Next week, we will wrap up our study of the Letter by James. Today we will learn more about prayer. But before we read our passage, let us define prayer. Turn briefly with me to Matthew 6…. Read along with me v5-13….
Based on Matthew 6:5-13, what is godly prayer??
• Not to impress other people
• Talking to God the Father in humility
• Nothing to do with amount of words
• In line with God’s will
• Ask for basic needs
Open your Bibles now to James 5….. Read along with me v13-20……
Prayer is talking to God in humility.
According to our passage this morning, When should we pray??
v13a: when in trouble
v13b: when happy
v14: when sick
Now, how do we know prayer, talking to God and asking for help, works??
1. God tells us it works! (v16c)
2. God’s answers can be experienced!
v13b: praise!
v15: healing and forgiveness
v17-18: powerful miracles (Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 17-19)
Prayer works in a powerful way! – How is our prayer life? Our prayer lives are so bad that God actually has to command us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
The power of God is available to every Christian through prayer!
Why are so many of us powerless??
1. We don’t pray enough!
2. When we pray, our hearts are not right with God! (v16c)
Based on this passage (v13-16), how can our hearts be right with God?
v13: acknowledge God and give Him praise!
v14: call on Church Elders to pray for you!
v15, 17-18: pray in faith (complete trust that God can do it)
v15-16: confess sins to God and to each other!
Let’s conclude by looking again at v17…. What does this statement imply??
We simple humans are capable of miraculous power from Almighty God!
Who are other human beings who brought God’s powerful miracles on earth and what happened??
Moses – staff to a serpent, plagues, dividing the sea
Joshua – holding the Sun in place
Meshach, Shadrac, Abednego – surviving a fiery furnace without a burn
Daniel – taming hungry lions
And many others including the Apostles!
Like Elijah and many others, we simple humans are capable of doing godly miraculous work right where we live! The problem with you and me is that we don’t work hard enough in being righteous and praying!
God created the entire universe by just speaking it out! God desires to do miracles in our lives! God is capable of doing miracles in our lives, all we have to do is yield to Him completely!
Let us quietly pause and pray about what we need to do to experience God’s miraculous power; it all starts with our confession of sins and faith, complete trust, in Jesus Christ!
