Providence and Prayer: if God is Sovereign why pray?

James 5:13–18 (ESV)

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.

BIG IDEA: Are you praying “The Right Kind of Prayer?”

The Right Kind of Prayer

Did you know that there is a right and wrong way to pray. A couple of weeks ago we highlighted the model prayer that Jesus gave. He was giving a right kind of prayer. The bigger difference between the right and wrong kind of prayer is a matter of the heart.

“The Prayer of a righteous person has great power”

What is the righteous Prayer?

What does the prayer of a righteous person look like?

Earlier James had discussed the right kind of prayer.

James 1:5–8 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 4:2b–3 ESV

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

1. The Right kind of prayer conforms our Heart to God’s

What is at the heart of or motive or your prayer?

Note: Prayer is for all situations that come up in our lives. James is saying whether things are going really good or you are struggling you should always pray. Not just for the really big emergency flashing emergency light kind of prayers.

The heart of our prayer is not merely based on getting out of a difficult situation. God looks at the sincerity of our heart in prayer.

*The Prayer of the Heart is a prayer of Consistency

Look at the three times James suggests that Prayer is needed.

1)Suffering - Let Him pray - We are to pray when we are suffering, this is the same word James uses in verse 10 to refer to the prophets describing all kinds of suffering. Paul used the verbal form of the word to describe his imprisonment. God’s plan is not always necessarily for you to escape suffering, sometimes like Paul tells Timothy it is to endure the suffering faithfully.

2 Timothy 4:5 ESV

5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

2)Cheerful - Let Him sing praises - The cheerfulness here is a content and joyful heart that one has whether in good times or bad. This is not contingent on outward circumstances. Remember James states earlier in James 1:2 that we are to count it all joy when we face trials. James uses the word for sing here which is what we know as psalm. Singing is closely related to prayer.

1 Corinthians 14:15 ESV

15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

3)Sick - Call the elders to pray over him. - in this case the one who is ill is not instructed to pray but to call the Elders to pray for them. Notice that they are to pray over them and anoint the person requiring healing with oil. Note that this is the only place in the epistle’s and only the second record we have in all of the New Testament of oil being used in healing. Oil was also commonly used for medical purposes, for example the story of the Good Samaritan. There were many healings taking place in the New Testament with no mention of oil being used. Notice the oil was just a visible sign of where the ultimate healing is found. Perhaps with oil being such a readily used medicine the Apostles did not want there to be any confusion about where the healing comes from. Some groups such as the Roman Catholic Church have given authority to the priest to use oil for removing any remnant of sin that might be left before a person dies during last rights.

We all when we got married pledged a vow to love our spouse in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, in prosperity and in adversity.

This is similar to the relationship we have with God. The prayer that comes from the heart is one that seeks God continually in all situation.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing which can be confusing. When our thoughts turn to worry, fear, discouragement, and anger, we are to consciously and quickly turn every thought to prayer and every prayer into thanksgiving. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6 not to be anxious by anything but in everything by prayer and petition to present our requests to God. Colossians 4:2 tells us to be watchful and thankful. Ephesians 6:8 see’s prayer as a weapon to use in fighting spiritual battles.

Pray at all Times

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

For Christian prayer should be like breathing. You do not have to think about breathing because the atmosphere exerts pressure on your lungs and essentially forces you to breathe.

That is why it is more difficult to hold your breath than it is to breathe. Similarly, when we are born into the family of God, we enter into a spiritual atmosphere, where God’s presence and grace exert pressure, or influence, on our lives. Prayer is the normal response to that pressure. As believers we all enter the divine atmosphere to breathe the air of prayer.

It is easier for Christians to feel secure by presuming on - instead of depending on - God’s grace. Too many believers become satisfied with physical blessings and have little desire for spiritual ones.

Look at what it says in Proverbs 15:8

Proverbs 15:8 ESV

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

How can sacrifice be an Abomination to God?

How can something as good as a sacrifice to God, become an abomination to the Lord?

Note: Remember Cain and Abel's offering to the Lord. One was acceptable and the other was not, why? Both offerings externally seemed to meet the bill. The only problem was a matter of the heart. The thing we cannot see.

IS SIN/SICKNESS RELATED?

Jesus appears to separate the nature of sin and sickness. John 9:1-3 Jesus passed by a man who had been blind from birth, the disciples asked who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind. Jesus responded that neither this man nor his parents sins contributed to this man’s blindness.

You also have the paralytic man being lowered down through the roof. When Jesus saw the faith of the Paralytic man and his friends He Declared that his sins were forgiven which was separated from the actual healing. However, the greater truth that is reflected is that the soul is desperately sick and that a person cannot be completely well and have a healthy body and mind until a person is in a right relationship with God.

*The prayer of the Heart is a prayer of faith.

Notice that it is Faith not fervency or frequency of the prayer that renders it effective.

James 1:6–8 ESV

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Remember that it is a wholehearted unwavering commitment to God. Since it is the Elders who are praying here we must assume that it is their level of faith that is on display.

The first question we must ask is where does the faith in our prayer come from?

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Faith is a gift from God. When it all comes down to his will to heal, the Lord grants the persuasion that he will grant the healing and enables the elders to pray ‘the prayer of faith’. …

Kent Hughes explains it this way: the prayer of faith is not something we can manufacture or muster up by saying “I believe, I believe, I believe, I really believe, I truly believe, I double believe!” It is a gift from God.

John Blanchard -

‘The “prayer offered in faith’ is circular in shape; it begins and ends in heaven, in the sovereign will of God.

It all comes down to this: the sick person is to call for the elders, the elders are to anoint and pray, and God will do as he pleases.

James: An Introduction and Commentary Additional Note: Aleiphō and Chriō (5:14)

Save (sōzō) usually refers in the New Testament to deliverance from spiritual death, and some scholars think that this may be James’ meaning here also. In fact, they suggest that all of verses 14–16a may be about restoration to spiritual health rather than physical health

The prayer of faith

Many evangelicals believe that all human beings have an innate capacity to have a God glorifying faith. Therefore, even the unregenerate lost person is able to muster up enough faith trust in the gospel which brings us to faith in Christ.

There are several major problems with this line of thinking. One is that Paul proclaims in Romans 8:7-8 “That the minds prior to conversion is set on the flesh and is hostile towards God.” The person who is lost lacks the ability to come to faith on their own power. Even Jesus states in John 3:3 that “unless one is born again they cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Faith comes from God period.

2. The right kind of prayer conforms our will to God’s.

Verse 15 appears to suggest that prayer for healing will always result in restored health.

“The Prayer of Faith will Save” What does this mean?

Note: The verb will save should not be taken in an absolute sense, as though giving the one who prays irresistible control over God’s sovereignty to save. (Even Paul did not have this kind of power with his fervent power that God would remove his thorn in the flesh. 2 Cor. 12:7-10)

Does this mean that our prayers can speak things into existence?

The Short answer is no! Only God has this power and exclusive right. Even during the plagues in Egypt, the pagan magicians were able to mimic the first two miracles however when Moses turned the ground into gnats, the magi if Egypt were stumped and admitted that “this is the finger of God.” They didn’t credit the ability of Moses to speak the plagues into existence.

Note: The big problem with this line of thinking on prayer is that it discounts the sovereign will of God.

Mark 11:24 is one verse that many people will use which say’s “I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and and it will be yours.” First, these words of Jesus do not in anyway communicate the idea of creation - bringing something into existence that did not previously exist.

Look at the previous verse in Mark 11:23 “Jesus gives the example of moving a mountain, but He does not mention the idea of speaking a new mountain into existence. We must take Mark 11:24 in context with the rest of scripture.

1 John 5:14 ESV

14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Note: We are told to submit to God’s will in our prayers. We are never told that we have the power to speak things into existence.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

When we seek God first and align our thoughts and desires with His thoughts and desires, then we are showing true faith. Then we are using the things that God wants not the things that we want. Our desires prayers become requests to fulfill His desires rather than our own.

Prosperity teachers will often take Romans 4:17 which speaks of “the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.”

Many prosperity teachers will latch onto the phrase “calls things into being things that were not” and try to use it as biblical evidence that we can do the same thing. They misread the passage, however. Paul is clearly talking about God, not man, calling things into existence. Speaking things into existence is God’s domain not ours.

Lamentations 3:37 ESV

37 Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?

This asks the rhetorical question, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?”

The answer, of course, is “no one.” None of us has that kind of power to speak and bring things to pass through the sheer force of our words. Only God has that kind of power. When He speaks, it is as good as done.

So, the righteous prayer is one that when it is God’s will to grant healing, the “prayer offered in faith will heal the sick.” We know that God is the ultimate healer, however, does everyone receive healing. If not why not? Is it because they lacked the faith to be made well?

No, I have known many dedicated strong followers of Christ that were never healed of their illnesses. Many of them died still praying for healing. We would be good to remember what it says in Isiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as high as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We know that our highest aim is to bring God glory 1 Corinthians 10:31.

First, we must ask God for wisdom in our prayers.

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

We know that God wants to be glorified by the right view of Himself in our prayers.

*Praying God’s will is not merely an act of impulse or whim.

WHY ARE YOU PRAYING?

If you have ever been asked this you might respond, “I don’t know it just seemed like the right thing to do?” Perhaps a better response would be that you are praying because Jesus Christ is Lord and has the right to overrule my human plans. I am praying because the spirit of God is a spirit of love and mercy.

Notice here in Romans 15:30-31 “Paul is asking for believers to engage in thought out purposeful prayer for his deliverance.”

Romans 15:30–31 ESV

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

*God changes peoples wills in answered prayer

Why didn’t Paul simply pray his own prayer. Why does James exhort people to call the elders during their time of need to lay hands on them and pray over them?

Paul has two concerns in his request for prayer 1) that non-Christians in Judea would kill him and end his ministry; 2) That the Christians would find fault in his ministry.

In both cases people wills are involved, the answer to the prayer is going to require God to change their will to match His will. In the first case that the ill-will of the unbelievers would be changed and in the second that good will of believers is assured.

Note: in both cases God changes peoples will to meet his will through prayer.

Deliverance from Non-Christians

Acts 21 Paul meets a hostile city, in chapter 30 people rushed together to take hold of Paul. Mob violence is not easy to restrain however, the working of the will of secular authorities who deployed Roman soldiers to rescue Paul.

Someone willed to go and tell the commander that there was a riot; second, the Roman commander willed to go and check the report out for himself; third, when the mob saw the Romans soldiers they stopped beating Paul. So their evil will was restrained and the answered prayer of the believers over 1,300 hundred miles away were heard and answered.

The danger is not over yet, in verse 23 we read that while Paul is in jail his enemies form a conspiracy to form an oath that they would not eat or drink util they saw Paul dead. The conspiracy is to ambush Paul while he is being transferred to Caesarea. Now how the will is changed among the Roman Christians?

He influenced the will of a boy, Paul’s nephew, to be in a place he heard of the conspiracy, and then influenced him to have the courage to tell Paul about it. He also affected the will of the Roman Soldier to take the boy to his commander upon Paul’s request. Upon hearing the news the will of the commander was also influenced to take the boy seriously and make plans for Paul’s escape. Again Paul was delivered from unbeliever in Jerusalem just the way it was requested in his prayer.

Paul’s Acceptance by the Saints

When Paul came to Jerusalem we read that the brethren received him gladly. Paul recounted to James and the other elders of the Jerusalem church all that the Lord had done to deliver Him safely to them, and when they heard it they began glorifying God.

Matthew Henry is exactly right: in prayer we seek God to restrain the ill will of our enemies, and we seek God to preserve and increase the goodwill of our friends, because “God has the hearts both of the one and the other in his hands.”

Or to put it simply, in answer to prayer God changes people’s wills

How can I be sure that I am praying according to the will of God?

We read in 1 John 5:14-15 that if we ask anything according to His will we have the confidence that he hears us and answers our prayer and if he hears our prayer we know that he will answer our prayer.

Have you ever heard someone admit that they struggle praying the will of God.

Since I know that some things are clearly according to God’s will, why can’t I just pray directly about those things and know for certain that they’re going to happen? But that’s not the way it works with my prayers.

For example: God doesn’t want Christians to get divorced. But I’ve sometimes prayed that God would preserve a struggling marriage that still ended up in divorce.”

The above text seems to be such a wide open promise. Pray according to the will of God and your prayers will be answered. Therefore, why can we not simply ask - expecting to receive a positive response when we pray about something that is God’s will.

This brings us back to the question, “What is the will of God?” What is meant by the will of God in this text?

We must grow in our understanding of how the bible speaks about the will of God. Growing in our understanding of the will of God will help us with our ability to pray the will of God in the practical situations of everyday life.

3 Ways the Bible speaks about the Will of God

#1. God’s Sovereign Will

God chooses all that has and ever will take place.

#2. God’s Moral Will

God has established and communicated His standard for right and wrong according to His holy and righteous character.

#3. God’s Permissive Will

Because sin entered the world God currently allows certain things to happen in the world that he would not permit in a sinless world. However all that God is permitting to happen is according to His sovereign will and plan.

God’s Sovereign Will: The text in 1 John does not apply here since we are not privileged to the knowledge of the secret will and plan of God. But either one or both of # 2 and 3 can play a part praying the will of God. “I believe is praying according to God’s intended action which could be either moral or permissive.

So, in the case of praying for God to intervene in a marriage heading towards divorce follows #2 which is praying knowing that God’s moral will is not for divorce. However, we may fail to take into consideration #3 God’s permissive will.

Notice that Jesus actually references both the moral will of God and His permissive will regarding divorce in Matthew 19. Jesus reaffirms that God’s moral will is for couples to not get divorced. Jesus reaffirmed this by stating, “what God has therefore joined together let no man separate. In verse 7 of chapter 19 the Pharisees follow up by asking why then did Moses permit a certificate of divorce. Jesus responded because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives but from the beginning it was not this way.

Not because divorce is in accordance with God’s moral character, but because of a twisted and sinful world it is better to allow divorce.

How does this relate to praying for someone who is headed towards divorce?

We can open up our hearts honestly to God about the sorrow in our hearts overs someone who seeking divorce. But we cannot know for certain that God will answer our prayer and the couple will choose not to get divorced based solely on the knowledge that God is against divorce.

It could be that God’s permissive will is at play. God may allow a couple to get divorced because He is working toward other purposes that for his greater glory and the couples greater good, even if we cannot see it right now in the present.

Note: Praying according to His will is not always identical to praying for the moral will of God.

We should never pray for something against the moral will of God. However, we should always make allowances in our prayers that God may have purposes to fulfill in allowing people to continue in their willfulness and sin.

It may be that like in the story of Joseph what Joseph’s brothers intended for evil purposes God intended for Good.

CLOSING

4 Way’s to Pray According to God’s Will

1). Pray for things which the Bible commands.

We are told to pray for our enemies (Matt. 5:44); pray for God to send missionaries (Luke 10:2); that we do not enter temptation (Matt. 26:41); relief from affliction; healing; for ministers of the word.

2). Pray for a right Motivation

Selfish motives will never be blessed by God. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3). We should also pray not so our lofty words and speech can be heard by others, but mostly in private between us and our heavenly Father.

3). Pray with a Spirit of forgiveness towards others.

A spirit of bitterness, anger, revenge or hatred toward others will prevent our hearts from praying in total submission to God. Just as we are told not to give offerings to God while there is conflict between ourselves and another Christian (Matthew 5:23-24), in the same way God does not want the offering of our prayers until we have reconciled with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

4). Rely on the spirit of God in prayer.

I think this is probably the biggest component that is missing in our prayer.

Paul instructs us in Romans 8:26-27 that there are times that we do not know what to pray for as we should, so the spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes according to his will with us in words that cannot be expressed. How often do you just sit and listen to the spirit of God in prayer. (much of the time we spend too much time talking and not enough listening)

At the times of our deepest depression or sorrow, those times when we feel that we “just cannot pray,” we have the comfort of knowing that the Holy Spirit is actually praying for us! What an amazing God we have!