*Powerful Prayer: James 5 Key Verse: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16). Lesson Aim: 1. Examine James teaches about prayer, confession, intercession, and faith. 2. Pray in strong faith to God both in times of trouble and in times of joy. INTRODUCTION The Service of Prayer. • Todays lesson focuses on several situations, and when such situations occur to us, we are to combat them by prayer. We are to pray and seek God for His presence and guidance, His power and strength to walk right through the trials of life. And we are to ask God for the courage to be a dynamic witness for Him and His glorious salvation. • In this study we will compare and contrast James declaration about the prayer of a righteous persons with ones own prayer. • James discusses the necessity of “timely prayer. He has lessons for us on both the purpose of prayer and the power of prayer. This is the focus of this lesson. Teaching Outline 1. Situation One: When your experience ranges from affliction to cheerfulness, pray and sing songs of praise (v. 13). 2. Situation Two: When sick, call for prayer from church leaders (vv. 14-15). 3. Situation Three: When you have sinned, confess your faults to one another and pray for one another (vv. 16-18). The Scripture Lesson James 5:13-18 (New International Version) 13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 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. 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. The Passage in Summary All situations call for prayer of some kind - whether we are troubled, happy, or sick. A basic Christian response to any situation is to pray. God may relieve the situation, or, as in Pauls case 2 Cor. 12:7-10), God may strengthen the sufferer in the suffering. Healing the sick is part of the churchs ministry as it was of Christs. EXPOSITION In the language of the modern church the passage describes the priesthood of all believers, showing ways in which Christians minister to each other. Specific practices in the modern church may differ from those of NT times, but the concern of Christians to serve one another in the fellowship of the church is the same. (Interpreters Commentary of the Bible.) I. Prayer In Lifes Experience: James 5:13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is any one happy? Let them sing songs of praise. (v. 13). 1. Situation #1: Prayer in Lifes Experiences (Trouble and happiness 5:13). When our experiences range from affliction to cheerfulness, let us pray and praise. • In the rounds of lifes experiences Christians know suffering or trouble (cf. v. 10) as well as good times when they can be cheerful. In all circumstances of life they can and should turn to God. In suffering Christians should pray; in fortunate circumstances they should sing praise. • When we face trouble, we pray; when we are free of trouble, we praise. This does not mean that we do not praise God in the midst of trouble nor that we do not pray in times of no trouble. • We pray and praise God all the time. But when we are facing trouble, God wants us primarily seeking Him for power and deliverance and for courage to be great witness for Him as we walk through it all. • When we are free of trouble, God wants us mainly praising and rejoicing in Him. In Summary: • When afflictions strike us, we are to combat them by prayer; • We are to pray and seek God for His presence and guidance. • And we are to ask God for the courage to be dynamic witness for Him and His glorious salvation. II. Praying for Sickness and Healing: (James 5:14-15) Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. (v. 14). And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up (5:15). Situation #2: Prayer in Sickness (5:14-15). When you are sick, call for the church leaders and have them to pray for you. 1. Note the four facts given in this passage... a) Is anyone among you sick? (v. 14). The sick are those who are so sick that they are shut-ins -- unable to get out and go to the ministers and leaders of the church. b) Is anyone among you sick? (v. 14). Let him call for the elders [ministers or leaders] of the church. The sick person is to be so concerned over his welfare and so trusting of God that he knows that God can heal him. He also believes in prayer, thats where two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ, Christ will be in their midst. c) Let them [elders] pray over them... and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord (v. 14b). Two things are done by the elders: [1] They pray for the sick and shut-in. [2] They anoint them with oil. And they do both things in the name of the Lord. That is, they know that the Lord alone is the Healer of our sicknesses. We are not healed by our prayers nor by oil, but by the Lord. The elders also know two other things: First, God has commanded us to pray for deliverance and healing in times of affliction and suffering. Second, God has told us to anoint the sick with oil. d) The prayer of faith - will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up... The Lord will heal the sick person and forgive his sin because of the prayer of faith. 2. Now a couple of questions: • Does this work? Is this what God expects us to do when one of our loved ones become sick? Let us answer this question by asking several other questions. • What is in this passage that says this is not a clear instruction of Scripture? • There is absolutely no question--these instructions are in the Word of God. There presence and clear instructions cannot be denied. What does His Word say? Read the following Scriptures: Matt. 7:21; 17:20; 21:22; Mark 9:23; John 15:7; Ephesians 6:18; James 5:13. 3. Anoint with oil (v. 14b). Note the instruction to anoint with oil. Why would Scripture tell us to anoint the sick with oil? There are two excellent reasons. a) Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit - of His presence. The oil helps the sick person to focus and concentrate upon the presence of the Holy Spirit and His power. It is often difficult for a sick person to focus and concentrate. This is especially true with those who are hurting and suffering, racked with excruciating pain. It is also true of those with jerky and short attention spans. b) Oil is a symbol of Gods care, comfort, and joy, of His mercy to us. It is the oil of gladness. Therefore, oil actually focuses the attention and stirs the sick to believe in Gods will to be merciful and His desire to fill the believers heart with gladness. Listen to what Scripture says: You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. (Psalm 45:7; cf. Heb. 1:9). III. Prayer In Confession Of Sin: (James 5:16a) 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. (James 5:16). Situation #3. When you have sinned, confess your faults to one another and pray for one another. Does this mean that believers are to go around confessing all their sins in all their intimacies and ugliness? No! This is not what this passage is talking about. It is referring to certain types of sins or to certain times when we are to confess our sins. We should confess our sin... a. When the sin has been wrong or injustice done against someone else. b. When we have misled or lied to someone. c. When we have offended someone or caused someone to stumble and sin. d. When restitution should be made. e. When we have publicly committed some crime and public forgiveness is required. f. When a trusted minister or Christian counselor may be able to help us in seeking repentance and restoration before God and man. Why we are to confess our faults to one another: Prayer is of critical importance for one reason: The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16). As has already been seen, prayer [a real prayer], heals a sick believer (James 5:15). And now in this verse, prayer that is really earnest is a prayer that works and heals sin-sick soul. (v. 16). The point is this: Earnest and fervent prayer is effective; it works. God hears and answers prayer. Review, Application, & Conclusion Review 1. God command of prayer. (James 5:13-14). All situations calls for prayer of some kind - whether we are troubled, happy, or sick. In sickness, the prayer of faith calls forth the divine work. 2. Christians have no exemption from natural laws of Gods universe. (James 5:15.) We do get sick. We do have a mission to heal the sick. Elders have responsibility for pastoral oversight and visitation of the sick, orphans, and widows, (James 1:27). Their physical presence with the sick best demonstrates the love and support of the church and fosters hope for Gods power to be manifested in healing. (James 5:14). 3. The prayer of faith. (John 9:2). The prayer of faith will bring forgiveness of sin. This passage may need to be interpreted against the general belief that sickness is due to sin. Even so, Gods healing is wholistic, involving the total person. 4. Corporate Prayer. (James 5:16a.) Christians should prayer for one anothers known sins. However, this passage does not give license to share public that which might do harm to innocent people, but it does require that Christians be open in areas of need for prayer. 5. Earnest and Fervent Prayer. (James 5:16b). We should not stand in awe of other people who have power in prayer. We should imitate their earnestness. Our prayers can be as powerful and effective as anyones. Application • Pray in strong faith to God both in times of trouble and in times of joy. Let us pray • Lord, teach us to pray. In season and out of season, in joy or in sorrow, in sickness or in health, for our needs and for the needs of those around us, teach us to pray. Lord, we want to use our tongue to praise you, to talk to you, to love you, and to intercede for others. Let this not be a matter of pride but a matter of true faith dedicated solely to your will and for your glory. In your mighty name we pray. Amen. C. Smith
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 16:32:36 +0000
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