The Prayer of Faith

October 1, 2024

Prayer of Illumination:

Speak to us, O Lord, as we come to You to receive the food of Your Holy Word.

By Your Spirit, plant Your truth deep within us and shape us in Your likeness so that the light of Christ will be seen in our actions and decisions.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen

"Dear Lord, I promise to give to charity, just let me win Lotto 649—just this once! I'll even tithe 15%, okay, 10%!"

"Dear God, if you help me find a parking spot right now, I promise I’ll go to church this Sunday. Wait, never mind—I found one! But, you know, still… thanks!"

"Lord, give me patience... and please hurry!"

"God, I know you have bigger things to deal with, but please, just let the Canucks win this season. I'll be a much better person if we win, I promise."

"Dear Lord, please bless this double big mac, large fries, and milkshake to the nourishment of my body. And while You're at it, make it calorie-free. Amen!"

"Jesus, please don’t let my boss notice that I’m 20 minutes late again. Just this once, make me invisible!"

"Heavenly Father, if You could just help me get 100 more likes on this Instagram post, I’ll know You love me."

"Lord, we know the farmers need rain, but could You hold off just until after our church picnic this afternoon?"

What do you think of these prayers? They’re funny, right? Why? Maybe because we know deep down these are not the kinds of prayers God intends for us.

But if we’re honest, don’t we sometimes pray like this? We ask for good weather for our BBQs or vacations. We pray for our child to get ahead, even at someone else’s expense. Our prayers can often be so self-focused.

And when they go unanswered, what do we conclude? "I guess God’s not listening to my prayers." Don’t we all long for our prayers to be more effective and powerful?

We’ve journeyed through the Book of James for the past four weeks. Today, as we explore the final chapter, James brings us to the heart of a life of faith: the power of prayer.

He begins with a simple, direct question: “Is anyone among you suffering?” Are you facing spiritual, emotional, relational, or financial challenges? Struggling with work, school, marriage, or friendships?

What’s the first thing we do when trouble comes? We worry, we grumble, and maybe throw ourselves a pity party. And we often question God, "Why is this happening to me?"

But James offers us one command in response: "Pray."

"Is anyone happy? Is anyone cheerful?" James asks.

"Then sing songs of praise." We might think it’s natural and easy to give thanks and praise when life is good, but the truth is, we often don’t.

When things are going well, it’s easy to forget God. We forget that He’s the one providing everything we need and behind all the blessings we enjoy. Instead of giving thanks, we get comfortable, thinking we’ve got it all figured out on our own.

Then James asks another question: "Is anyone among you sick? Call the elders of the church and have them anoint you with oil in the name of Jesus."

This practice was quite common in previous generations, but nowadays, most of us would rather call our family doctor.

To be clear, you should call your doctor—but also let your pastor and elders know.

Why call the elders? Because God never intended for Christians to suffer in isolation. Those who’ve experienced the power of intercessory prayer know what a difference it makes.

Don’t assume your minister or elders know what you’re going through. Don’t wait to say, "I was sick, and no one called or visited me." Let the church leaders know and ask for prayer.

It’s not because the elders have some special power or a unique gift of healing. It’s not because God listens to their prayers more than others.

The elders — both teaching elders (pastor) and ruling elders — represent the church. God wants the body of Christ to come together in faith, praying for one another.

Have you ever prayed over someone who was sick or had someone pray over you? What was that experience like?

I remember a time when I was raising my three daughters, and my immune system was weak. I was often sick, and one time, I came down with a terrible flu—fever and body aches. I couldn’t do anything but lie in bed, just groaning in pain.

Then, the music director from my church came over to check on me. While she prayed, she gently massaged my body. It was the softest, yet most powerful touch I’ve ever experienced. And by that evening, I was able to get out of bed and prepare dinner for my family.

James also encourages us to confess our sins to one another.

But what does that truly look like?

Are we supposed to stand in front of the whole congregation and list off everything we’ve done wrong this week?

While that has happened during times of spiritual revival, that’s not what James is asking of us here.

What we need are fellow believers we trust—people with whom we can be vulnerable. In a humble and gracious space, we can share the temptations we struggle with the most and pray for each other to overcome them.

We’re called to live as a community of love and care, bearing mutual responsibility for one another. When we share our burdens, they become easier to carry.

Yet, often, we’re too afraid to be that vulnerable.

But imagine how much healthier our church would be if more of us prayed for each other, in love, grace, and humility, to conquer the sins we wrestle with.

I have a couple of close friends whom I trust enough to share my vulnerabilities and shortcomings with. I tell them when I’m feeling angry, weak, or tempted, and I ask them to pray for me.

There’s something powerful about bringing those hidden struggles into the light—when we expose the sinful things in our hearts, they lose their grip on us.

So why do we pray for each other? Because, as James says, “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

But what does it mean to be righteous? Does that describe us?

A righteous person isn’t perfect but has a living faith that strives to obey God and follow His Word.

Powerful prayer comes from believers who genuinely want God’s will to be done in their lives, rather than their own.

James gives us the example of Elijah. Who was Elijah? He was one of the most important prophets in the Bible, living during the reign of King Ahab, the most wicked king of Israel.

Elijah fearlessly warned Ahab: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1).

It was a confident declaration that God would answer his upright and fervent prayer because Elijah's prayer aligned with God’s will.

He prayed for no rain even though he knew he would also suffer from the drought and that it would make Ahab furious, putting his life at risk. But still, he prayed in faith, and for 3½ years, no rain fell.

After Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, he prayed again, this time, for rain. And in a dramatic turn, rain finally poured, ending the famine.

We often think of Elijah as a great prophet, far above ordinary people. But James reminds us that Elijah was human—just like us.

After all those incredible miracles, Elijah ran for his life into the wilderness, terrified of Queen Jezebel. He even prayed for God to take his life in his moment of despair.

Elijah, despite being a prophet, had his highs and lows, just like us. But when he prayed for no rain, it didn’t rain. And when he prayed for rain, the skies opened.

What we need to remember is that Elijah’s power came from God, responding to his prayers. When our prayers align with God’s will, we can trust they will be answered, because, as James says, “the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”

One more lesson from Elijah is that when he prayed for rain, God didn't send it immediately.

Yet Elijah didn’t give up. He bent down, placed his face between his knees, and prayed persistently.

After sending his servant to look seven times, at last, a small cloud—no bigger than a man’s hand—rose from the sea. Through Elijah’s faithful persistence, the land was refreshed by rain once more.

In the same way, we too should not lose heart when we pray for one another. James urges us to meet every circumstance in life with prayer. That’s what people who trust God do.

We pray for ourselves, for each other, for healing, and for deliverance from sin. God receives all of these prayers and, in His love, responds with His great power and goodness.

E.M Bounds, a clergy and Christian author in the 19th century, said in his renowned book, Power through Prayer, “What the Church needs today is not more or better machinery, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men and women whom the Holy Spirit can use -- men (and women) mighty in prayer.

The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods but through people. He does not anoint plans, but people -- men (and women) of prayer.”

Two weeks ago, we began a prayer meeting on Wednesday. Unlike our Thursday Bible study, no one showed up.

And I understand why. Prayer doesn't always come naturally.

Prayer can feel hard. It can seem like the most difficult thing to do. You don’t know where to start. You feel awkward to pray together.

You feel like you’ve prayed for hours, only to discover that two minutes have passed.

It can seem as if your prayers are hitting the ceiling instead of reaching God. Sometimes, you just don’t feel equipped.

Yet maybe prayer is also the simplest thing we can do because, at its heart, it's just a conversation with our Father who loves us deeply.

Whether it feels awkward or as natural as breathing, prayer is the key for believers to express their faith and dependence on God.

The power of prayer is not in the eloquence of our words or the length of our prayers. It’s not about how loud or unique we pray.

No—the power of prayer comes from our Triune God: The Father, to whom we pray; Jesus Christ, through whom we can boldly approach God's throne; and the Holy Spirit, who intercedes for us with wordless groans.

If you believe in Jesus Christ, our Savior, call out to Him. He hears your prayer and answers in His perfect time, according to His will.

Psalm 34:17: “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles

Jesus declared, 'It is written, "My house will be called a house of prayer."'

My prayer is that this sanctuary becomes a true house of prayer — not just on Sundays, but every day — filled with prayers for our brothers and sisters, our neighbors, our leaders, Christians across the world, and God’s Kingdom.

Friends, we are a community of care and love, called to walk this journey of faith side by side, praying for one another.

During struggles, prayers of faith have powerful effects. Because our God, who is the source of the power of prayer and who works through the prayers of His people, always responds.

Do you believe in the power of prayer? I do. Never underestimate the power of prayer!

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the incredible privilege of calling You Father and for the assurance that we can come to You at any time.

Teach us to be powerful and effective in prayer, aligning our hearts with Your will, not our own.

Help us fill Your house with fervent prayers—prayers for healing, reconciliation, and restoration for Your people, this land, and all of creation.

We ask this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.