.
Do you ever find it difficult to pray? You just try to drag yourself to pray? You have to force yourself to pray? Do you know why that is? It’s because you are being controlled by your flesh. Listen, the flesh doesn’t want you to pray. Remember what Jesus said to his sleepy disciples ...
41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
The flesh doesn’t want to pray, si if you are a worldly Christian, a carnal Christian, a fleshly Christian, you will find prayer to be a drudgery. However if you are a spiritual person, you will find prayer to be a delight if the Holy Spirit in you is free.
If you are finding it difficult to pray, it’s because you are not surrendered filled with the Holy Spirit and if you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, it’s because you are not surrendered to the Holy Spirit and the Lordship of Jesus. And if you have not made Jesus Lord, it’s because there is un-confessed and un-repented sin in your heart and life. Maybe you have never commited your life to the Lord or maybe you have become enamored with the World and are guilty of spiritual adultery. You have set yourself as an enemy of God and your prayers are not going to be answered.
There must be a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit who jealously desires your full heart’s devotion. Is Jesus the Lord of your life? Do you love him with your whole heart?
2. We must submit to the Father
2. We must submit to the Father
Not only do we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we have to be obedient to what he tells us to do.
6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
God resists the proud but he helps the humble. When you are humble you come to the Lord and say, I can’t do it, I give myself to you… I submit to you. Answered prayer is not for rebels, nor is it some way for people to bend God’s will to fit their will, nor is it an exercise where you talk God into something he would not normally do, Prayer is submitting your will to his.
Prayer is submitting your will to God’s.
This world got into a problem to begin with when, in the Garden of Eden, that first man, Adam, said: “Not Thy will, but mine be done.” The second Adam, the Lord Jesus, in another garden said: “Not my will, but thine, be done.
9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Are you willing to pray that way?
Look at this promise.
14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.
Most people want God to rubber stamp their on plans, their own desires and their on lifestyle. They don’t wait for the Lord; they don’t seek the Lord; they don’t let God’s word live in them nor do they live in Him. So they go marching into the Lord with a shopping list and then wonder why God doesn’t give them everything they want.
We… You must submit yourself to the Lord.
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
You must submit to the Lord.
3. We must resist the devil
3. We must resist the devil
You must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, submit to the Lord, and number three, you must resist the devil.
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
This verse applies to prayer as well as every part of life. How many of you know that the devil will attack you when you pray. He doesn’t want you to pray because you get power from prayer.
Kids fight… phone rings… you will think stupid thoughts… mind wonders… think about things you need to go and do...
That’s what the devil does… he will try to distract you when you pray. Jesus said that the devil is like the birds that come and pick up the seeds that fall on the path, so while I am preaching the devil is trying to steal some of the seeds… you are thinking of the weather… what you will eat for lunch…
Not only can the devil take thoughts out of your mind, he can put some into your mind.
2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
He will do these when you pray because he doesn’t want you to pray… to connect with God. Why is that? The devil is afraid of your prayers. A pastor one time said,
I believe that whenever we begin to pray, the devil must say to his demons, ‘Stop him from praying. Stop him! Boy, if he learns how to pray, he can beat us every time! But, if we stop him from praying, we’ll beat him every time.’”
The devil says go ahead and enjoy your building, your meals, your services, your outreaches, etc. He says you can do all of that as long as you leave out the power of God that comes through earnest, persistent praying that will not take no for an answer.
Someone said,
The devil trembles when he sees the weakest saint on their knees.
Prayer is warfare. I don’t say this to scare you or discourage you but to encourage you to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, the submit to God and to Resist the devil. Listen,
4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Greater is He who is in us that he that was in the world.
so submit to the Lord and resist the devil and he will run from you.
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
4. We must separate from the world
4. We must separate from the world
Sensitive to the Holy Spirit, Submit to the Lord, Resist the Devil… and next, we must separate from the world.
8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
Dirty hands and hearts along with double loyalty do not get prayers answered. Sin separates us from God and from answered prayer.
1 Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.
2 It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.
3 Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your lips are full of lies, and your mouth spews corruption.
God doesn’t hear when you have un-repented sin. Look what David said,
18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
We must be different than the world. If you have in your heart and life, a division … a struggle between sin and righteousness trying to live in your life… Are you trying to hold onto the world with one hand and God with the other? If you are, separate yourself from the World. Tell the devil your affair with him is over. Wash your hands… purify your hearts … basically repent and turn completely to the Lord.
People say that God just isn’t answering my prayers anymore!
Let me ask you. Is your heart clean? You may say, i don’t have any big sins… you might be surprised to find out how much those little ones are costing you. It’s the attitudes that can cost us in prayer. James says to turn to God, purify your hearts and wash your hands … or IOW, repent and turn to God.
8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
God does business with those who mean business.
4. We live with purpose
4. We live with purpose
Sensitive to the Holy Spirit… Submit to God… Separate from the world… Live with purpose...
9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
Another reason our prayers may not be answered is that we offer half hearted prayers… frivolous prayers… and soon forgotten prayers. We never get hold of God and really pray, plead and intercede.
Prayer is work. It involves brokenness and maybe even weeping. It’s serious stuff. Too many people can’t tell you what they prayed for or who they prayed for when they are done. When you come to the Lord meaning business, it get’s his attention. Fasting is telling God that you mean business.
I believe we are to be filled with the joy of the Lord, and that prayer can be joyful. But there is plenty going on in our world that brings us to tears in prayer… violence… breakdown of families… secularism… a government that is spiraling down and down morally, ethically and as a government… pornography… human trafficking… bondage to addiction… hopelessness leading to suicide and overdoses.... We need to spend some time in prayer for these things.
We also need to be serious in our prayers for our lost loved ones. We need to pray in earnest about these things. Someone once said
The church is dry-eyed in a hell-bent world.
People want revival, but that will take serious praying… crying and crying out to God for him to bring revival.
General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army got a letter and said, “General Booth, we need a revival here. We’ve done everything. We’ve organized. We’ve prayed. We’ve done everything that we know to do, and there’s still no revival. What should we do?” He mailed back a terse telegram that said, “Try tears—try tears.”
When was the last time we shed a tear for someone who is lost or in bondage to the devil? We don’t have to cry when they repent, but when we realize where they are headed, we cry out to the Lord for them.
Look at this…
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Earnest prayer has great power - Earnest means stretched out like an athlete stretching out for the goal line. The prayer that gets answered is the earnest prayer… the fervent prayer for a child of God who is sensitive to the Holy Spirit, Submitted to God, resisting the devil, Separated from the world, and living with purpose.
Conclusion
There’s the un-asked prayer of the person self reliant person… the un-answered prayer of the selfish person… and the answered prayer of the Spiritual person. The Spiritual person is sensitive to the Holy Spirit, Submitted to God, Resistant to the devil, separated from the world, and living with purpose.