The Power of Prayer

Turn with me to James 5. We are almost through James. Next week a missionary will be speaking, so the week after will be our last in James.

Tonight’s passage is all about the power of prayer. But this isn’t really about the power of individual prayer - although it touches on that - it’s about the power of church prayer.

Hudson Taylor used to say “the church moves forward on it knees.” I can say that the times when God has really shown up here and moved in a mighty way, it’s always been tied to a time of urgent prayer. Some of you were saved after seasons of urgent prayer.

Prayer is one of the most important things we do as a church.

Let’s get into our text. Let’s read verses 13-18 tonight.

”13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (Jas 5:13-18 KJV)

All throughout the book of James, James has been warning us about the danger of our tongue.

Way back in chapter 1 James says

”If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but decieveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” (26)

In chapter two he warns us about using our tongue to show respect of persons. Later on, in verse 16, he warns us about using our tongue to make empty Christian statements when we have the power to help people.

Then chapter 3 is all about the tongue. It talks about how the tongue is an unquenchable fire. An untamable beast.

In chapter 4:11 James warns us against using our tongue to speak evil of our brother and or to judge our brothers.

Finally, in this chapter we’ve been warned against using our tongues to grudge and complain against our brothers and sisters in Christ (9), and about using them to make silly oaths. (12)

So James has a consistent warning in this book: Watch your tongue. It gets you in trouble. It hurts your walk with God. It hurts others.

But He doesn’t just leave us with a warning about the tongue, he gives us instruction for how we are supposed to use the tongue.

The first point I want to give you tonight is…

1. The Recipe for Prayer (13-14)

A. For the suffering

Notice it says ”Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.”

If you are suffering, you should bring your suffering to the Lord. Take it to Jesus.

Like the old song says

Are you weary, are you heavyhearted?
Tell it to Jesus,
Tell it to Jesus;
Are you grieving over joys departed?
Tell it to Jesus alone.

That’s what James is saying, when you are going through a hard time, don’t complain, don’t murmur, don’t hold grudges, use that tongue and share it with God. Pray about it.

1 Peter 5:7 says ”Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”

Look at the second piece of advice James gives us regarding our tongue:

B. For the happy

He says ”Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”

What he’s saying is, if you are struggling, pray about it. If you are happy, sing to God about it.

Notice, that both of these are forms of God-directed speech. When we are struggling we direct our speech to God in prayer, when we are joyful we direct our speech to God in song.

One interesting thing here is that the words “to sing songs” here is the greek word for strumming or picking. I’d say this is talking about congregational music. Singing with accompaniment.

I’ve told you many times that our singing together is powerful. It’s an important part of our worship together. Remember Ephesians 5:19, right after we are told to be filled with the spirit we are told to:

”Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”

Thats a corporate thing. That’s a church wide thing.

I really hope you have good, God-honoring Christian music in your life. Music has the ability to lift up your soul and direct your spirit. Just this morning I was reading in my devotions about king Saul being depressed and David would come in and play music for him and it would lift up his spirit. Music can do that.

I also think bad music, worldly music, can really hamper your Christian walk and Christian growth. Your music is a reflection of what is in your heart. So choose good music and sing that good music back to God.

So don’t use your tongue to gripe, to complain, to backbite, to say silly things. Use your tongue to pray to God or use your tongue to sing to God.

One more recipe here for prayer and that is…

C. For the sick

Verse 14 says:

”Is any 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:”

James says that when we are sick, we can call on the elders of the church, the church leadership, to come and pray over us and anoint us with oil.

My daughter asked a few weeks ago “What’s the deal with the oil? Why do we anoint people with oil and pray over them.”

My answer was simple, because the Bible tells us to. That’s really the reason why we do it.

Now, what does the oil mean? There are two theories I found as I was studying this out:

The first theory is that the oil was used as a kind of medicine. Olive oil was a pretty common cure in Bible times.

I understand that. But the problem I have with that explanation is that it doesn’t say “have them drink olive oil” or “administer olive oil medicinally”. It says “anoint them” which just means “pour on” or “wipe on.” That’s not a medicinal treatment here.

The second theory and the one that I think is right is that it is just a picture of the Holy Spirit and a tactile reminder of the power of prayer. We don’t believe there is anything magical about the oil - it’s just olive oil - same kind you cook with. We don’t believe it turns into something else when we use it this way - we are just being obedient to a command in the scripture.

So, if you are sick, you can call for the church leaders to come and pray over you. Now, look, it doesn’t say we have to do this in the church. We can do this in your home. We can do this at a hospital room. But it does say that the sick person needs to initiate it.

Don’t be bashful about asking for prayer.

So that’s the first thing, that’s the recipe for prayer. Point number two is…

2. The Results of Prayer (15-16)

In verses 15-16 it tells us what can happen when we pray in faith.

First,

A. Healing will happen

It says…

”And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up;”

When we pray together over people, God can and sometimes does heal them. This is a powerful promise from God.

Matthew 18:19-20 says:

”Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

I don’t think this is to be taken as a promise that God heals every sickness. We certainly see times in the New Testament where there was sickness and the answer wasn’t “have God heal you” or “go to the healing service.” But we can’t discount this either.

I don’t believe that anyone in our church has the gift of healing, but I absolutely still believe that God has the power to heal and I absolutely believe that He sometimes uses that power to

B. Forgiveness will happen

”and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

This isn’t talking about saving faith here, it’s talking about a connection between sickness and sin.

The Bible teaches that sometimes, we get sick because of sin. Not always, but sometimes.

C. Confession can happen

”Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”

3. A Reference for Prayer (17-18)