Michael Moulder
10/24/2004
How Effective Are Your Prayers
How Effective Are Your Prayers James 5:13-18
Introduction: T. J. Bach once wrote this prayer: I asked for health that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity that I might do better things, I asked God for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn to obey. I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for the power and the praise of men; I was given weakness to sense my need for God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for but everything I hoped for; In spite of myself, my prayers were answered— I am among all men most richly blest. Walk softly, speak tenderly, and pray fervently. Orient to the text: About three weeks or so ago, we ended our study in the book of James. It was near the end of the last chapter that I read these words "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. " This is the last part of verse 16. We are not going to spend a great deal of time here this morning but I do want to give you the context for this statement and the following two verses. We have to remember that this book was written to saved Jews. They were being persecuted by the others Jews. They were being driven from their homes, robbed of their possessions, and in some cases murdered by the courts under Jewish control. James is trying to encourage them in this book and urge them to look forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, for it is then that justice will be served. James. In this portion of the book, in verse 13 tells them to pray if they are sick, and to sing psalms if they are happy. In Verse 14 he says; those of you who are sick, call for the elders to come and to pray over you an anoint you with oil, I am not going to explain this verse this morning, suffice it say that I feel this is to take place in the privacy of ones home not in a public forum. In verse 15 James reminds those who do call for the elders that it is the Lord who heals them and further more, it is the Lord who does much more, He forgives them of their sins. This brings us to verse 16 were James says: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” What’s the deal with this confession? You might ask. Well we are instructed by James to confess our sins to one another. This is to be done in great care. You want to find someone that can be trusted with what you tell them. You need to choose someone that you know will pray for you. This does help relieve the guilt. However, this person is not to replace God. We are to always confess our sins to God. Then James adds this statement; "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” This part of the verse has really caused to me probe deep into my own heart. Do you, sometimes, feel like your prayers go no higher than the ceiling? Do you feel like God should have answered a prayer in a certain way but has not and for that reason you think He has not heard your prayer? I have. Our first response is to shake our fist and finger at God and say; "Why have you not answered my prayers?" Well, maybe God is not the problem, we are. Let us look at this verse. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” What does effectual fervent mean? This phrase comes from the Greek word evEpyeo) from which we get our English
word energy or energetic. From this we first note that our prayers are to be filled with energy, they must be energetic. Now that doesn’t mean we have to jump up and down while praying but it does mean that they are to have our undivided attention. We are to pray as though we fully expect something great to happen and that should excite us. Then James states that this energized prayer is to come from a righteous man. This would include women as well. Well, what is a righteous man or woman? We must first of all understand that we, as human beings are not righteous, nor can we be on our own. Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Since we are not righteous God had to provide a way for us to be declared righteous and this he did through his Son 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. So we must conclude, based upon Scripture that any righteousness that is found in us comes from God through His Son alone. With that understanding, are there any examples of righteous men in the Bible? Yes, who comes to mind? Well I think of Job, Moses, and David but they are not the example that James uses he uses Elias, which is Greek for Elijah let us look at the man and the event that James uses here in the text. Note first of all that he was an ordinary man.
1. He was an ordinary man
a. IKi 17:1 "And Elijah the Tishbite, [who was] of the inhabitants of
Gilead,"
This is the record of Elijah, this is his origin he was a Tishbite from Gilead. We see nothing special here. He was just a man. James tells us a little more about him James adds that
b. James 5:17 "was a man subject to like passions as we are",
He was just like we are. He faced the same obstacles, the same hassles, the same temptations we face. He had dreams and responsibilities as well. What else do we need to know about Elijah
2. He was obedient 1 Kings 17:5
a. 1 Kings 17:5 "So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that before Jordan."
The Lord told Elijah after he informed Ahab that it would not rain for three ears to go to the brook at Cherith and he would take care of him and we see that Elijah did exactly as the Lord had commanded him. Later, when the brook dried up the Lord gave him another command in
b. IKi 17:9 "Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which [belongethj to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. IKi 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath," Here we see again the obedience of Elijah. He was obedient unto the Lord. It was during this time that some other remarkable things happened which I will summarize. When he went to Zarephath he met a widow lady who had a son and was down to her last bit of oil and grain. Elijah asked her first of all to bring him a drink of water. The he asked her to bring him a cake of bread. He, after being informed of her provisions, told her to make him his bread first and the Lord would see to it that the oil and the grain would last until the Lord sent rain and guess what it did. While Elijah was there anther remarkable thing happened. Her son died. Elijah took her son up into the loft where he was staying and cried out to the Lord to heal him and he did.
c. 1 Kings 18:1-2 And it came to pass [after/ many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying. Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. IKi 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab.
Here again we see that Elijah was obedient to the Lord. He went to Ahab and while he was on his way he ran into Obediah and told him to go find Ahab and tell him that I want to meet with him. Well from what takes place next we will see not only that Elijah was an ordinary man and an obedient man but that he was a confident man. Not in himself but in the Lord.
d. I Kings 18:1-46 He was a confident man.
IN the remainder f this chapter we se the confidence that Elijah had that God would answer his prayer. This is the showdown that took place on Mt Carmel. Elijah told Ahab to gather together all of the prophets and have them meet him on the mountain. Elijah then told them to get two bullocks they were to choose which ever one they wanted and they were to prepare it for a sacrifice. He then told them to pray to their god for fire to come down and consume the offering. They began their rituals and in the middle part of the day their god had not delivered so Elijah made run of them and said that maybe their god was on a journey or was asleep and said they should cry out so that he could hear them. When their time was up Elijah, in his confidence in God built he an alter out of twelve stones, dug a ditch around it and had them pour twelve barrels of water on the alter and they did and the Bible says that water ran about the alter and filled the ditch till it was full. Elijah then prayed and the fire of the Lord can down and consumed the offering, the wood, the stones, the dust and the water that was in the ditch. Now that is confidence in our prayer. Application: We have seen this morning James tell us that the energetic prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much. We have explored the example of such a man and we have seen that he was an ordinary man, an obedient man and a confident man. Let us now apply this to our own lives. Are our prayers filled with energy? I know that at times I have to struggle to sometimes stay awake, and stay focused when I pray and when I am like that I do not think that I am praying with much energy. Do you? Or how about this one? Are you and I obedient? Do we go where God wants us to go? Are we doing what God wants us to do? Well, I honestly feel that this is the biggest hindrance to our prayer. Why? We may say that we not doing the things that God does not want us to do such as committing adultery, having false gods, and so on but what about doing what our Heavenly Father has called us to do and to be. We are told to make disciples in Matthew 28:19-20. In order to do that we have to tell others about Jesus Christ we have to be actively involved in evangelism. Can we, as a church, honestly say that we are actively involved in reaching the unsaved, unchurched people in our community? Can you say that you are actively involved in reaching others with the gospel of Jesus Christ in an attempt to make disciples? If the answer is no then we are not being obedient to God and what He has called us, commanded us to do. What about confidence? When you pray in the Father’s will do you fully expect Him to answer your prayers? If all three of these are not true then you will not have an effective prayer life. The good news is that you can have an effective prayer life by working on each of these areas. Will you make a decision this morning to be committed to improving your prayer life so that you can more effectively pray for others?
How Effective Are Your Prayers James 5:13-18
How Effective Are Your Prayers James 5:13-18
1. He was an ordinary man
a. IKi 17:1 "And Elijah the Tishbite, [who was]
of the inhabitants of Gilead," b. James 5:17 "was a man subject to like
passions as we are",
2. He was an obedient man
a. 1 Kings 17:5 "So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that before Jordan."
b. IKi 17:9 "Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which fbelongeth] to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. IKi 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath,"
c. 1 Kings 18:1-2 And it came to pass [after] many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. IKi 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab.
3. He was a confident man. I Kings 18:1-46
Conclusion:
1. He was an ordinary man
a. IKi 17:1 "And Elijah the Tishbite, [who was]
of the inhabitants of Gilead," b. James 5:17 uwas a man subject to like
passions as we are",
2. He was an obedient man
a. 1 Kings 17:5 "So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that before Jordan."
b. IKi 17:9 "Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which [belongeth] to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. IKi 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath,"
c. 1 Kings 18:1-2 And it came to pass [after] many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. IKi 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab.
3. He was a confident man. I Kings 18:1-46 Conclusion:
