TITLE: PRAYER DOESN’T FIX EVERYTHING, BUT IT CHANGES EVERYTHING
SCRIPTURE: JAMES 5:16
This is our Third and final installment of this series on Prayer. In today’s modern world sometimes it is hard for us to realize the Power of Prayer. After all, man has accomplished so much that often we look for solutions to life’s problems in the natural world before even seeking God. It is often said that “Prayer Changes Things!” We should also add, “Prayer Changes Us!”
• It is true that your prayers will change things around you but sometimes your prayers change you
• To make it more personal, “Prayer Changes Me!”
• At times, after prayer, our situation even remains the same - but we come through it different
To be brutally honest this morning in an effort to help us, I must admit there have been times I have often wished that every prayer that i prayed would be answered. And I have wished that my prayers would be answered instantly, instead of the often “Wait” signal that comes from Heaven. But if I truly were to have those wishes answered, I would need to have God’s wisdom to go along with it, for sometimes we pray for things that are less than what God has in store for us. So it’s a good thing that God says “No” to some things, and “Wait” for others because He knows what is best for us. As I oftentimes say –
• We want what’s Good for us and God wants what’s Best for us
• Oftentimes they are at the opposite ends of the spectrum
“If that’s the case, then why pray at all?” Though there are times when God says “no/wait,” I do know this - when I don’t pray, I’m left to handle things on my own power without Divine intervention! Because of His perfect wisdom, I trust Him to determine what is best for me, along with His perfect timing. Sometimes the mere timing of the answer is a miracle in itself to show that it truly came from God and not something of our own Power or Volition. God loves to delight His children, and He loves to do things in such a way that it displays His glory.
I have been a praying person for the majority of my life. Has it worked? Has it fixed me entirely? Apparently not, because i still have a long way to grow. You have no doubt prayed about some things, hoping for prayer to fix it, right?
• When we’re Sick - we pray for God to Heal us
• When we’re Poor - we pray for God to Provide
• When we’ve been Wronged - we pray for God to make it Right
• When we’re Confused - we pray to God for Clarity
• All of those prayers are good prayers
• God calls on us to trust Him in such moments to Move- to Work - and to Act on our behalf
• But still, prayer doesn’t “fix” all of the situations we encounter in this life
In the Book of Acts, Chapter Four, we read the event of Peter and John being arrested for preaching about Jesus. Later, they are released after a strong lecture from the temple police about not continuing to spread the gospel. the church, in response, begins to pray. And here’s the spoiler alert --
• The persecution issue actually gets worse after the church prayed
• Prayer didn’t fix it
• The problem remained
• But prayer did change the situation or to say, it changed the variables
Here’s what the church prayed in Acts 4:29-30 – “AND NOW, LORD, BEHOLD THEIR THREATENINGS: AND GRANT UNTO THY SERVANTS, THAT WITH ALL BOLDNESS THEY MAY SPEAK THY WORD, BY STRETECHING FORTH THINE HAND TO HEAL; AND THAT SIGNS AND WONDERS MAY BE DONE BY THE NAME OF THY HOLY CHILD JESUS.”
What did the church pray for in the face of persecution? greater boldness - greater power - a greater witness. And God answered that prayer, not by fixing the persecution problem, but by changing the variables.
• After this prayer, the meeting place shook
• They were all filled with the Holy Spirit
• Then they preached the Word of God with boldness
• All the believers were united in Heart and Mind
• And they felt what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had
We sometimes place a burden on prayer that prayer was never meant to handle.
• We treat prayer like a magic formula
• We treat prayer like there is a genie in the bottle
• We treat prayer like we have been granted three wishes
What we essentially say to God is, “God, I have this issue, and I’m asking you to fix it for me.” And when the problem doesn’t resolve or go away quickly, we feel –
• Disappointed with God
• Discouraged about our circumstances
• Disgusted with our own lack of faith
What if, instead of expecting prayer to “fix” all of our negative circumstances, we trusted instead that God designed prayer to change the variables.
• Could it be that when I’m asking for God to fix my broken finances, His real desire is to change and grow my ability to manage my finances?
• Perhaps, instead of miraculously fixing areas of conflict in my marriage, God’s real aim is to change me and my spouse to be more like Jesus toward each other
God often heals and provides in response to prayer in dramatic and miraculous ways.
• I’ve seen it
• I believe in it
But more often my Brothers and Sisters, God goes to work changing us and the people around us from the inside out – sometimes slowly and progressively – to be able to handle our challenges in different ways. Here’s what I believe prayer does –
• Prayer changes all of the variables at work in any given situation, making possible either a miraculous and instantaneous deliverance or the slow, progressive change and growth necessary for overcoming adversity
• Let me frame it like this
o How many times did you pray not to have that surgery – Had surgery anyway
o How many times did you pray to meet that financial need – Car repossessed anyway
o How many times did you pray judge would be lenient – Were sentenced anyway
o How many times did you pray for that new job – Did not get the job anyway
• PRAYER DOESN’T FIX EVERYTHING BUT IT CHANGES EVERYTHING
• Oftentimes we need to understand that Prayer changes us not necessarily the circumstance always
• God is always challenging us to work on ourselves in an effort to become more like Him
Handling life without prayer is like playing basketball with a flat ball.
• It just doesn’t work
• And we expect prayer to make us pro players who never miss a shot and we expect to happen overnight
• But prayer really gives us an inflated ball – BETTER EQUIPMENT - BETTER SKILLS - BETTER OPPORTUNITIES - MORE STRENGTH - MORE SPEED AND STAMINA – so the game becomes winnable
• Prayer isn’t a magic formula that instantly and easily fixes everything
• But prayer is definitely powerful enough to change the variables of any situation to which we apply its power
Yes, my brothers and sisters, - PRAYER DOESN’T FIX EVERYTING BUT IT CHANGES EVERYTHING.
• Our prayers don’t alter God’s sovereign plan
• It’s not like we pray and God says, “Woah, hey now! Didn’t expect that one. Okay, gotta change things quickly. Time to shift things around. Let’s see, I’ll put this here and this here and…”
• God isn’t the ultimate Project Manager, trying to juggle the lives of 7.6 billion people as they make their choices apart from His sovereign plan
• He has planned and ordained history, and He knows precisely what will happen
• My prayers don’t change the wise, good, sovereign plan of the Almighty God
• Phew. Thank God they don’t because some of my prayers throughout the years….never mind
But in another sense, prayer really does make things happen. Scripture is clear that God wants us to pray and that He really and truly does respond to our prayers. Scripture makes it clear that prayer does change things. JAMES says in his writing in 5:13-15 --
IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SUFFERING? LET HIM PRAY. IS ANYONE CHEERFUL? LET HIM SING PRAISE. 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. 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.
The logic here is pretty simple.
• If you’re sick, call the elders to pray for you and God will hear and answer that prayer
• On the flip side, if you don’t pray the prayer will not be answered
Okay, so you are probably asking yourself at this point – well, what does prayer change then?
• Prayer changes Us
• Prayer changes the world around us
• God sovereignly uses our prayers to fulfill His perfect plan
• Yes, prayer does change things - therefore, we should pray
Prayer is, for the most part, an untapped resource, it is an –
• Unexplored continent where untold treasure remains to be unearthed
• It is talked about more than anything else and practiced less than anything else
• And yet, for the believer it remains one of the greatest gifts our Lord has given us outside of salvation
• This is why our Corporate Prayer Service on Wednesday evenings is so important – to teach us to take time out and pray
James in our text this morning really understood the Power of Prayer. Prayer was a part of his everyday life and he took it for granted that it would be a part of the life of every Christian.
• You cannot really be a good Christian and not pray
• Just like you cannot have a good marriage if you don't talk to your spouse
• You can be a Christian and not pray
• Just like you can be married and not talk to your spouse
• But in both circumstances you will be miserable
• Prayer is the pipeline of communication between God and His people, between God and those who love Him
There is a difference between a persistent prayer and a long prayer. ST. MATTHEW 6:5 “AND WHEN THOU PRAYEST, THOU SHALT NOT BE AS THE HYPOCRITES ARE: FOR THEY LOVE TO PRAY STANDING IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND IN THE CORNERS OF THE STREETS, THAT THEY MAY BE SEEN OF MEN. VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD.”
• A person who is persistent in prayer does not necessarily have to pray for a long time
• Persistence means not giving up
• Some people give up easy, they quit because they say they don't feel like praying
• The joy is gone - the feeling is gone
• But we are not to live by our feelings but to live by the commandments of our Lord who tells us to pray without ceasing
I wonder how you would respond if someone were to ask you this morning - “why are you praying?” and we say, “I don’t know, i just felt this impulse,” –
• God would not get the glory He would get if you answered, I’m praying because Jesus is Lord and has the right to overrule human plans in answer to prayer
• I’m praying because the Spirit of God is a Spirit of love and will hear my prayer for mercy
Prayer and faith go hand in hand. Genuine faith is grounded in God's promises and a true understanding of God's will.
• If you think God is going to grant a prayer request that is inconsistent with His character
• If you imagine that He is going to do something that contradicts His promises
• If you delude yourself into thinking He will give you anything that is contrary to His Word
• If you think He's going to say yes to an Effectual, Fervent Prayer request that is in conflict with His will for you
• It doesn't matter how much you have managed to convince yourself to believe in what you are praying for, that is not faith; it's PRESUMPTION
As I move toward a close this morning. You have probably heard someone in a time of crisis say, “well, I guess there is nothing to do but pray.” Though the individual who makes the statement seldom intends to suggest that prayer is a last resort after more preferable options have been exhausted, such an implication is nonetheless conveyed.
• There is no weapon in the believer’s spiritual arsenal, however, as powerful as prayer
• In fact, fervent prayer is not merely one thing that you can do in a time of crisis – it is undoubtedly the best thing that you can do
JAMES says “THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYERS OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILTH MUCH.”
• The verb “availeth” speaks of something that is strong and powerful
• The Greek word ‘ischuo’ means “capable of producing results”
• Far from an exercise in futility, fervent prayer is a powerful God-given resource with a capacity to produce incredible results
• It would not be incorrect to interpret the thought expressed in this text by saying “Fervent prayer accomplishes much”
--As I close this morning with a Poem by WILLIAM COWPER
--Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw,
--Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
--Prayer gives exercise to faith and love,
--Prayer brings every blessing from above.
--Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
--Prayer makes the Christian’s armor bright;
--And Satan trembles when he sees
--The weakest saint upon his knees.
----PRAYER DOESN’T FIX EVERYTHING, BUT IT CHANGES EVERYTHING
