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Nov 25, 2018

Everyday faith involves prayer

Everyday faith involves prayer

Passage: James 5:13-18

Speaker: Ben Seneker

Series: Everyday Faith: A study in the book of James

We are invited to lay out our deepest hearts, our pains, joys and frustrations before the Lord; to have an intimate back and forth conversation with the King of Kings as we give thanks for and/or ask for God’s mercy on ourselves and people we love. While God most certainly still physically heals and we are invited to ask for such healing, the greater healing is for our hearts and forgiveness for our sins. We know that we can trust the power and surety of prayer because Jesus secured our relationship with the Father on the cross and, after his glorification, has sent the Holy Spirit inside of us, praying to the Father on our behalf.

Order of Worship

Call To Worship: Hebrews 4:14-16 & 12:28 ESV
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 141:1-2
New Testament Reading: Matthew 6:5-8
Sermon Title: Everyday faith involves prayer
Central Text: James 5:13-18
Response: The Lord’s Prayer
Benediction: Romans 15:13 ESV
Post-Service Text: Romans 8:26 ESV

Readings & Scripture

Pre-Service Text: James 5:16 ESV
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Call To Worship: Hebrews 4:14-16 & 12:28 ESV
LEADER: 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus
the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

ALL: 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 141:1-2
1 O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

New Testament Reading: Matthew 6:5-8
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Central Text: James 5:13-18
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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 one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Response: The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.

Benediction: Romans 15:13 ESV
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Post-Service Text: Romans 8:26 ESV
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Discussion Questions & Applications:

  1. What’s your view and practice of prayer?
    1. What is the point of prayer?
    2. Why does God desire for us to pray?
    3. How can prayers be a conversation rather than a wish-list?
  2. Do your prayers tend toward asking, praising or confessing?
  3. Compare and contrast praying with our communication with somebody that we deeply love.
    1. How can that be the way we pray (in content and quantity)?
  4. Do our prayers make a difference?
    1. Do they “change” God?
    2. How do our prayers also change the heart of the pray-er?
  5. Read Hebrews 4:14-16 which tells us to “draw near to the throne of grace”. How does this give us hope in our prayers?
  6. How is it that the heart of prayer can be seen in how Jesus ended his in the garden before his death: “Thy Will Be Done”?
  7. Why is it that, because of who Jesus is and what he did, we can honestly say “thy will be done”?

Quotes:

● “God will either give us what we ask or give us what we would have asked if we knew everything he knows.” - ​Timothy J. Keller

● “Sometimes when we do not receive comfort in our prayers, when we are broken and cast down, that is when we are really wrestling and prevailing in prayer.” - ​Charles Spurgeon

● “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God it changes me.” - ​C.S. Lewis ​​(Shadowlands)

● “Sometimes when we say "God is silent," what's really going on is that He hasn't told the story the way we wanted it told. He will be silent when we want him to fill in the blanks of the story we are creating. But with His own stories, the ones we live in, He is seldom silent.” - ​Paul Miller ​​(A Praying Life)

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