PRAYERS THAT AVAIL MUCH
James 5:16B
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR:
1. A mechanic was removing the cylinder heads of a motor when he spotted a world-famous heart surgeon in his shop.
2. “Doctor, please come over here.” He did. The mechanic pointed at his work, “See here, Doctor. I also open hearts, take out valves, put in new parts, and when I finish, this patient will run like new. So why do you get paid the big money for basically doing the same thing?”
3. The doctor smiled, leaned over and whispered to the mechanic, “Try doing it with the engine running!”
B. HAND OUT INTERCESSION WORKSHEET
C. TEXT
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 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 sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
D. INTERCESSION:
1. Is a serious/necessary business.
2. Just as we are competitive, to keep up with our competition – in the fields of education and business in the global marketplace, we also should rise to compete with the spiritual forces which constantly do battle with us.
3. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
4. People around the world, with so much less, are diligently obeying the Spirit’s call to intercede.
5. In 2 Cor. 8:8, Paul said, “I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.” Let’s ask ourselves; are we doing all we can? Take the challenge!
I. NATURE OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER
A. OTHER READINGS OF JAMES 5:16
1. Beck, “A good man [woman] can do much by praying vigorously.”
2. Phillips, “Tremendous power is made available through a good man’s [woman’s] earnest prayer.”
3. Living, “The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results.”
B. 4 THINGS DESCRIBED IN JAMES 5:16
1. KIND OF PERSON – a righteous man or woman; “Saints.”
2. TYPE OF PRAYER “effectual fervent” – (gr.) energas[energetic]
a. Adjectives – energetic, vigorous, fervent, earnest
1). Fervent = impassioned, intense, passionate, heated
2). Vigorous = forceful, powerful, strong, spirited, peppy
3). Determined = settled, fixed, purposeful, tenacious, persistent.
b. Is this the way we pray? Prayer is much more than mumbling a few sentences. Does it matter? Yes! Do you want your prayers answered?
c. James 5:16 teaches that the kind of prayer that influences God is the vigorous, passionate, persistent prayer of a righteous man.
d. Paul described it as “wrestling” in Colossians 4:12 or “agonizing” (agonidzomai). Hebrews 5:7 says that Jesus “offered up prayers… with strong cryings and tears.” In Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus interceded with such intensity that not only was he sweating(though it was a very cold night), but the pressure of His intensity forced blood from his skin pores.
3. STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL PRAYING:
a. YOU Pray.
b. Call for the ELDERS
c. Be anointed with oil by them
d. Be prayed for in the Name of Jesus
e. Confession helps with healing(16)
4. EFFECTS OF SUCH A PRAYER – “avails much”; gets results!
II. EFFECTS OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER
A. 3 RESULTS OF THE PRAYER OF FAITH(15)
1. “the prayer of faith will save [heal] the sick”
2. “the Lord will raise him up”
3. “if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven”
B. IN THE NEGATIVE
1. If Elijah hadn’t prayed, it would never have rained.
2. If Abraham hadn’t prayed, Lot and his family would have perished in Sodom’s fires.
3. If Moses hadn’t prayed, God would have destroyed Israel.
4. If the early church hadn’t prayed, Peter would have been beheaded.
C. PERSONAL APPLICATION
1. If we don’t pray, our loved ones/friends will be lost.
2. If we don’t intercede passionately they will never get BHS.
3. If we don’t pray passionately, our country will degenerate morally which will end in terrible calamity, war, and slavery.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION [TRUE STORY]
1. Roger Simms, hitchhiking his way home, would never forget the date--May 7. His heavy suitcase made Roger tired. He was anxious to take off his army uniform once and for all. Flashing the hitchhiking sign to the oncoming car, he lost hope when he saw it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his surprise the car stopped. The passenger door opened.
2. He ran toward the car, tossed his suitcase in the back, and thanked the handsome, well-dressed man as he slid into the front seat. "Going home for keeps?" "Sure am," Roger responded. "Well, you're in luck if you're going to Chicago."
4. Roger answered, "Not quite that far. Do you live in Chicago?" "I have a business there. My name is Hanover."
5. After talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to witness to this fifty-ish, apparently successful businessman about Christ. But he kept putting it off, till he realized he was just thirty minutes from his home. It was now or never.
6. So, Roger cleared his throat, "Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you about something very important." He then proceeded to explain the way of salvation, ultimately asking Mr. Hanover if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior.
7. To Roger's astonishment the Cadillac pulled over to the side of the road. Roger thought he was going to be ejected from the car. But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ, then thanked Roger. "This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."
8. Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before.
9. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. A receptionist told him it was impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. A little confused as to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and found himself facing a keen-eyed woman in her fifties.
10. She extended her hand. "You knew my husband?" Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when hitchhiking home after the war. "Can you tell me when that was?" "It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army." "Anything special about that day?"
11. Roger hesitated. Should he mention giving his witness? Since he had come so far, he might as well take the plunge.
12. "Mrs. Hanover, I explained the gospel. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day."
13. Explosive sobs shook her body. Getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, "I had prayed for my husband's salvation for years. I believed God would save him."
14. "And," said Roger, "Where is your husband, Mrs. Hanover?" "He's dead," she wept, struggling with words. "He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see--I thought God had not kept His promise."
15. Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, "I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!"
[J. Kirk Johnston, Why Christians Sin, Discovery House, 1992, pp. 39-41.]
B. ALTAR CALL
1. God save us from it difference in complacency.
2. Let’s find our station and take hold of the horns of the altar and see what God will do!
3. Lord’s Supper.
