TEXT:  James 5:13-16

INTRODUCTION:

A.      PRAYER IS WHERE WE TALK TO GOD (Matt. 6:9).

B.      IT IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR OUR SPIRIT (James 5:16).

C.      WE NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT.

I.      THE DUTY OF PRAYER.

A.      THE COMMAND TO PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (1 Thess 5:17;  Col. 4:2)

B.      IN EVERY PLACE (1 Tim. 2:8).

II.     THE PRIVILEDGE OF PRAYER.

A.      ASK !  (Matt. 7:7-8).  GOD IS OUR FATHER.

B.      WHEN THERE SEEMS NO OTHER PLACE TO GO (Phil 4:4-6).

C.      WHEN WE ARE IN NEED.

          1.       Of Wisdom (James 1:5).

          2.       Of healing (James 5:14-15;  Phil. 2:25-27).

          3.       Of strength (Eph. 6:18-20)

          4.       Of forgiveness (James 5:15;  Acts 8:23).

D.      GOD’S PROMISE TO HEAR (1 John 5:14-15;  1 Pet. 3:12).

E.      BUT WE MUST ASK IN FAITH (James 1:5-8).

III.    PRAYING FOR THE SICK AND OUR FAITH.

A.      GOD HEARS, BUT SOMETIMES DOESN’T SEEM TO ANSWER (Luke 18:1).

B.      SOMETIMES THE OPPOSITE FROM WHAT WE PRAY HAPPENS.

C.  James 1:6.  WHAT IF THE ONE WE PRAY FOR GETS WORSE OR DIES?

          1.       We must realize it is not God’s will for man to live in this world forever.

                   a.  If our prayer for the mortally ill was always answered yes, no one would die.

                   b.  Through Jesus, death is no longer the victorious enemy (Heb. 2:14-15).

                   c.  Death’s defeat is in the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:54-57).

                   d.  Because of Jesus death is not the worse thing for the Christian, but in one sense,

                             the best (2 Cor. 5:8;  Phil. 1:21-23).

          2.       We must have absolute confidence in the goodness of God and His greater wisdom.

FAITH

                   a.  After all, He has invested much in our welfare (Rom. 8:31-32).

                   b.  He is so far ahead of us in wisdom (Isa. 55:8-9).

                   c.  Prov. 3:5.  If my “trust in the Lord” is limited to those times when God’s wisdom

                             matches mine, am I not leaning on my own understanding? (Job 13:15).

                   d.  It is right to pray for the sick and dying (3 John 2;  Heb. 4:16;  Phil. 2:27).

                   e.  It is not right to think that God’s answer will always be health and life, as the

                             example of Paul and Jesus illustrate (2 Cor. 12:7-10;  Matt. 26:39;  27:50).

IV.   HOW WILL UNDERSTANDING THIS EFFECT MY PRAYERS?

A.      I WILL HAVE GREATER CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER.

          1.       I will understand that God answers, even if sometimes He says no (Matt.7:7-11).

          2.       When we walk by faith – trust in God for what is best (Matt. 6:8) – faith grows!

B.      PRAYER FOR THE SICK WILL FOCUS ON SEEKING GOD’S MERCY AND HIS

          WILL RATHER THAN MY SELFISH INTEREST.

          1.       The sick often asked Jesus for mercy rather than healing (Matt. 9:27;  15:22).

          2.       For us, there is often more mercy in death than life (Rev. 14:13; 2 Cor. 5:8).

          3.       God alone knows what is merciful.

C.      I WILL LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBMISSION.

          1.       What did Jesus pray? (Matt. 26:39).

          2.       What did Jesus teach us to pray? (Matt. 6:10).

          3.       We often don’t know what that will is? (2 Sam. 12:22).

                   a.  We know what God want us to do (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

                    b.  We often don’t know what God is going to do with us.

          4.       The foundation principle of our behavior (James 4:13-17).

CONCLUSION:

A.      IT IS RIGHT FOR US TO ASK FOR PROSPERITY, HEALTH, MERCY AND

          DELIVERANCE.

B.      GOD HEARS OUR PRAYER!

And ANWERS!

C.      GOD’S BLESSING IS IN OUR TRUST IN HIS WISDOM AND SUBMISSION TO HIS

          WILL.