INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• When life gets difficult or when things are tough, what is the first thing we do? Where do we turn to?
• How do we react when things are not going well for us?
• What is one the most under-utilized gifts we have from God?
• What is one of the most easily exercised gifts we have from God?
• Today as we get to our final two messages in James, we will examine a passage that in one of the most difficult for the modern interpreter to work through.
• I am not going to get us bogged down in all the possible meanings of this passage, but instead I want us to focus on the theme of the passage and that theme is prayer.
• As we examine our passage this morning we see the word “pray” or “prayer” multiple times.
• These words are used in each of our verses today and used seven times in the section we are looking at this morning.
• The title of the message comes from verse 15 where is speaks of the PRAYER OF FAITH.
• What is a PRAYER OF FAITH?
• Let’s quickly turn back to James 1:6-8
• SLIDE #2
• 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.
• A prayer of faith is simply a prayer offered up to God in which we have full confidence that God can deal with the issue at hand.
• We will see a few ways in which a prayer of faith can be a blessing to us.
• Let us begin in verse 13.
• SLIDE #3
• James 5:13 (ESV) Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
• SLIDE #4
• The first issue we see concerning the prayer of faith is…
SERMON
I. The prayer of faith can help us during times of trouble. (13)
• As we examine the context of the whole book of James we see that James is dealing with a people who were being persecuted and they were also turning on one another at times.
• In this section James teaches his readers how to react to the changing circumstances and difficulties we are faced with in life.
• Verse 13 uses the word “suffering.” This word was used in conjunction with the troubles and calamities that the Old Testament prophets faced at the hands of others. It includes ill-treatment, oppressions, loss of property.
• This word specifically deals with oppression at the hands of others.
• This was something the readers were all too familiar with.
• When we are being oppressed by others, there are many ways in which we can react.
• James gives us the WAY to react; we are called to pray to the Lord.
• I know many times my initial reaction may be to get angry or look for some way to get back at the one who causes my suffering.
• Some folks like to make God the scapegoat for their problems.
• When we are faced with these issues, what stops us from going right to prayer?
• Could it be an issue of trust? Do we not trust that God will take care of things in His time? I know, we want I when we want it, we want to see the person who caused our issues to suffer now.
• Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh because he knew that God will gladly accept the repentance of the people of that dreaded city.
• The response to evil done to us is not a counterattack, nor is it simple resignation, it is PRAYER!
• When we decide to take matters into our own hands, we will never be satisfied and it can lead us to live out our days in bitterness.
• Throughout the Psalms the Psalmist appeals to God to take care of the enemies.
• Prayer is the outpouring of the righteous heart to the father whom it trusts.
• SLIDE #5
• Psalm 46:1 (ESV) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
• We also see the opposite side of the spectrum in verse 13.
• Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
• "Pray when you are in trouble; sing when you are happy." Both are natural attitudes for different circumstances of life.
• Together they are logical and proper responses to changing moods and circumstances.
• Enjoy the good times, offer up prayers of faith in the bad.
• Let us turn to verses 14-16a.
• SLIDE #6
• James 5:14–16 (ESV) 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…
• SLIDE #7
II. The prayer of faith can lift us up during times when restoration is needed. (14-16a)
• This is the part of the text that gets a bit difficult; there are some key words that are a bit ambiguous making it more difficult to determine IF this is dealing with physical healing, spiritual healing or both?
• So without digging into the difficulties of the passage, here is what it teaches. Remember we are focused in on the issue of prayer here.
• First in verse 14 we see that prayer can be beneficial during…
• SLIDE #8
A. Times of physical restoration. (14)
• We are told that when we are sick, we are told to call the Elders of the church.
• The word translated “sick” also denotes one who is bedfast, that they have no strength; they are incapacitated because of the sickness.
• One point we need to grasp here is that it is the responsibility of the one who is sick to call the Elders, it is not the Elders job to wonder if a person is ill or not.
• The Elders are to pray over and anoint the sick person with oil. This was commonly olive oil which was used for a variety of medical purposes as well as to keep the skin hydrated in that dry climate.
• Now we see in verse 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.
• The word translated “SAVE” is one that can deal with physical healing or salvation issues.
• What we see is the one who is healed or saves is done so through the PRAYER OF FAITH.
• IF this is dealing with PHYSICAL healing ONLY we would have a problem because not ALL who go through this process with be healed, but all who go through this process can be saved.
• God will forgive the one who is repentant for the sin.
• SLIDE #9
B. Times of spiritual restoration. (15)
• I do believe the context tells us we are dealing with physical sickness. The word “sick” is translated 18 times in the New Testament with that meaning in mind, but commentator John MacAurther Jr. also notes the word is translated14 times to denote emotional or spiritual weakness.
• Only 3 times in the epistles does the word “sick” refer to physical illness.
• Now even if the passage deals with PHYSICAL illness, it is very apparent that there is a need for spiritual refreshment also.
• Look at the end of verse 15 again. . And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
• This indicates an element of spiritual renewal that is needed.
• Spiritual defeat is many times caused by struggles with sin, and the way to fix that is repentance and confession.
• SLIDE #10
• Proverbs 28:13 (ESV) Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
• The word “sick” is translated “weary” in Hebrews 12:3.
• SLIDE #11
• Hebrews 12:3 (ESV) Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
• The context of the passage indicates the need for spiritual refreshment. The word deals more with discouragement.
• A visit from the Elders of the church can be a time of encouragement and an opportunity to have some godly men come around you to encourage you.
• We also see that prayers can be a blessing during a…
• SLIDE #12
C. Time of relationship restoration. (16a)
• Look at the first part of verse 16 again.
• 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed…
• James turns to the church as a whole and reminds them that if they have issues with one another they are to confess to one another and they are to pray for one another.
• The word “HEALED” here is not dealing with physical healing but rather symbolically represents God’s forgiveness and could deal with the healing of the relationships that were damaged by sin.
• Let’s conclude with a thought from verses 16-18.
• SLIDE #13
• James 5:16–18 (ESV) …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.
• SLIDE #14
III. An example of a prayer of faith in action. (16b-18)
• James gives us an illustration of what the power of a prayer of faith can do.
• Elijah’s prayers both created and ended a devastating 3.5 year drought. Then He processed to kill all the prophets of Baal.
• SLIDE #15
• Luke 4:25 (ESV) But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land,
• Elijah was an ordinary man with a great faith and that great faith in God allowed him to do many great things!
• Jesus said in Matthew 17:20,
• SLIDE #16
• Matthew 17:20 (ESV) 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
CONCLUSION
• Prayer can lead to many changes; it can cause God’s providence to be exercised in a special way.
• Ultimately prayer springs forth from our trust and faith in God. In the Matthew passage, have you ever really pondered what Jesus is saying?
• When we face a variety of things in our life, let us discipline ourselves to first turn to God in prayer, we will be blesses in a mighty way for doing so.
