Powerful Prayer

1. Powerful Prayer James 5:15-18

2. Why did Austin want to pray before his surgery?

3. Why did Austin want to pray before his surgery? He understood the power of prayer!

4. Prayer is a powerful force.

5. Prayer is a powerful force. • “You shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am’” (Is 58:9, ESV).

6. Prayer is a powerful force. • “You shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am’” (Is 58:9, ESV). • “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Lk 11:9-10, ESV).

7. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer.

8. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly.

9. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly. • “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (1:2-3, ESV).

10. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly. • 1:2-3. • “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (5:10- 11, ESV).

11. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly. • Suffering is part of the human experience.

12. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly. • Suffering is part of the human experience. • “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1, ESV).

13. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly. • Suffering is part of the human experience. • “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1, ESV). • But, we don’t need those words to know that suffering exists!

14. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly. • Suffering is part of the human experience. • In our suffering, we have the resource of POWERFUL PRAYER.

15. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly. • Suffering is part of the human experience. • In our suffering, we have the resource of POWERFUL PRAYER. • “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” (5:13, ESV).

16. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly. • Suffering is part of the human experience. • In our suffering, we have the resource of POWERFUL PRAYER. • “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” (5:13, ESV). • But, I don’t just want to pray.

17. The Christians to whom James wrote needed to understand the power of prayer. • These Christians were struggling greatly. • Suffering is part of the human experience. • In our suffering, we have the resource of POWERFUL PRAYER. • “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray” (5:13, ESV). • But, I don’t just want to pray. I want to know that God hears me.

18. How can my prayers be powerful?

19. PERSUADED PRAYERPURE PRAYERPRACTICAL PRAYERPASSIONATE PRAYER

20. A Powerful Prayer is a PERSUADED PRAYER Vv 14-15

21. Powerful prayer is a persuaded prayer—one that we pray in faith.

22. Powerful prayer is a persuaded prayer—one that we pray in faith. • “Is anyone among you sick? 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. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (vv 14-15, ESV).

23. The Greek term “sick” is used for both physical & spiritual illnesses.

24. The Greek term “sick” is used for both physical & spiritual illnesses. • It often means to be “weak in faith.”

25. The Greek term “sick” is used for both physical & spiritual illnesses. • It often means to be “weak in faith.” “As for the one who is weak [i.e., sick] in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions” (Rom 14:1, ESV).

26. The Greek term “sick” is used for both physical & spiritual illnesses. • It often means to be “weak in faith.” “As for the one who is weak [i.e., sick] in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions” (Rom 14:1, ESV). • Because of the connection in this text between confession of sin & healing, I personally believe this is spiritual illness.

27. But, the type of illness doesn’t matter, for God is all powerful, & it’s the “prayer of faith” that saves.

28. But, the type of illness doesn’t matter, for God is all powerful, & it’s the “prayer of faith” that saves. • If we want our prayers answered, we must pray in faith.

29. But, the type of illness doesn’t matter, for God is all powerful, & it’s the “prayer of faith” that saves. • If we want our prayers answered, we must pray in faith. • “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (Js 1:5-8, ESV).

30. But, the type of illness doesn’t matter, for God is all powerful, & it’s the “prayer of faith” that saves. • If we want our prayers answered, we must pray in faith. • Js 1:5-8. • “I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk 11:24, ESV).

31. But, the type of illness doesn’t matter, for God is all powerful, & it’s the “prayer of faith” that saves. • If we want our prayers answered, we must pray in faith. • Js 1:5-8. • Mk 11:24. • “I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Mt 17:20, ESV).

32. But, the type of illness doesn’t matter, for God is all powerful, & it’s the “prayer of faith” that saves. • If we want our prayers answered, we must pray in faith. • Js 1:5-8. • Mk 11:24. • “I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Mt 17:20, ESV). • The apostles—baptized in the Holy Spirit—needed faith to perform miracles.

33. But, the type of illness doesn’t matter, for God is all powerful, & it’s the “prayer of faith” that saves. • If we want our prayers answered, we must pray in faith. • Js 1:5-8. • Mk 11:24. • “I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Mt 17:20, ESV). • The apostles—baptized in the Holy Spirit—needed faith to perform miracles. • How much faith do you suppose we need for God to hear our prayers?

34. God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we want.

35. God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we want. • But, we understand that God always answers according to his will.

36. God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we want. • But, we understand that God always answers according to his will. • “This is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 Jn 5:14, ESV).

37. God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we want. • But, we understand that God always answers according to his will. • “This is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 Jn 5:14, ESV). • We know, therefore, that if we do not receive a desired answer to prayer, we have not prayed according to God’s will.

38. If I don’t know if God will answer the way I want, how can I pray in faith?

39. If I don’t know if God will answer the way I want, how can I pray in faith? I can pray with assurance!

40. Shall we pray with such faith?

41. A Powerful Prayer is aPURE PRAYER V 16 b

42. Powerful prayers come from a pure—i.e., righteous—heart.

43. Powerful prayers come from a pure—i.e., righteous—heart. • “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (v 16b, ESV).

44. Prayer itself does not have great power.

45. Prayer itself does not have great power; the power of a righteous person has great power.

46. Prayer itself does not have great power; the power of a righteous person has great power. • “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Ps 66:18, ESV).

47. Prayer itself does not have great power; the power of a righteous person has great power. • Ps 66:18. • “Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil” (Micah 3:4, ESV).

48. Prayer itself does not have great power; the power of a righteous person has great power. • Ps 66:18. • Micah 3:4. • “Whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him” (1 Jn 3:22, ESV).

49. If we want God to hear our prayers, we must be a pure (righteous) people.

50. If we want God to hear our prayers, we must be a pure (righteous) people. • Abimelech & Abraham.