The Use of Prayer

Good afternoon and welcome to the Panhandle glad you dropped by. Well I did it, after 12 years I finally got a new computer. Other than not transferring over all my addresses it seems to be a great computer. I did find out how outdated some of my programs were when they were to old to load on the new computer. Speaking of outdated my kids think I'm outdated because I asked where the CD player was in our new car. They said cars don't come with them anymore. I just shook my head and said I remembered when cars had 8-track player in them.

Anyway technology is always changing, but one thing that doesn't change is prayer. Prayer is appropriate for every situation of life and it is certainly appropriate for times of suffering and affliction. Our human tendency is to pray in terms of “why?” Job, his wife, and his friends fell into that trap.

A much deeper and more appropriate prayer in times of suffering is that of “what?” “Lord, what are you saying to me through these difficulties?” “Father, what do you want me to learn, or what do you wish for me to do?”

Sometimes, the most appropriate prayer is, “Help!” That prayer is predicated upon our understanding of who we are and who God is. It is an acknowledgment of our need for His help.

Sometimes the appropriate prayer is that of praise and thanksgiving as Paul and Silas demonstrated in the Philippian jail as they prayed and sang hymns of praise to God after being beaten with rods, placed in stocks, and locked in the inner prison (Acts 16:23–34).

Bill Gates, who is chief executive at Microsoft, is hooked up to the Internet. Subscribers to the Internet can send e-mail to one another and to others on the Internet. Bill Gates had an Internet address just like everyone else. But then the New Yorker published his e-mail address. Now anyone could send the computer genius an e-mail. In no time Gates was swamped with 5,000 messages. It was more than any human could handle. So Gates armed his computer with software that filters through his e-mail, allowing important messages through and sending other letters into electronic oblivion.

People are limited. They can handle only so much communication and offer only so much help. God on the other hand, never tires of s-mail (spirit mail). His ears are always open to our prayers. And He has an unlimited capacity to help.

The main thrust of verses 13-18 is the power of prayer and its appropriateness in every situation of life. And while there are some who get hung up on the anointing with oil (v. 14) we must not let Satan use this to get our eyes off what James is trying to say here. James’ main thrust or point here is this, the calling of all Christians to realize the centrality of the importance of prayer to the Christian life. With this in mind we start by looking at prayer in life’s experiences.

James 5:13-14

13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

1. Prayer in Life’s Experiences (v. 13)

We Christians pray or should pray in times of trouble and in times of joy. In times of trouble we often fall victims to self-pity, anger, or moody introspection. James encourages us to pray rather than surrender to these responses.

Trouble – kakopathéō (kä-kopä-the'-ō) – Although this term means basically to endure hardship, its probably better to understand as the discouragement that hardship often brings. These hardships are both physical and emotional stresses. They can be earthly trials or they can be spiritual trials.

Cheerful – euthuméō (yoo-thoo-meh'-o) – It is a wonderful word in the Greek which is a blend of the two words meaning “well” and “soul.” It means being in “good spirits” or in a “happy mood.” This isn’t a giddy, flippant outlook, but a mood of cheer and optimism.

You have heard time and again that you must be careful during times prosperity and pleasant experiences in your life. But why? It is times like these that a person tends to become complacent or find worldly contentment. Instead, life’s good times should lead you to sing songs of praise to God, the author of all blessings.

As you know some of us sing better than others, for those of us who make a “joyful noise” take heart. James doesn’t meant to literally break out in song, he is just saying in the good times remember to praise God, be it with song, or spoken words, or thought.

Christians who face trouble often lose their awareness of the presence of God. Christians who have elation tend to forget God in the joy of their good success. Instead both darkness and sunshine should lead us to an awareness of God. Where are you walking today? Are you in the darkness or in the sunshine? Are you including God in your walk where ever you are at?

Next comes the question “Is anyone among you sick?” James answers that important question by sharing a solution to the problem of sickness in the life of a believer.

James 5:14-16

14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

2. Prayer in Sickness (vs. 14-15)

Sickness includes all types of bodily weakness – physical, mental, or spiritual. Here however I believe that James’ reference is primarily to physical illness.

Call the elders (v. 14) – James told the early Christians when a believer was sick, he or she should call for the elders of the church so that they could pray. Let me say up front that I believe that God heals directly, through prayer, and through medicine. Also God does not always heal in the way we think best.

This is the only passage in the New Testament which gives such direct advice concerning the ministry of healing within the church. However a look at Christ Jesus’ life is a look at a healing ministry.

Elders – the church leaders who had the task of pastoring, and providing spiritual leadership for the church (pastors, deacons etc...). They came and prayed over those to sick or infirmed who could not come to them. Why? As an encouragement, and because how ever God chooses to heal, there is power to heal in prayer.

Anointing – A point of contact with the sick one. Why the oil? First there is the example of the anointing with oil as medicine. In Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan bathed the wounds of the injured traveler with oil (Luke 10:34). Second, in the Old Testament, anointing with oil was often symbolic or sacramental; the prophet Samuel anointed Saul with oil when he was declared the king of Israel. I believe that in James’ case he was referring to the second application. That is the oil is symbolic of God’s healing power.

The prayer offered in faith – (v. 15) – This is where the power of healing comes from. This is prayer based on the confidence that God can and wants to heal. Now this is not about the amount of faith, but rather the right faith. Those who prayed in faith received two promises. Those prayers would make a sick person well. In the case of sickness due to sins, healing provided a sign that God had forgiven the sins.

Let me say again, prayer can bring healing, but lack of healing does not mean a lack of faith on the part of the one praying. Nor does it show that the prayer is somehow invalid or that God is somehow incapable of healing.

God is God and His ways are not ours: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8). James was not instituting a procedure. His point was, that concerning all things we should pray. Why? Because prayer with the right faith works.

When pastor and author Paul Cedar’s oldest son, Daniel, was a little boy, he contracted a very serious illness. He was rushed to the Denver Children’s Hospital where he was under the care of an outstanding pediatrician who was a committed Christian. As his wife, Jean, and Paul stood with the doctor next to Dan’s bed which was covered by an oxygen tent, the doctor shared some counsel with them which Paul says he shall never forget.

The doctor said, “I have done everything I can do. Dan has the best that medicine can offer. Now we must entrust him to God.” He then continued, “I have found the best combination for healing is a healthy blend of penicillin and prayer.”

That is the very message of James! Let the anointing of oil represent both the spiritual and medicinal. But God is the true source of healing for both the spiritual and the physical.

James 5:16

16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

3. Prayer in Confession of Sin (v. 16a)

In general this is good advice to Christians who endeavor to maintain among themselves the communion of saints. This person to person confession tends to humble the soul, and to make it watchful.

You naturally want your friends in general, and your brothers and sister in Christ in particular, to think well of you. So when you confess to them offenses which, without this confession, they could never have known, you feel humbled.

Notice the word healing at the end of this part of the verse.

1. It is more than likely that James meant that the sin confessed was causing an illness.

2. The healing shows the purpose of the mutual confession and prayer

3. The confessor of sin is seeking healing by the act of admitting sin.

Therefore – is based on the effectiveness of prayer in all three of the situations James mentioned in vs. 13-15.

1. Depression
2. Exultation
3. Sickness

Confess means “to say the same thing.” It suggests that in confessing, we must identify the sin by its true name and call it what it is. Forgiveness is not the chief issue here, but instead the confession of wrongdoing.

While most commentators agree that James was writing to those Christians who had a physical ailment I believe there is a bigger picture to look at. We all have flaws and weaknesses in our character, we all mess up every now and then. We all have something at one time or another that brings spiritual illness to our souls. We have all had or will have something that needs to be confessed in order for the healing to begin. God would love to start the healing process if you would just let Him.

As we look at the last part of v. 16 on through to v. 18 you can see the powerful effect of prayer.

James 5:16-18

16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

4. Prayer in Working Out the Will of God (vs. 16b-18)

Some say that James was commenting on the effects of the prayers of the righteous. (v. 16b)

Some say that James taught that righteousness and earnestness were requirements for uttering powerful prayers.

So let’s break this down and see what we come up with. First, prayer must come from righteous people. A person must have a living faith shown by an obedient life to God. Second, effective prayer must be persistent. Effective prayer comes from the heart of a believer whose passion is to see the will of God worked out in theirs and others lives.

James, a man with human weaknesses like us uses another man with human weaknesses again like us as an example of an earnest prayer warrior. (v. 17-18). Elijah knew the will of God so intimately that he could understand the exact time when God’s divine purposes were to occur. This example of Elijah’s (a regular person just like you or me) closeness to God should challenge you and me.

When all is said and done you and I must walk in God’s will, so much so that we love what God loves and we reject what He rejects.

Prayer, as Christians it should be apart of our everyday lives. Romans 12:12 – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, and Ephesians 6:18 – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

If you are not a Christian there is an important prayer you need to pray this morning –1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.