WILL YOUR PRAYER MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
James 5:16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
The Earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.
Prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective.
Our selfish desire says: “I want it.” Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Our instinct says: “Me First.” Jesus, “The last shall be first and the first last.” Intuition says, “I’ll feel better if I get revenge.” Jesus, “Do good to those who hate you.” Wanting something does not make it good. Achieving something does not make it valuable. Having strong feelings about something does not make it right.
The text this morning states to us a fact that something will happen that would not happen except that prayer be made. So it is simple, prayer works. There is a contrast between prayer and working. A man said, “I am not a praying Christian, I am a working Christian.” If we are praying it is work. It is the most effective work that we can do. It is by prayer we can cause more to happen than in any other effort we put forth. If we pray that kind of prayer that avails much it is something harder and takes more out of us than any other thing we put ourselves to do. If we give ourselves to real prayer we will find it is t he hardest work we can be in involved in. It is by prayer we accomplish more by our time and strength than any other work we are involved in. Our prayer needs to be definite and determined if we want God to hear and answer. This verse could be stated “definite and determined prayer exercises much power in its working. After this verse we are given the example of Elijah. He made prayer and it stopped raining and that affected the whole world that was in that day. It says there was no rain and there was no dew for 3 ½ years. When Elijah prayed and asked for rain it came in abundance. One said, “Elijah prayed and locked up heaven for 3 ½ years and put the key in his pocket.” We perhaps are not thinking of praying that there be no rain here but we do need to be praying that God will bring to pass some things that will not happen except by our fervent praying. So the question we bring, “What are some definite things we need to see happen that we know will only as we pray in a definite and determined way?” As we as determined as Elijah to pray? Last week we spoke of prayer as being the one thing that will help us to be holy and become more like Jesus. That prayer will bring the power of God into the work we are doing for His kingdom. We want to look at two more things that prayer will do.
I. Prayer is the means that brings salvation.
A. It is by prayer more than anything else that will bring salvation to those who are lost.
This does not mean that one only needs to pray but also make ourselves available as
God would use us to bring the truth to the minds of those who are lost. God will not let us
Be lazy Christians. Did you hear that? I need to be willing to do whatever Gods asks to
bring the one I am praying for to hear the truth. Peter was one that wanted so much to
help Jesus with his mission. He told Jesus he would never fail Him. Jesus told Peter that
in his own strength he would fail but He prayed for him that when Satan attacked him he
would overcome. It was the prayer of Jesus that brought Peter through a tough temptation
and he became a man who preached the truth with power and 3,000 people turned to God
in one day. It was prayer that reached Peter at his worst. I believe that it is our prayer that will reach down, down, down into the depths of sin and ruin of the lives of people
who seem beyond the possibility of help and hope to find real life in Jesus.
One story that shows this is when one man who came to a meeting that was going on for the salvation of souls and would offer a beer to each person that came in or out of the meeting. He would stay after the meeting and make fun of those who went forward to pray and those praying with them. He went home one night and was awakened by the Spirit of God and could not sleep. His mother was praying for him in a mighty way. He got out of bed and prayed for God to forgive him and set him free from his sin. That is what prayer will do.
If you have someone who you know is not saved there is a way to reach them through the throne of grace. God knows where they are and He has a way to speak to them if we only will pray.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. The Earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. Prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective. This one verse tells us that if we would pray more and prevail in prayer we would see more coming to Christ. One goal that we have as church is to see people come to Christ in salvation. So I ask are we praying for that to happen. Will you this morning commit yourself to pray definitely and more determined than as ever before that God will bring salvation? Without people coming to a salvation experience the church will not continue to exist. The true church is made up of believers. All of us can say “I once was lost but now am saved.
II. Prayer is the means to bring blessing and power on the ministers of God’s word. Eph. 6:17-20 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that speech may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Paul is asking for believers to pray for him that he may preach the word of God boldly and with power. Every letter he wrote he asked for prayers for him to speak with boldness except the church in Galatians because they were a backslidden church.
It is up to you if a minister will be a man of power by your prayer life. Billy Graham Crusades begin at least one year a head of services with all out prayer. A church may have a mighty man of God if they are willing to pay the price and that does not mean a big salary but much praying.
1. Do you have a pastor you do not like? A man who is weak in preaching the truth? Do you want anew minister? Pray for that man that God will transform him into what he should be. One church was sent a preacher who was not even a believer. Those in the church that sensed he was lacking spiritually prayed until one day the Lord saved him and he became mighty in preaching the truth. Another church had a preacher sent to them who was very brilliant but did not preach sound doctrine. Three godly saints started praying for him. They refused to go around and stir up trouble with dissatisfaction. They met every Saturday evening for prayer. After praying they would come on Sunday morning expecting God to answer their prayer. It did not happen the first time they prayed. One Sunday morning God answered their prayer and the man preached the truth with authority and power. One person said, “If we would talk less against our minister and more to God on his behalf we would have a far better Minster than we have.”
2. Do you have pastor that you like? Do you wish for him to be better and more effective than he is? Prayer is the avenue God will use to clothe him with new and greater power. I want to give you a story about a good preacher whose name was Moody. He was from Chicago and after the great fire he went to England for a rest. He was invited to speak. He got up to speak on Sunday morning and felt no power in his preaching and was glad when he got done. He did not want to preach again that night but was asked to. As he preached he sensed that he had power and God took over. At the end of his message he asked those who wanted to receive Christ in their lives. About 500 people stood up. He asked them to sit back down. He then told them if they really meant to come to Christ they were to meet with him and the pastor in an outer room. There was constant stream of people going out the door to the other room. Moody asked, “Are these people yours?” The pastor said some are and some are not. As he talked with the people he made the invitation stronger than before and again they all stood up. He felt they did not understand what they were doing so he told them to sit down again. “I am going away tomorrow and your pastor will be here in the evening. If you really mean to follow Christ you are to meet with him. When Moody reached his destination he called back and heard the pastor say that on Monday there were more people that came than Sunday night. He asked him to come back. He came back and in series of meeting hundreds came to Christ in salvation. You ask who was praying. Just two sisters. One was stricken to being in bed. The other one was there on Sunday morning to hear Moody preach. She came home to tell here sister and she said that she had read about this man named Moody. She had been praying that God would send him to London and to their church. She told her sister not to send her lunch or supper for she would be praying for the evening service. Her prayer was answered. Is your minister full of power? Does he need you to pray for him to have even greater power? We are in a battle for souls not better programs, better buildings or better services. Our mission as Jesus gave it was to seek and save that which was lost. Ay church can have a minister of power. One who is on fire and anointed with the Holy Spirit. There is a price we have to pay to have that happen. The price is to set our hearts to real prayer and more prayer. Your praying is the deciding factor
