James: Practical Faith (Part 2)
James 5:13-20
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
02-09–2025
Gumball Theology
I love gum balls. If we are somewhere that has gumboil machines, Maxine will make sure to have quarters for me.
But what if I just stood there, staring at the gum ball, with a quarter in my hand?
Would you eventually say, “Hey, you know if you just put the quarter in the slot you can have a gum ball?”
Dr. Adrian Rogers wrote this:
“The greatest problem we face is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer. Tragically, many of our prayers are so vague that if God were to answer them, we wouldn’t even know it.”
Fourth century pastor, John of Antioch, know as the “golden mouth” preacher, wrote these words concerning prayer:
“The potency of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, it has bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the fates of heaven, assuaged diseases, dispelled frauds, rescued cites from destruction, stayed the su in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In prayer…there is treasure undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted, a sky obscured by clouds, a heaven unruffled by the storm. It is the…fountain…of a thousand blessings.”
Video: The Place of Prayer
Review
Two weeks ago, we studied the most controversial verses in all of James.
James was known as “Old Camel Knees” because of his constant prayer on his knees for the Christians scattered throughout the empire.
He finished up his letter with a focus on prayer. He begins with three questions:
Question #1: Is anyone in trouble? Let him pray.
The word “trouble” is very broad. It can mean physical suffering or psychological distress. It covers everything from cancer to criticism, from depression to diphtheria, from mental illness to a mid-life crisis.
Remember that Paul is writing to Jewish Christians who have been scattered throughout the world by persecution. Many of them lost jobs because they refused to say Caesar is Lord. Their lives were full of trouble.
When troubles come, what do we often do? We throw a pity party for ourselves or question God’s goodness.
James has already written that grumbling and complaining are not an option. He makes it clear that we are not to swear oaths to God to get us out of trouble.
His prescription is - let them pray.
What should they pray for?
One of the most important prayers is to have a right perspective on our suffering.
In chapter one, James writes:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
Remember that the purpose is in the process and the process is the purpose. When we are in trouble, we often focus on getting out of the situation, when God has something very important to teach us in the midst of the pain.
Question #2: Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
It’s okay to be happy! This word means to be of good cheer or to keep one’s courage up or more literally, “to be well in your soul.”
Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a “time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…” (Ecc :3:4)
James issues another command, “Let them sing songs of praise/psalms.” The word sing is used 225 times in the Bible and literally means “to pluck.” This means to sing along with musical instruments.
When things are going well, it is a human tendency to forget God.
Paul encouraged the Christians in Ephesus:
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-20)
Question #3: Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
We don’t have time this morning to go back through these verses. would encourage you watch the video from two weeks ago.
I will say that God is Sovereign and He can and often does heal. But it’s not because we do the right motions or say the right words. He is far more interested in a deeper healing in our souls.
One thing we know for sure. God will bring healing to each and every one of his children. Even if we are healed of our suffering here we still must die. Jesus is interested in a deeper healing.
God is going to wipe away every tear, we will get our resurrection bodies, and there will be no more pain, sorrow, suffering, or death.
Please turn with me to James chapter 5.
Prayer
Pray when you Sin
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
James looks back on what he has written and wants to summarize his thoughts.
He commands his readers to do something really scary. We are to make it a habit of confessing our sins to one another and pray for each other.
The word confess means being honest about your sin and is in the plural. He is writing to the church community. This can be done in pairs or in a prayer meeting setting or in a Sunday service.
Solomon writes in Proverbs 28:
“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)
You are not confess to another person in order to be forgiven. Only Christ alone can forgive sin.
First, we confess our sin to God and delight in the promise of forgiveness.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)
David knew the freedom of forgiveness:
“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5)
We don’t confess our “mistakes”, but our “sins.” This word means to miss the mark, as in an arrow missing the bullseye. We can confess anything to God, especially our secret sins like lust, envy, anger, even if they never led to action.
We are to look at sin from God’s point of view and then act accordingly.
Second, you need to find someone you trust. This needs to be a mature Christian.
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. (Proverbs 11:13)
Third, you do not have to share all the lurid details of your sin.
Martin Luther, before he understood grace, once confessed his sin for six hours to his mentor. When he got from his knees, he immediately knelt again because he felt he hadn’t done it right.
His mentor stopped him and encouraged him to go do some real sins and he be happy to hear about it!
Fourth, James calls us to proactive. His half-brother Jesus said it this way:
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matt 5:23-24)
Fifth , this promotes humility. Bonhoeffer wrote that sin often leads to isolation. But “confession to a fellow brother or sister destroys this deadly autonomy. It pulls down the barrier of hypocrisy and allows the free flow of grace in the community.”
In my 20s, I had a terrible secret. I had a pornography problem. Internet pornography is as addictive as heroin. I was trapped and I had never told another soul, outside of Maxine.
One of my professors said something that rocked my world. He said you are only as sick as your secrets. Satan wants to keep you bound in silence. The key is confession.
A friend and I were driving and I took a deep breath and said, “Can I talk to you about something?” He said sure and once I opened my mouth I couldn’t stop. I told him everything.
He listened patiently. When I was done, he smiled and said, “Hey I don’t think any different of you. As a guy, I’m tempted by that stuff too. But, you have to stop and I’m going to help you.”
It was the best gift he could have given me. He didn’t shame me but offered to pray and hold me accountable. That was the first step toward escaping from that prison.
Video: Confession and Community
Praying for each other is to be done continually and James writes that this will bring healing to body and soul.
I’m so thankful that I have a few men that I can confess anything to and they will not shame me but pray for me and encourage me.
Steven Curtis Chapman put this idea into song:
I hear you say your heart is aching / You’ve got trouble in the making
And you ask if I'll be praying for you please
And in keeping with convention / I’ll say yes with good intentions
To pray later making mention of your needs
But since we have this moment here at heaven's door
We should start knocking now, what are we waiting for?
Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
For the Father above, He is listening with love
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray
Do you have someone that you can confess to and you know they will pray for you, encourage you, and hold you accountable?
I was in the cafeteria at St. Francis on Friday after visiting Phil. There was a hospital employee who was cleaning and singing praises to God. I started singing with her. She looked at me and said, “Child, who can I pray for? Tell me their name.” I responded, “His name is Phil.” She smiled and said, “Yes Lord, Phil!” And stated singing again.
Are we that kind of church?
In the early church, it was common to have a time of private confession.
Let’s do that now.
"Heavenly Father, I lift my need up to You now. I openly confess my need for physical healing, especially my need for spiritual healing. So I repent for my sins and by Your grace I will not continue in them. According to Your will, I seek Your gift of faith to be physically healed.
However You answer this prayer, I know things will go differently because I've called out to You. I promise to invest my health in Your kingdom, not merely spend it on my own wishes.
My supreme desire – in suffering or in health – is to be more conformed to the image of Your Son. So my prayer is, all of my health for all of Your glory, in the healing name of Jesus." (Discovery Bible) Gary Hall
Ray Pritchard writes:
“We need to pray for one another. As we pray together, we find strength in shared sorrows and joys. As we pray for each other, God sends his angels to help those for whom we pray. Our words uttered in secret move the heart of God, and friends in the battle are made strong once again.”
The story is told that D.L. Moody carried a list of over a 100 names that he prayed for throughout his life. 96 of those people came to faith in Jesus Christ. Of the four that didn’t come to faith in his lifetime, were saved at his funeral!
Let’s pray for others now.
Prayer Power
Many of you memorized what he writes next as children.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
The New Living Bible translates this verse:
"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
Or you may have memorized it in the King James:
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Hold on. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel very righteous sometimes.
This has nothing to do with our feelings. We have no righteousness of our own. But if we are in Christ, then His righteousness covers us!
This doesn’t mean only “spiritually elite” but anyone who has a wholehearted commitment to God and sincerely seeking to do His will.
This is a promise!
“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” (Prov 15:29)
That doesn’t mean we can live anyway we want to and God will hear our prayers.
David write in his journal:
“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” (Psalm 66:18-20)
This prayer has spiritual energy, it is dynamic, it is explosive. This means to add an element that makes it extraordinary.
John Knox was a leader of the Protestant Reformation and lived under the reign of the Catholic queen Mary Tudor. She was known as “Bloody Mary” because of how many Protestant leaders she had murdered.
Mary, who was ruthless and feared no one, said,
“I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.”
John Knox was just a man but his prayers were powerfully energized by the Holy Spirit and brought revival and reformation to Scotland.
James, a good preacher, then gives us an illustration.
A Man Just Like Us
Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
Wait a minute. Elijah was a human being just like us? Didn’t he raise the dead and perform miracles? Didn’t he face 500 prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel and call down fire? Yes he did.
But when Jezebel threatened to kill him, he ran away in fear and hid, asking God to kill him.
This wasn’t just a weather miracle to show off. God had made it clear that if His people didn’t follow Him, He would withhold rain.
So Elijah was praying within God’s declared will.
"Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” (I Kings 17:1)
King Ahab was a wicked king and had lead the Israelites into blatant idolatry.
For three years, it didn’t rain, just as Elijah prayed. After his showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel, he climb to the top and bowed low and put his face between his knees.
Six times we had his servant go and look toward the sea. The seventh time, the servant said that he saw a cloud thee size of a man’s hand.
Soon it was pouring, or as we say in the south, it was a real gully washer.
What the point of this story? That our prayers are just as powerful when they are prayed in confidence in God’s will, and energized by the Holy Spirit.
Ending Video: Don’t Stop Praying - Matthew West (YT)
I would like to propose six prayer focused for the next four months.
We passed a budget a couple of weeks ago that has little room for error.
If we do not make budget, we will not be able to keep the lights on and pay my salary.
We need to pray for a miracle. We are going to hand you a bookmark that will go in your Bible. Every day, as you read the Word, I’m going to ask you to pray for these six things:
Make budget each month - February, March, April, and May.
We need $2,100 to make budget. Last week’s offering was only $700. If we have many more weeks like that we will be trouble quick.
2. Average 50 in services on Sunday morning.
3. Invite 20 people. Each time you invite someone to church, put a rock in the bucket.
4. 5 first time visitors.
5. One new family with children.
6. Two baptisms.
We are to pray but God also expects us to give hilarious and generously, to invite people to church, and to share the Gospel with others.
God will answer these prayers one way or another. We are going to trust Him. If He answers these prayers, we aren’t going to be surprised and we will give God all the credit.
If He has other plans, we will not blame ourselves or others. We then have to make some hard decisions.
Either way, God is good and will do whatever will bring Him the most glory for our ultimate good.
Let’s end by singing our theme song and asking God to go before us.
Ending song: Our God will go before Us
