ILLUSTRATION:
A man by the name of Harold Lamb, a representative for a Video Projection and Sound Company, told this story of a SALES PRESENTATION he and his sales partner MADE at a CHURCH BOARD MEETING. He writes:
“My co-worker and I were making a SALES CALL to a rural Baptist church. We gave our PRESENTATION to the church committee, and then the group’s CHAIRMAN walked to the ALTAR and KNELT DOWN. …After a MINUTE of SILENT PRAYER, he RETURNED and ANNOUNCED in a solemn tone, ‘The Lord tells me we should wait.’
“My COLLEAGUE responded by WALKING to the ALTAR and KNEELING DOWN himself. Then he returned to the group, looked at the CHAIRMAN and DECLARED, ‘He wants to talk with you again.’”
COMMENT:
I’m not really sure EITHER man was actually PRAYING, or what kind of ANSWER they got from God, if any. But in our text James does exhort us to PRAY for specific NEEDS and EXPECT an ANSWER from God.
A. Throughout this letter James has a great deal to say about PRAYER.
1. He began the LETTER by encouraging his readers to PRAY for WISDOM in times of SUFFERING, and he CONCLUDES the letter by encouraging his READERS to PRAY in times of SUFFERING.
2. In fact, James was such a MAN of PRAYER that, according to church tradition, he was known as “Old Camel Knees” because he was often seen KNEELING DOWN in FERVENT PRAYER.
B. James has a lot to say about PRAYER because he wants us to understand that when we PRAY, we have a
DIRECT LINE to God the CREATOR of all THINGS, our HEAVENLY FATHER.
1. Prayer is INTIMATE COMMUNICATION with our Heavenly Father.
a. But is our PRAYER LIFE what it should be?
b. I believe most of us would answer, “No!” We often fall short in that area.
2. It was no different for James’ READERS—that’s why he EXHORTS them to PRAY throughout this
letter.
COMMENT:
Especially in these few verses as he closes the letter, James stresses the importance of TURNING to God in PRAYER in times of NEED- James 5:13-20 (READ)
MESSAGE:
I. PRIORITY OF PRAYER
COMMENT:
James doesn’t present PRAYER as a LAST RESORT—something you do after everything else FAILS, but as a PRIORITY—something we DO first and often. James presents three
common circumstances in which we are to PRAY.
A. We are to PRAY when we are in TROUBLE- v. 13
1. The word for “TROUBLE” that James uses literally means to “SUFFER EVIL” . . . to be placed
in such a DIRE SITUATION that you can’t see a WAY OUT.
ILLUSTRATION:
Maybe you have been in SITUATIONS: Your HOUSE is in FORECLOSURE, your HUSBAND wants a DIVORCE, your CHILD is a HEROIN ADDICT, or your COMPANY is DOWNSIZING. Your WORLD is turned upside DOWN and you don’t know what to DO.
2. Peter- “Cast all your anxieties (cares) on God for He cares for you”- 1 Peter 5:7
COMMENT:
God is not some DISTANT DEITY who doesn’t CARE about our STRUGGLES and DIFFICULTIES.
B. We are to PRAY when we are SICK- v. 14
1. James- “If you are sick, call the elders of the church to come pray over the sick and anoint him
or her with oil.”
a. I don’t think James is teaching that only ELDERS can PRAY for the SICK, but I do believe
this is a MINISTRY in which ELDERS are to be INVOLVED.
COMMENT:
The reason being, they are to be SPIRITUAL men; “RIGHTEOUS men whose PRAYER is POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE”- v. 16b.
b. There’s much debate as to the purpose of ANOINTING the sick person with OIL. Most scholars tend to agree it was for MEDICINAL purposes, as was “used by the Good Samaritan
on the man who had been beaten and left for dead”- Luke 10:34.
ILLUSTRATION:
Please understand that the POWER is not in the OIL, but in PRAYER! James may be
simply saying, “Use your MEDICINE as usual, but don’t forget the POWER of PRAYER!”
Some of you have requested that our elders PRAY and ANOINT you with OIL. They are more than willing to ACCOMMODATE you if they are REQUESTED.
2. James goes on to say, “And prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.”- v. 15.
a. I have seen that happen . . . haven’t you? Over the years I have seen God CURE several TERMINALLY ILL people.
b. I have also seen those who were PRAYED for continually for DAYS, but didn’t MAKE IT.
COMMENT:
I don’t UNDERSTAND why some are HEALED or whose LIVES are PROLONGED and
others DIE. But God understands, and He has a PURPOSE for all of it.
3. One thing I do KNOW is . . . that God looks at DEATH differently from us.
a. Psalm 116:15- “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”
b. Revelation 14:13a- “…Blessed are dead who die in the Lord from now on…”
COMMENT:
What we call “TRAGEDY”, “GRIEF”, “DESPAIR”, “HEARTBREAK”, God calls “PRECIOUS” and “BLESSED”!
ILLUSTRATION:
Tony Campolo tells a story about being in a church in Oregon where he was asked to PRAY for a man who had CANCER. Campolo prayed FERVENTLY for the man’s HEALING.
That next week he got a call from the man’s wife. She said, “You prayed for my husband. He HAD cancer.” Campolo thought when he heard her use the PAST TENSE VERB, that his CANCER had gone into REMISSION! But then she said, “He died.” Campolo felt TERRIBLE.
But she continued, “Don’t feel bad. When he came into that church that Sunday he was filled with ANGER. He knew he was going to DIE soon, and he HATED God. He was 58 years old, and he wanted to SEE his children and grandchildren GROW UP. He was ANGRY that this ALL-POWERFUL God didn’t take away his SICKNESS and HEAL him. He would lie in bed and CURSE God. The more his ANGER grew towards God, the more MISERABLE he was to EVERYBODY around him. It was an awful thing to be in his PRESENCE.”
But the lady told Campolo, “After you PRAYED for him, a PEACE had come over him and a JOY had come into him. Tony, the last three days have been the best days of our lives. We’ve SUNG. We’ve LAUGHED. We’ve READ Scripture. We PRAYED. Oh, they’ve been WONDERFUL days. And I called to thank you for PRAYING for his HEALING."
And then she said something incredibly profound. She said, “He wasn’t CURED, but he was HEALED.” PRAY BOLDLY FOR THE SICK!
C. We are to PRAY when we are overcome by SIN- vv. 15, 19-20
1. James- “If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other pray
for each other so that you may be healed.”
a. James leaves the IMPRESSION that the ILLNESS may be the direct cause of SIN, and if so it
needs to be CONFESSED and PRAY for FORGIVENESS and HEALING.
b. Are there SINS that cause ILLNESS? ABSOLUTELY!
COMMENT:
Sin causes WORRY, sin causes BAD HABITS to wreak havoc in our lives, sin causes EMOTIONAL DISORDERS, sin can be the DIRECT result of AIDS or CANCER or HEART and LIVER DISEASE, sin is a ROOT that leads to destruction not only SPIRITUALLY but PHYSICALLY as well.
2. And for the BELIEVER . . . unconfessed and un-repented SIN causes CONFLICT in our SOUL.
COMMENT:
It breaks our FELLOWSHIP with Almighty God who no longer HEARS our PRAYERS. Our ASSURANCE and JOY in Christ are REPLACED with DOUBT and DESPAIR. Our FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE are suddenly DIMINISHED because of SINS consequences. MISERY becomes our COMPANION instead of the Holy Spirit.
3. That’s why James says, “when we are AWARE of a brother or sister CAUGHT UP in SIN and have WANDERED from the TRUTH, we are to REACH OUT to him or her and bring them back to God.”
COMMENT:
By doing so James says, “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his ways saves him
from death and covers a multitude of sins.”
START PRAYING!!
II. PERSON OF PRAYER: ELIJAH THE PROPHET
A. James demonstrates the TRUTH that PRAYER works by citing the story of Elijah.
1. Elijah had a great reputation for PRAYER.
a. He was so ESTEEMED that some regarded him as almost DIVINE.
b. Yet, James allows him no super-human status: “Elijah was a man just like us.”
COMMENT:
He felt STRESS. He knew FAILURE. He was INFLUENCED by his FEELINGS just as we are. He climbed to heights of FAITH and COMMITMENT as “he defeated the PRIESTS of Baal” (1 Kings 18:36-38). And like us, “he became deeply DEPRESSED on the very heels of success” (1 Kings 19:4).
2. James- “Elijah prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it didn’t for three and a half years.”
a. Because of the wickedness of King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezebel who brought in other gods for the Israelites to WORSHIP, the prophet Elijah declared: “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at
my word” - 1 Kings 17:1.
COMMENT:
There was a SEVERE FAMINE in the land. No CROPS could GROW, so there was very little FOOD. CATTLE were DYING for lack of WATER and PASTURE.
b. It wasn’t until after God showed his UNDISPUTED POWER by using Elijah to CONFRONT, HUMILIATE, and DEFEAT the 850 prophets of Baal, a false god, that God sent RAIN.
3. James- “Again Elijah prayed and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
COMMENT:
The drought BEGAN when he PRAYED, and the drought ENDED when he PRAYED. Elijah didn’t PRAY with some SUPERNATURAL GREATNESS, he was a mere man. James wants us to realize that our PRAYERS can be just as EFFECTIVE if we PRAY like Elijah.
III. PATTERN FOR PRAYER
A. Pray EARNESTLY- v. 17.
1. The idea here is that Elijah put his entire heart and soul into his PRAYER.
ILLUSTRATION:
Have you ever PRAYED before a meal, and then when you start eating someone at the table will ask, “Are we going to pray?” Most likely it wasn’t an EARNEST PRAYER, it was probably a simple PRAYER out of HABIT that you SAY all the time.
2. 1 Kings 18:42 describes “Elijah bending down on the ground, putting his face between his knees
and PRAYED.”
COMMENT:
I did a little EXPERIMENT this week and discovered that Elijah’s PRAYER POSTURE is impossible for a FAT BOY. But I really believe it will be UNCOMFORTABLE for anyone—try it sometime. Yet, Elijah stayed in that POSTURE and PRAYED fervently to God to SEND RAIN on the LAND.
B. Pray SPECIFICALLY.
1. Elijah didn’t merely PRAY for God to “BLESS” Israel, he specifically PRAYED for God to
SEND RAIN.
2. I think sometimes our prayers aren’t effective because we pray too GENERIC: “Lord bless ALL the MISSIONARIES in foreign lands.” “Father be with all the SICK PEOPLE of the world.” “God be with THOSE who are LOST.”
COMMENT:
We need to learn to PRAY specifically for PEOPLE and SITUATIONS by NAME.
C. Pray CONSISTENTLY.
1. In 1 Kings 18:43ff, you find “Elijah sending his servant to look toward the SEA in order to
OBSERVE any CLOUDS in the SKY.”
COMMENT:
The servant reported that he didn’t see any. So, Elijah PRAYED again and again each time asking his SERVANT if he sees a CLOUD in the SKY. For seven times he EARNESTLY PRAYED that God would send RAIN. And on the seventh time the servant reported, “I see a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” And God sent forth NEEDED RAIN to
the LAND.
2. I believe that we need to PRAY until we get an ANSWER, one way or another.
COMMENT:
If you need to FIND a JOB, don’t STOP PRAYING until you get it. If your LOVED ONE is SICK, don’t stop PRAYING until either your LOVED ONE is WELL or God has taken them home. If you know someone who is LOST, don’t STOP PRAYING for him or her by NAME.
If your spouse or your children have not ACCEPTED Christ or if they are no FAITHFUL to God, don’t STOP praying for them. Let God hear their NAMES, and what you want to see happen in their lives.
D. Pray EXPECTANTLY.
1. Elijah PRAYED expecting an ANSWER.
COMMENT:
When his servant said that he saw a CLOUD the size of man’s hand, Elijah said, “Go and tell King Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreal. - 1 Kings 18:44-45.
2. There was only one little CLOUD in the sky the SIZE of my HAND, and, yet, Elijah expected God
to send RAIN to end the DRAUGHT and FAMINE in Israel.
COMMENT:
Let’s not PRAY with DOUBT, but pray EXPECTING God to ANSWER our PRAYERS according to His DIVINE WISDOM!!!
CONCLUSION:
A. There are those who no longer PRAY because they believe that God doesn’t ANSWER PRAYER.
COMMENT:
They say something like: “We prayed that God would make our mother well, but she died.” “I prayed that God would give me a RAISE, but instead I was LAID OFF.” “I PRAYED for this and I PRAYED for that and it didn’t TURN out the way I wanted.”
1. The Apostle Paul PRAYED that his “thorn in the flesh” (a probable PHYSICAL INFIRMITY) to be removed, but instead God let him KEEP it to HUMBLE him and TEACH him to depend on the GRACE of God.
a. And as a result of keeping the THORN Paul said “he found greater STRENGTH to face life’s DIFFICULTIES”- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.
b. God ANSWERED Paul’s PRAYER, but not exactly the way he WANTED. Yet, Paul CONTINUED to PRAY to His Father and URGED others to PRAY to God.
ILLUSTRATION:
Lisa Beamer lost her husband Todd on the ill-fated United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvanian on September 11, 2001 after the passengers courageously fought the HIJACKERS of 9/11 and diverted the PLANE that was meant to FLY into the WHITEHOUSE.
Reflecting on the loss of her husband Lisa wrote in her book, LET’S ROLL:
“Slowly I began to understand that the plans God has for us don’t just include ‘good things’, but the whole array of human events. The ‘prospering’ he talks about in the book of Jeremiah is often the outcome of a ‘bad’ event.
“I remember my mom saying that many people PRAY for miracles- things that in their human minds ‘FIX’ a difficult situation. Many miracles, however, are not a change to the normal course of human events; they’re found in God’s ability and desire to sustain and nurture people through even the worst situations.
“Somewhere along the way, I stopped demanding that God FIX the problems in my life and started to be thankful for His PRESENCE as I ENDURED them.”
2. James said, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.”
COMMENT:
God may “FIX” the problem, or you might LOSE your HOUSE to FORECLOSURE, or get LAID-OFF from your JOB, or LOSE your CHILD to CANCER—but whatever happens, understand that God is WORKING in your life—so don’t stop PRAYING.
