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PRAYER OF THE RIGHTEOUS. James 5:13-18. 11/24/2024. #20.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
1. Prayer for the sick
a. This is one of the most abused passages in the New Testament
a1. It does not teach that everyone who has elders pray for them will be healed
a2. It does not teach that if we keep praying as Elijah did we get what we want
b. Begins by telling people who are suffering (afflicted) to pray and those who are cheerful to sing
a1. Praying and praising are both a part of honoring and worshipping God
a2. Though prayer is to be a continual activity of believers (I Thessalonians 5), specific prayer for illness is in view here
c. Many times God will not heal for his reasons
a1. Paul left Trophimus at Troas because he was very sick
a2. II Corinthians 12 Paul kept the thorn in his flesh
a3. Matthew 26 the cup did not pass from Jesus
a4. Hebrews 9:27 death is appointed to all
d. Those who are suffering should call for the elders to pray over them
a1. The elders are to anoint (daub or wipe) oil on the sick (a medicinal act)
a2. The elders are to pray for the sick
e. The prayer of faith produces healing
2. Healing of the repentant
a. Verses 14 and 15 go together
b. If the reason the sick is ill is due to disciplinary action by the Lord, then he will be healed…
a1. If he confesses his sin
a2. If he repents
a3. If the elders pray for him
c. Guaranteed healing is promised if the sickness is due to punishment for sin (1 JN. 5:14-17)
a1. God at times gives confidence in a positive answer to prayer so assurance is given
a2. We can never demand of God or claim to engender faith in our will to be done
d. 4 principles in prayer:
a1. Matthew 26 praying for the Lord’s will to be done
a2. James 1, praying in faith that the Lord hears and will answer our prayers (not vacillating)
a3. James 4 not praying selfishly or carnally
a4. II Corinthians 12 accepting and submitting to God’s answer to prayer
e. Confess sins to those whom you have offended
a1. Not confessing to everyone
a2. Matthew 5:22-24 seek forgiveness from the one you have affronted
3. Effective praying
a. Elijah prayer for a drought and then for rain
a1. Elijah prayed in the will of God (led by him)
a2. It did not rain for 3 ½ years
a3. Notice that Elijah prayed 7 times before rain came upon the earth (persistent praying as God leads is different than pestering God for one’s own will to be done)
b. Fervent (lit., energized) prayer is not praying harder, linger, or desperately
a1. A prayer that seeks the will of God
a2. Pray until God gives you peace that he hears and will answer in his perfect will
c. Daniel 10 some prayer is intense spiritual warfare, battling against evil forces (Ephesians 6:11-12)
Key passage: 1 John 5:14-17
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. 16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.