September 9, 2018
Morning Service

In chapter 4 James brought to our attention that as we look to the future we always need to include God into our plans.  He may in fact change our plans with a plan of His own and we have to be willing to yield our will to His.  James called our lives a vapor that appears for a while and then disappears.  We are only promised today, so it is up to us to live today to the fullest.  We are able to fully live today and enjoy all its blessings only by totally trusting the Lord with our tomorrow.  In the beginning of chapter 5, James touched on the fact that our worldly riches are worthless especially when we cheat and steal to attain them.  He then returned to his initial subject of enduring times of trials and temptations.  He encouraged us to be like a farmer who patiently works and waits for his crops to grow and mature for their harvest.  We too as Christ followers need to be patient and wait for the return of our Lord as He will harvest all those who have accepted His free gift of salvation.  James now closes his letter with some powerful teaching upon prayer, but first I want to show you God’s perspective of prayer.

Matthew 7:7-11 Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you.  (8)  For each one who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.  (9)  Or what man is there of you, if his son asks a loaf, will he give him a stone?  (10)  Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a snake?  (11)  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him?

·        Jesus tells us that our Heavenly Father invites us to come to Him asking, seeking and knocking.  We are also to trust Him that what He does give us is what is best for us.  Just like an earthly father tries to give his children what is best for them.  Peter explains it this way.

1 Peter 5:6-7  Therefore be humbled under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time,  (7)  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

·        Peter instructs us to cast “all our care upon Him;” not just the big things but all things big and small.  If you care about it, pray about it. It is not that God is obligated to help us out but, it is because He loves us.  God desires us to bring our cares to Him and then trust Him to take care of us.  Paul wrote this in his letters to these 2 churches.

 

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  (7)  And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

·        In everything with a humble and thankful attitude.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

·        God is inviting us to a constant conversation where we tell Him whatever is on our heart.  He wants to hear what we are worried about as well as our gratitude for what we are thankful for.  The result of this conversation is God grants us a peace that is “passes all understanding.”  Our stress levels will drop because we have handed it all over to God.

·        I just wanted to set the table for what James now lays out for us about coming to God during our times of trials, affliction and sickness.

 

James 5:13-15 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.  (14)  Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  (15)  And the prayer of faith will cure the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. And if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.

·        James again continues to speak in his straight shooting fashion.  If you are suffering; pray.  Go to God and tell Him all that is on your heart.  If you are happy; sing psalms.  Let the joy in your heart come flowing out through your voice in praise.  How are you doing on those 2 fronts?  When you suffer is your first thought to pray?  When you are happy do you let it flow out of you in song and praise? 

·        James also explains to us what to do when we are sick (physical or spiritual).  Notice we are to “Call for the elders of the church.”  It is our responsibility to ask for the elders of the church to anoint us with oil and pray over us by faith trusting that God will offer His healing touch.  God wants us to make the first move by faith.  We are to call for the elders (authority) of the church to do this.  Jesus handed all His authority off to His 12 apostles who then handed it off to the leaders of the local church.  We pray with the full authority of Jesus.

·          Is everyone healed every time?  The truth is no they are not.  Don’t let anyone tell you that you did not receive the healing because of a lack of faith.  God heals not faith.  Remember what we just talked about last week; we must say “If God wills.”  There are times God answers our prayers with a no.  He may have another plan for us than the one we have. He is in control. He is the Potter and we are the clay.  But…

·        There are times God says “Yes be healed” and we are.  We have seen it here many, many times.  There is no sickness that He cannot heal.  There is no addiction He cannot give you victory over.  There is no spiritual chain that binds you that He can’t break. There is nothing that we could ask that He can’t do (other than lie).  He is able to do far more than we even ask from Him.  This process is set in order that our part is to simply come by faith and then it is up to God to perform the healing.  Here James promises that the sick shall be healed and if we have sin (spiritually sick) it will be forgiven us.  The only thing between you and the healing you desire may be simply that your need to ask.   

 

  James 5:16-18 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.  (17)  Elijah was a man of like passion as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for the time of three years and six months.  (18)  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout.

·        James continues by commanding us to “Confess your trespasses to one another.”  This does a couple of things for us.  First we bring our sin out of the dark and into the light.  Secondly, it places someone else in position to make supplication for us.  The “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.”  Is there someone that comes to your mind that if you have a need you want them to be praying?  Our prayer chain is an excellent tool for us to use to pray in unity almost immediately.   Prayer equals results. 

·        James gives us the example of Elijah here as he prayed 7 times before a small cloud as big as his fist finally appeared.  At that point he said “there is the sound of abundance of rain.”  God honors the prayers of a righteous man.

 

James 5:19-20  Brothers, if anyone among you err from the truth, and if anyone turns him back,  (20)  know that he who turns back the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

·        James again calls us to accountability for our brothers who fall away from God.  We are to lovingly confront the erring brother to help to restore him to spiritual health.  This does not mean that the erring brother is in jeopardy of losing his salvation, but that he is not truly living fully for Christ but is living a life that more resembles death than being alive.  His point is that we need to love our brother enough to confront him when he strays from the straight and narrow path.

 

God has given us an open invitation to come to Him at any time with anything that is on our heart.  Our relationship is made stronger as we by faith turn all of our cares, concerns and worries over to a God who can do something about them.  When we do, He promises to grant us a peace that passes all understanding being fully confident that He will not let us down.  Prayer equals results.

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the invitation to come to You any time, any place and with any problem.