Taking Your Prayer Life Seriously
Intro: Statistics on # of people who pray in America. An overwhelming majority of Americans believe in prayer and believe that God answers prayer.
54% said they pray every day
29% said they pray several times a day.
Newsweek March 31, 1997, pp. 57-65
Contributed by: SermonCentral PRO
I want to show you a video clip illustrating what I think is probably the attitude of many Americans who pray.. [Show dinner scene from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation where aunt Bethany "prays". She actually recites the pledge of allegiance. ]
Summary of the purpose of the book of James. Ends this letter talking about the importance of prayer.
Let’s read our text today. James 5:13-19
There are some very important truths about prayer that James mentions that I want to point out. The first one is this,
1). It’s always a good time to pray
Look at what he says in verses 13-14. Are you in trouble? You should pray. Are things going great in your life? Sing songs of praise to the Lord.
He tells how a fly was looking up at a praying mantis, “What are you doing” said the fly. “I’m praying,” said the mantis. “Don’t be stupid, insects don’t pray.” The fly told it. And at that, the Mantis swooped down and grabbed the fly in it’s claws, and straight away the fly began “Our Father, who art in heaven”. (Steve Gladwell, SermonCentral.com)
Sometimes we think the only time we are supposed to pray is when we are in trouble or we need some major help. It is always a good time to pray. We can pray about anything and everything. As a matter of fact Paul says in Ephesians 6:18, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” So, if it’s always a good time to pray, what do you say we give it a try right now. If you are in some kind of predicament, trouble or sorrow I want you to ask God to help you right now. If everything is going well for you and you have had a blessed day I want to invite you just to say or sing a quick song of praise to him on the count of three. You just did what God wants you to do! It’s important to understand that this is supposed to be a consistent part of our every day lives!
W. Graham Scroggie once said, "Pray when you feel like it, pray when you don’t feel like it, pray until you do feel like it."
Contributed by: Donn Heinrich (Sermon Central.com
But let’s be honest. There are times in life when we get sick. Getting sick is just not fun at all. I know that when I have had the flue the only thing I am concerned about is my fever breaking and trying not to get sick. It’s hard for me to concentrate on something else. That’s why we should NEVER be ashamed to ask other people to pray for us. In verse 14 the sick person called the elders of the church to come and pray for him/her. At New Community Church we take prayer very seriously. We love praying for people. We don’t mind at all that you call us or put on the guest card that you need some prayer. We invite you to do that.
We take prayer seriously around here and I hope and pray you take prayer seriously in your own personal life because of the very same reason that is mentioned in James 5:14-15. “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.” God not only hears but he answers our prayers! It’s with that kind of confidence that we are able to approach our Lord in prayer. Even though we do not see him physically with our eyes we know he is there and listens to us when we come to come in faith. He will answer according to His best. It’s important for me to mention right here that James is not saying that God will heal in every single case. The prayer of faith will accept that. We know that God will do the best that he can do in every situation. The important truth that James wants us to know here is that we are to pray. Pray for healing. Pray for God’s will to be done. Don’t “not” pray. The emphasis is not on the elders, not on the anointing of oil, but the emphasis is on prayer. I want to take just a few moments to emphasize some of the things that we have been praying for at New Community that God has answered so we can rejoice together:
Donn’s Job, Ellen’s childcare situation, Warren accepting Christ, Megan’s healing and Lisa’s salvation, People plugging into our Life Groups, Our By-Laws approved,
Huge success with the Disciple Now, Kidz Time going well, God’s presense in our prayer time and our services, Our Worship Leader, Men’s group!!!!, those who have recently accepted Christ and baptized. We haven’t seen anything yet! Simply because we believe that God answers prayer!
The assumption in the later part of verse 15 is that the sick person (who initiated the contacting of the elders) was willing to do whatever it took to give this situation over to the Lord.
It is always a good time to pray. And when you aren’t physically able to pray call others to pray for you. But there are times when we aren’t able to pray and it’s not because of health reasons—but spiritual ones. In other words there might be sin issues in our lives that are hindering our prayers.
ILLUSTRATION: I remember two days before our prayer gathering last month Kyle and I were driving back from visiting a family. We were talking about things when I began to share a little more about a situation than I should have. I said a little more than I should have about a situation. It didn’t hit me until I got home that I realized I was gossiping about someone else. The Lord made it real clear that not only was I supposed to ask God for forgiveness but I was to ask Kyle to forgive me for gossiping. I knew I had to do this before our prayer gathering.
Look at verse 16 with me. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” When you see the word “therefore” in scripture you need to go back to what the author was just talking about. He was just talking about how when a person prays in faith, God answers and forgives we need to confess our sins to one another. In other words, prayer has so much power and potential I don’t want to jeopardize it’s effectiveness!
· Maybe the reason why we aren’t getting healing or it doesn’t seem like God is coming through is because there is unconfessed sin towards one another. We might have asked God to forgive us but we haven’t asked the person.
ILLUSTRATION: You remember when we were little and we would use what I would call the middle man. We would use the little guy to carry messages to our friends letting them know we forgave them or liked them or didn’t like them. We do the same thing today. If you have wronged someone and someone has wronged you, you need to go to that person. Confess your faults to one another and then spend some time praying for one another so that you may be healed! Look what is at stake here! Your healing might be a prayer away. Your answer might be a prayer away but sin is blocking that from happening.
What is it that keeps us from being effective and powerful people of prayer? Right living before God! I like how the Message translation of 5:16b: “The prayer of a person living right with God is something to be reckoned with.”
You mean, I don’t have to be some spiritual giant to have an effective and powerful prayer life? That’s what I’m saying. You mean, I don’t have to take systematic theology and a survey of the old and new testament class to be an effective prayer warrior? No. James says “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Righteous means someone who takes his relationship with the Lord seriously enough to live under His authority.
He uses the prophet Elijah as an example. He is quick to note that he was a man just like us. And yet his prayers, accompanied by a serious walk with God altered the weather patterns for 3 and a half years! I hope you see in this passage the potential for your prayer life and my prayer life. Teenager, imagine what God wants to do through your life of serious prayer? Life Group leader, just imagine and dream what God wants to do in your life group members simply when you get serious to pray for them? Husband, imagine what God can do in and thru your family when you take seriously an attitude of prayer for your spouse and your children? God is looking for serious people of prayer.
Tony Campolo, A Baptist minister, was invited to speak at a college in Valley Forge Penn. He drove to the college and before he spoke several men took him in the back room and began to pray for him, that God would use his speech. While these men were praying, one man, just off the cuff began praying "And Lord, about Burt Harris. Lord, Burt Harris needs you really badly. Because he lives in that trailer down the street and he is considering leaving his wife and family. And Lord if you could just get through to Burt Harris...that would be great." and then went on with his prayer. Campolo thought, "that is strange that he should pray that here." He went out and he spoke and finished his message and then he got in his car and was driving home. And he picked up a hitch hiker. He said he knew that he wasn’t supposed to pick up hitch hikers, but he thought, ’being a preacher, anytime I can get a captive audience, I’ll take advantage of it." So he gets this guy in the car and he is talking to him and he says, "By the way, what is your name?" and the man said, "Burt Harris". Campolo stopped the car, turned it around and immediately headed the opposite direction. The man looked at him and said, "What are you doing?" Campolo said, "I am taking you back to your wife and family whom you are trying to leave." The man went white! He never said another word, he sat there speechless and Campolo drove him straight up to this guys trailer. And the guy says, "How do you know where I live?" Campolo said, "God told me." (in a way He really had.) Campolo said "I took this guy inside his home and the family and marriage was restored and God did an exciting thing."
Contributed by: Michael Cassara Sermoncentral.com
There are two kinds of people here tonight. Those who need prayer and those who need to take seriously the plea to be serious people of prayer. I want to offer an opportunity for those needing prayer to get ministered to tonight in two ways: 1). Fill out your prayer request on the card in the bulletin. 2). Stick around after the service and someone will pray for you. 3). You can come to this alter and kneel. You don’t have to say anything. We will have people here just praying for you.
