Prayer That Energizes Series

Prayer That Energizes - Bishop Charles C. Jones

James 5:16,17 Text James 5:16

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

The Prayer of a righteous man is of great force when energized.

James pictures a level of prayer that is beyond any believer's normal capacity - this prayer is divinely energized by the direct involvement of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for "fervent" actually does not appear in the original text. It is an amplification of the word for "effectual" which does appear in the Greek text. The Greek word energeo means "effectual, or that which is effective when offered by a righteous person.

So the KJV say's "Effectual Fervent" RSV say's "In Its Working"

Notice that the Apostle James did not say that every prayer of a righteous man is of much avail; no he said the fervent prayer of a righteous man .

When it is "set in operation" by divine agency.

Real prayer is connected in a most intimate manner with the influence of the Holy Spirit, He the Holy Spirit energizes the believer. James here is speaking of the prayer of a righteous man . He particularly points to the prayer life of one of the greatest Prophets in Israels history. The Prophet "Elijah". Elijah was a man who knew how to pray and how to prevail in his prayers.

James 5:17 say's that Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and that he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for 3 years and 6 months. He prayed again; and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

The background of this incident is found in 1 Kings 17 and 18. Ahab the King and his wife Jezebel , had led Israel away from the Lord and into the worship od Baal. God punished the nation by holding back rain that they needed . For three and one half years, the heavens were as brass and the earth unable to produce the crops so necessary for life. THen Elijah challenged the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. All day long the priests of Baal cried out to their god, but no answer came. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah repaired the altar and prepared the sacrifice. He prayed just once, and fire came down from heaven to consume the sacrifice. He had proven that Jehovah was the true God. But the nation still needed rain. Elijah went to the top of Carmel and fell down upon the earth, put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, go up now, look toward the sea. And his servant went up, and looked and he said, there is nothing, and Elijah said, Go Again 7 times. And it came to pass at the 7th time that he said, Behold there ariseth a cloud out of the sea, as small as a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, make ready thy chariot , and get thee down that the rain stop thee not."

The Characteristic of the prayer of Elijah was his FERVENCY. He prayed fervently.

He used that particular Hebrew idiom - "praying he prayed". In other words when he prayed he got down to business. Remember that the prayer of a righteous man is of great force when energized - not merely when energized by the Holy Spirit, as every effectual prayer must be; its force comes from the energy that the man or woman themselves throws into it.

So goes that saying, No Prayer - No Power; Little Prayer - Little Power; Much Prayer - Much Power!

The prayer of a righteous man is of great influence when he throws his whole energy into it. What Elijah accomplished was not the magical performance of a superhuman being but the act of a man in all regards exactly like ourselves, who simply used prayer as we can likewise use prayer when we pray fervently.

Prayer - earnest and fervent Prayer - is effective; it works!

If you stay in prayer long enough not only will it energize you but:

1. You will receive a commandment from the Lord

2.Hope will be rebirthed again

3. You will be broken

4. You will recapture your motivation.

5. You will recieve new ideas that will be birthed in your spirit.

6. You will be changed

7. You will receive His wisdom

8. You will be stronger

9. You will receive God's complete plan for your life.

10. Your confusion and gloom will disappear.

Elijah's prayer life brought him into direct contact with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost as well a s the Word. I don't know about you but I don't just want to be saying a prayer and wonder if that is all, I wanna bask, take a bath, get engulfed in this thing called PRAYER! If i do that well then I will know the mind of Christ because I entered into that realm in prayer where it is on a supernatural level. When it comes to prayer we must throw our mind into it which involves our soul since the Soul is the part of man which houses Man's mind,will and emotions. In the Body we have the 5 senses: touch, taste,see, smell and hear. In the Spirit we have the God Conscience,Intuition and Communion.