James 4:1-2 Prayer
As you’re finding your way to James chapter 4, I want to talk to you this morning about prayer. You know, prayer is one of our greatest privileges. Imagine, bring able to talk to the Creator, the Lord of everything, and having Him involved in your life, and in the things going on in your life! Imagine the great privilege we have of addressing the Creator of all things, and asking Him to help in our situations and to help us with our difficulties.
As the song writer once said, “What a privilege to carry. Every thing to God in prayer.”
What a privilege it is to be able to pray.
But, not only is prayer a privilege, but it is also a great responsibility. In his farewell address to the people, the prophet Samuel said in 1 Samuel 12;23
> 1 Samuel 12:23 “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you.”
You see prayer is a great privilege, but it is also a great responsibility. Paul tells us in
> 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing”
When we think of the great needs in the world, when we think of all of the lost, when we think of the suffering of fellow Christians around d the world, we begin to realize that we have a great responsibility.
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul talks about spiritual warfare, and the struggle we have against unseen forces. We see that all around us. There is no way, no natural human way we could possibly see the blindness and stupidity we see in the world today if the devil and his henchmen were not at work.
So Paul tells us to put oil our spiritual armor, and then he says
> Ephesians 6:18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
We can never overstate the importance of prayer. We can never overstate the importance of praying for one another.
Sp prayer is a privilege and it is important. But James presents us with a couple of problems in his letter. And remember now, James is a preacher, trying to help young struggling Christians like you and i. There in James 4 beginning in verse 1 he writes,
- Read James 4:1-3
In this passage, James points out 2 major problems with prayer, or 2 major prayer problems. First honestly, sometimes we simply don’t pray.
I. LACK OF PRAYER
There are a lot of reasons we don’t pray.
1. We don’t see the importance of praying
Sometimes, we don’t see the importance of praying. We simply don’t realize how important it is that we pray. We don’t realize the importance of asking God to get involved in a situation, or we don’t realize how much He wants to bless us. Do you remember what the Lord told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 33:3?
> Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.
Do you think the Lord says that only of Jeremiah? Aren’t you a Christ-loved, blood-bought member of God’s family with the ability and the right to approach the heavenly Father as Abba, Daddy?
> Matthew 7:11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.
George Mueller, that great prayer warrior of years ago, kept a prayer journal. In it he recorded 25,000 specific prayers he made that God answered. Can you imagine? 25,000 specific answered prayers!
What a different place the world would be today, if only more of us saw the importance of prayer.
Sometimes we don’t see the importance of praying.
2. Sometimes we don’t pray because we are busy and distracted
This is a great tactic of the Devil. He wants to keep us busy and distracted.
> Psalm 127:1-2 Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.In vain you get up early and stay up late, working hard to have enough food— yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves.
Oh my. The Devil loves to keep us busy, doesn’t he? Now, we can’t simply pray for a post to be planted and sit there and wait for the Lord to dig the hole We must be involved in what the Lord’s doing.
- Read James 2:15-17
We must be involved in what the Lord is doing, but sometimes if we would pray more about it, the Lord would help so that we didn’t have to do it all ourselves. God wants to bless His children.
The other day, I picked up a cull cart at Lowes, and it had some good lumber in it, some that we can use for our expansion in January. Anyway, when I got back to the house Gladys asked me, “Did you get any 2x4s?” I told her “no”. She said, “Well you had better go back and buy some then, because we need some to install the names of Jesus for Christmas in the Country.”
She had no sooner gotten those words out of her mouth than the phone rang. It was a man that I have repaired roofs for for the past 6 years. He said, “Gene, I’m emptying a warehouse and I was wondering if you could use some 6 panel doors and some 2x4s? They’re used but they’re good.” Gladys and I just looked at each other.
He ended up bringing me by about 100 2x4s a couple of hours later. We used them yesterday to install the names of Jesus for Christmas in the Country, down the driveway and back by the goat pens.
Can I get a praise the Lord?
Oh my friends, God wants to bless His children, and He works in response to the prayers of HIs children, so the Devil wants us busy and distracted so we don’t pray.
We don’t pray because we don’t see the importance of praying. We don’t pray because we’re busy and distracted. Third, sometimes we don’t pray because of spiritual warfare.
3. We don’t pray because of spiritual warfare.
Have you ever had a time when you knew you needed to pray but you really didn’t feel like it, or you tried to pray and your mind was all over the place, or you even had sinful thoughts come into your head while you’re trying to pray?
That old bitterness, or anger, or jealousy, or whatever, rises up inside of you so that it’s almost impossible; to pray?
You think the Devil’s not involved with that?
There’s an old story of a time when the devil was addressing his demons and he told them, “Keep them from praying. If you can keep them from praying, we can stop them, but if they keep praying nothing will stop them.”
The Devil knows that when God’s people are praying that God its at work, so he will do everything in his power to keep you from praying. He’ll have a friend call you, while you’re trying to pray. He’ll have the children start fighting in the next room. He’ll have a car cut you off in traffic.
Pray my friends. Pray.
** Story of Gladys praying about mice.
“O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
(What a friend we have in Jesus)
Oh, my friends, sometimes the problem is simply that we don’t pray.
II. SOMETIMES GOD SAYS NO
The second problem with prayer is that God sometimes says no.
There are many ways God can answer our prayers. He can answer our prayers instantly. We pray and the Lord says “Yes” and we see an instant response to our prayer.
If you’ve walked with the Lord for very long, you’ve seen that happen. Not coincidence. Not dumb luck, but the Lord instantly saying yes to your prayer.
Sometimes the Lord says He has something better for us. We pray about something, and the Lord has something better for us.
A number of years ago, my truck died. As my brothers used to say, “Gene, when you get rid of a vehicle, even poor folks won’t drive it.” So all of the good was gone out of that truck and I needed another one.
So, Gladys, Drew and I went truck shopping. I knew what I wanted. I wanted a low mileage, 3/4 ton truck with an extended cab. We went truck shopping, and we couldn’t find one like that, in my price range anywhere. We went to truck deanships, We went to used car lots. We went everywhere.
Finally we decided that I just couldn’t afford what I wanted, so we found a 1/4 ton pickup with 80,000 miles on it. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was in my price range, so we prayed about it.
We left the dealership one evening, told them we’d pray about it and be back the next morning. We came back the next morning, and would you believe it, they had sold that truck between the time we left the evening before and when we got back the next morning. I was not a happy camper.
To make a long story short, we went up the road, to a dealership we had missed, found a 3/4 ton, with an 8 foot bed, with only 40,000 miles on it, for the same price.
Sometimes God says yes. Sometimes He says, “I have something better.”
Sometimes He says “Wait. Yes, I’m gonna answer your prayer, but you’re not ready for it yet. Just wait.”
I can’t tell you how long I had to wait before the Lord gave me a wife. I prayed and prayed. I searched many states, and waited many years before the Lord answered my prayers and I found someone old enough and desperate enough to marry me. And God gave me Gladys.
I was a pastor for 1 1/2 years before we were married. Can I tell you how much fun it is being a pastor without a wife?
Let me get this straight Gene. You’re gonna tell me how to take care of my wife and you’ve never had one? You’re gonna tell me how to take care of my family, and you don’t have one.
Yeah, right. Get back to me when you know what you’re talking about.
They have a Christian dating website now called plenty of fish. Well, let me tell you, when you’re in the market you discover there are plenty of mud fish.
Sometimes the Lord says Yes. Sometimes He says He has something better. Sometimes He says wait. But, then sometimes He says no!
Why would God say no to our prayers? Is it because God doesn’t keep His Word? Is it because God doesn’t keep His promises?
About 6 weeks ago, I went to fill the sink and I had no water. You know what I did? I began to try and figure out why I had no water. I’ve had water before. I know there’s water on my property, so why didn’t I have any water?
I began to look for the problem. In this case, it turned out an ant had gotten into the pressure regulator on my well. I cleaned there ant out, and the pump started working again.
So, if I’ve seen the Lord answer my prayers before. If I know that He wants to answer my prayers, and I know that He is capable le of answering my prayers and yet He says No, then there must be a problem.
- Read James 4:3
Sometimes God says No. Why?
Let me give you 6 principles for answered prayer. 6 principles to seeing God say yes.
1. You must pray in Jesus name.
- Read John 14:6, 13-14; John 16:23-24
The only way to the Father is through the Son. So, you ask in Jesus’ name. What does that mean?
It doesn’t mean that you make a list. like you’re sending a note to Santa, and then sign Jesus’ name to it and think it’s some kind of abracadabra, magic word that’s gonna get your every request answered. Praying in Jesus’ name means,
a. It means you pray with His approval. If you pray for something Jesus wouldn’t approve of, you can’t expect Him to answer that prayer. You can’t make a request of the Father, and then forge His Son’t name on that request like He approved of it.
And let me tell you my friend, you can’t pray with His approval if you’re not a member of the family, if you’re not a child of God, if you’re not a Christian.
How in the world are you gonna sign Jesus’ name to something if you’re not even a member of the family?
Praying in Jesus name, means that you pray with His approval. Yeah, I’m signing Jesus’ name to this request. He’d approve of it.
b. It means you pray for His glory.
> 1 Timothy 1:17 All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.
Praying in Jesus’ name means that you are praying for something that will bring glory to God the Father and to God the Son. You’re not praying about something so that you will be glorified.
I don’t have time to unpack this further, but answered prayers are prayed in Jesus’ name.
2. You must pray in the Spirit
I spoke earlier about spiritual warfare. Paul tells us in Ephesians
> Ephesians 6:18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request . . .
This means we pray, controlled and directed by the Spirit. Why is that important?
> Romans 8:26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us[a] with inexpressible groanings.
The Holy Spirit helps our prayers because we don’t know what to pray for.
You want to know how to get your prayers answered? Get saved and get surrendered, to where the Holy Spirit is guiding you and prompting you.
Pray in Jesus’ name. Pray in the Spirit. Third, pray according to God’s will.
3. Pray according to God’s will.
> 1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
Why in the world would the Lord answer your prayers if you’re not wanting His will? Why in the world would the Lord answer your prayers if you don’t want His will done in your life?
Let me tell you something. Are you listening? Prayer is not some magic thing where we are trying to get the Lord to do our will. Prayer is an exercise whereby we are attempting to get our lives in alignment with His will.
Let me ask you, “Are you willing to have God’s will done in your life? Are you willing to do whatever He tells you?” If you don’t want His will in your life, why would He or why should He answer your prayers?
Prayer is an attempt to get our lives in alignment with God will so that we can see Him work. If you’re not willing to do what He tells you when you pray, then don’t expect to see much accomplished.
- James 1:3
You ask with wrong motives. Prayer is an attempt to get your life in alignment with God’s will.
You pray that the Lord will save the lost in your neighborhood and then He tells you, “I want you to start taking a walk everyday so that you can get to know your neighbors, so that you can build relationships with them.” And you answer, “Lord, you know how tired I am when I get home. Lord, you know how busy I am . . . “ Or whatever. How’s He going to answer your prayer if you’re not willing to do His will?
> Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
You want to know the will of God so you know how to pray payers that are answered? You make yourself a living sacrifice. You say, “Lord I want to know and do Your will.” You say with Joshua,
> Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Why’d he say that? Because it was his will to please and serve the Lord.
We forget Jesus’ promise and admonition in the Sermon on the Mount.
> Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
The things are added when we seek first the Kingdom of God . . .
- Luke 12:13-15Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
The man asked Jesus for something, and Jesus told him no because He wasn’t seeking the Lord’s will.
You pray in Jesus’ name. You pray in the Spirit. You pray according to God’s will. 4th, you pray in obedience.
4. You pray in obedience
> Psalm 66:18 If I had been aware of malice in my heart,?the Lord would not have listened.
> Isaiah 1:15-16 When you spread out your hands in prayer,?I will refuse to look at you; even if you offer countless prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight.Stop doing evil.
We want the Lord to work. We want Him to answer our prayers and we want to see Him working, and He says, “Why am I going to answer your prayers while you have that going on in your life? You know my will. You know how I feel about that and yet you won’t address it? Get that stuff out of your life.
Spurgeon used to say that unconfessed sin in your lives are like clogs in the pipeline of God’s blessings. They stand in the way of what God wants to do in and through us.
Save your places and turn over with me to James chapter 5.
- Read James 5:16
My friends, God works through God-fearing people.
> 1 John 3:21-22 Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight.
You want the Lord to work in your life? You want to see Him answer your prayers? Then strive to keep short accounts of your sins.
5. You pray in Fellowship
> Mark 11:25-26 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.”
That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? God put us together inn a church family. He intends us to be a family and to worship as one. But, we sure can get our panties in a wad sometimes can’t we? We look for reasons to be offended or to be upset. We go around upset, holding grudges against one another.
Jesus makes it pretty clear that unforgiveness can get in the way of answered prayers. And sometimes, that bitterness can be in our own homes.
> 1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
Did you realize that if you don’t treat your spouse well, that it can interfere with your prayers, that it can hinder your prayers.
My word, the way some people treat their spouses, I’d be surprised if God ever answers their prayers.
In the Garden of Eden, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” God created us for fellowship. He created us for community. And where we break that fellowship, when we refuse to forgive one another, and hold grudges or treat each other poorly, it can hinder our prayers.
The 6th key ingredient to answered prayer is pretty obvious. It is faith.
6. You pray in Faith
> Matthew 21:22-23 Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you tell this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
You pray with faith. How do you get faith? Well, you get it by experiencing God working in your life. You get it by remembering how He has worked in your life in the past. You get it by reading your Bible and seeing how He has answered prayers and worked in peoples’ lives in the past. You read Christian biographies and see how the Lord has worked in peoples’ lives and how He’s answered their prayers.
You pray in faith.
Answered prayer. What a great thing it is! Being i solved in God’s work, and it all starts by praying in Jesus’ name and you can’t legitimately do that if you are not a follower of His.
Plan of salvation.
