A Life of Works Produced By Faith
Part 19
“Now Let Us Pray”
Introduction
Last Monday we celebrated what some have called a much forgotten holiday, Veterans Day. Are have been blessed with many great privileges in this great nation because of many who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their life, because they believed in the freedom that our nation offers.
As precious as these privileges that we hold so dear given to us in this land, we as Christians have many greater privileges. Prayer certainly regarded by many of us as a high and holy privilege.
To even think that we as His children can come freely & boldly before the throne of grace. To sit & adore, worship, praise and yes to even make supplication to Him is unthinkable.
James mentions 7 times in this book the matter of prayer. The mature and growing Christian makes prayer a matter of priority. The true believer considers every aspect of life before the Lord.
I do not need to tell you or say it again but it is a privilege to pray. But so many of us do not spend the time. Many of us it could be said do not have the desire. My friend God does answer prayers. Not just when you turn as a last resort but all the time.
James encourages Christians to pray and in this last message I want you to notice 4 very different situations in which we should pray.
I. Prayer For The Suffering (verse 13)
A. We have addressed this subject several times, but, being a Christian does not exclude us from the sufferings of this world.
1. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:9 he suffered for the Gospels sake.
2. I will repeat myself by saying the sufferings and trails we must face are for the purpose to grow us and to bring us to a greater faith in the Lord Jesus.
3. Sometimes the sufferings are from sin and rebellion in our life. Other times because God is teaching us to trust Him. The ultimate outcome is for the child of God to be more like Christ and less like ourselves.
B. What should we do during these times of suffering?
1. Pray.
2. Prayer can often remove affliction, if it is God’s will. But prayer is the salve which gives us grace to endure with patience the troubles that come.
3. Through prayer, God can transform troubles into triumphs.
C. James tells us here that God’s children do not always go through times of suffering.
1. God balances each and every one of our lives with the proper times of trials and then “cheerful” times.
2. Paul and Silas found themselves in a time of suffering in the Philippian jail, but also found time to rejoice and sing praises unto God.
3. Along with prayer, praise and worship should be an important part of the believer’s life.
II. Prayer For The Sick (verses 14-16)
A. James asks is any among you sick? The Greek word for sick actually means “without strength”.
B. Some say all sickness is caused or a result of sin. In one of my commentaries if read of 6 reasons why folks get sick.
1. Psychological Reasons- This is physical illnesses caused by mental states.
2. Violation of a natural or physical law.
3. Demonstration of God’s power- John 9 tells us of a blind man. Jesus answers the question of whose sin this was his father or mother? Jesus replied, “Neither one of them, the man is blind in order that the power of God might be demonstrated.
4. Demonstration of God’s grace. The Apostle Paul had a “throne in the flesh”. Some illnesses are given in order to reveal the grace of God.
5. Attack of Satan. The book of Job makes this clear.
6. Caused by sin. This is probably the least cause of illness. But Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11, some believers had observed the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner, which unconfessed sins.
We need to remember we life in a world that will bring sickness, illness and disease.
C. So what does James tell the sick to do?
1. Let him call for the elders of the church.
a. This is referring to primarily the church leadership, the pastor and the deacon.
2. They are to come and pray directly over them.
a. I believe we are to pray for the sick. Wednesday evenings we spend time doing just that.
b. Folks hear me real good. If all we do is spend time praying for the sick, when will we find time to pray for the lost?
3. “And anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.”
a. There are two words used in scripture for anointing.
1. “Chrio” is where we get the word “Christos”; Jesus was the Anointed One. It means to anoint with some scented oil. It is used only 5 times in the NT & refers to the anointing of Christ by God the Father with the Holy Spirit.
2. “Aleipho” is used several times in the NT.
a. In Matthew 6:17 we are read; “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.”
b. This simply means to put oil on your hair so you look presentable.
c. The word used here in James is “aleipho”, and it means is to rub with oil.
1. It is a mistaken practice and mistaken to think that this is speaking of this as a religious ceremony of putting a little oil on someone’s head, as if that would have some healing power to it.
D. “Confess your sins one to another”
1. This is not speaking of public confession.
2. If you have sinned against an individual you need to confess it to that individual.
3. If you have sinned privately, confess it privately.
4. If you have sinned against the church, confess it before the church.
E. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
1. James was a man that believed in prayer. He was called old camel knees because his knees were so callused.
2. One of the great preachers of our day, Manly Beasley, said this about prayer; “Prayer allows us to do what God wants to be done”
III. Prayer For The Nation (verses 17-18)
A. James now moves on to give an illustration of another great man of prayer, Elijah.
B. During a period of judgment, God held back the rain from the nation of Israel for three and a half years.
C. The nation of Israel needed “showers of blessings”, and when Elijah fell down on his knees and asked God, the rains came and the nation was saved.
D. My friend that is what we as a nation need most today.
1. Showers of spiritual blessings.
2. We need men and women who will cry out to the Lord for a spiritual awakening in our land.
3. If God’s people would cry out for revival.
IV. Prayer For The Straying (verses 19-20)
A. Even though he does not mention prayer, we must also pray for those who have wandered from the truth.
B. I have mentioned this many times in the course of this study of James; it is a very dangerous place for the Christian be away from the fellowship of God, turning away from the truth of God’s Word, and I must say also away from the fellowship of believers.
C. I have to confess this, in my zeal for evangelism, I lose sight and do not give sufficient attention to those sheep who have wandered from the fold.
This book of James has prodded and challenged us as believers in regards to the Christian life.
* So I close again tonight with allowing you the opportunity to respond to God’s calling.
* As we close this night you might need to respond to one of these questions by coming for prayer or coming to the altar. You do as God leads.
Every head bowed every eye closed…
I ask as James has asked:
Have you been laying up treasures in heaven or on earth?
Have you been honest in your business dealings?
Have you been living a luxuriously when you have been holding back from being a blessing to others?
Have you showed favoritism to some in the house of the Lord?
We have also been challenged regarding our faith?
Has your faith avoided fights and wars?
Has it avoided being critical of others?
Has it avoided self confidence not leaving God out of your life’s plan?
Has you faith avoided the misuse of the money God has blessed you with?
I am speaking to each Christian here tonight…
Our faith is on trial each day.
