“The Components of Biblical Prayer”

James 5:1-20

I. Pray for proper relations (1-6).

A. These relations would include husband and wife, Elders & congregation, employees & employer and student & teacher.

B. Pray for friendliness and not worldliness (vs. 1-3, 5; Matt. 6:13, Prov. 30:7-9, 1 Kings 11).

C. Pray for fairness to other people (4, 6).

II. Prayer for Patience (vs. 7-12).

A. Pray for the patience of a farmer (vs. 7-9). Why?

1. The Lord is coming (1 Thes. 4:13ff, no one knows when).

2. Establish your hearts.

3. Don’t complain (Phil. 2:14-15).

B. Pray for the patience of the prophets (vs.10).

1. The prophets had to be patient with the people and the king—Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Moses, Isaiah, Jesus).

2. The prophets suffered but still persevered (Jer. 20:7-11, Hosea, Daniel, Ezekiel).

C. Pray for the patience of Job (vs. 11).

1. Job 1-3 is Job’s Distress

2. Job 4-37 is Job’s Defense

3. Job. 38-42 Job’s Deliverance

III. Pray for suffering ones (vs. 13).

A. The suffering should pray.

1. Suffering from cancer, in nursing home, death, depression, marital strife, family strife, loss of loved one, etc,.

2. We must pray for these people (pray for those who do not pray for themselves)!!

B. The Cheerful should sing-- “Sing & Be Happy”

C. A combination of both of these is ACTS 16:25

IV. Pray for the sick ones (vs. 14-16)

A. Physical Sickness

1. May be due to natural causes

2. May be a discipline from God (1 Tim. 1:19-20, Elymas, Paul).

B. Spiritual Sickness Especially

1. Confess sins (David, Achan, 1 John 1:-8).

2. Prayer of faith heals them (Acts 8:24).

3. Payer + going to them= salvation

C. What is the anointing with oil?

1. Miraculous—Spiritual Gift to Heal using oil.

2. Medicial—herbal remedy for problem. What kind of oil??

3. Symbolic—Mark 6:13, Ps. 23:5, 2 Kings 9:6

V. The Powerful Results of Prayer (17-18).

A. Background of Ahab, Jezebel, and Elijah in 1 Kings 17-18

B. The main point: Elijah was a man like us, therefore, we can expect powerful results from our prayers (Matt. 21:22, Acts 27:25, James 1:5).

C. Prayer is so powerful that it could actually suspend the way nature works. We are not in the miraculous, but prayer still moves the hand the moves the world.

VI. Pray for erring brethren (vs. 19-20)

A. A brother can wonder from the truth (Acts 8:22, Gal. 5:6, 2 Pet. 1:10, 1 Cor. 10:12).

B. He can be brought back through the 2^nd law of pardon (Acts 8—Simon).

C. His soul can be saved from death.

D. We have to do the turning—prayer plus action equals salvatoin.

E. There is a time to stop prayer and start encouraging (1 Jn. 5:16, Jer. 7, 11, 14).