Pray Again!

James 5:16b 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.

Introduction:

Prayer is a vital part of the life of the true believer. Prayer brings heaven’s help to earth’s needs and brings us to God. A great example was the prophet, Elijah. He confronted the evil King Ahab and told him that he was praying for the rain to stop. For 42 months, the land was withered from a devastating drought. After Elijah confronted the false prophets of the land and defeated them, he prayed seven times. Each time he prayed, he sent his servant to see if there was a sign of rain. On his seventh attempt, a small cloud rose up, followed by a storm and great rain. The land became fruitful again.

Pray for the Sick:

James 5:13 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 him 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 for one another, that ye may be healed.

When we are sick, we should pray to the Lord. God can use sickness for discipline, to draw us close to Him, or to direct us.

Call for others to pray with you:

A man who was lame was brought to Jesus carried by four men. They broke open the flat roof and lowered him down. He needed assistance to get to Jesus. In the church, a sick individual can call for the elders of the church to pray for him. Many seek a healer who is on TV or traveling from place to place, but the Bible tells us to call for the elders of the church to come.  We should pray together. And the Lord shall raise him up – and the Lord should receive glory.

Pray Again!

I Corinthians 11:29-31 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily (participating in the Lord’s Supper inappropriately with unconfessed sin in his life) eateth and rinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (euphemism for death). 31. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Certainly, not all sickness is caused by sin, but some is. We should always begin with prayer but also examine our lives to see if sin is the ultimate cause.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much:

The righteous man has access to God. His prayer is both fervent and effectual. Many times, our prayers are automatic and without thinking. We need first to be on praying ground. We must be saved and cleansed from sin. If the sick individual has sins, they need to be confessed and cleansed. Our prayers should be intense and fervent, praying that God will indeed answer them.

He may not answer directly. Sometimes we need to pray again. We see that Elijah prayed seven times for the return of rain. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul mentions an illness due to an attack from Satan which God allowed. He prayed three times for its removal. At the third prayer, God showed him that He had allowed the illness to keep Paul humble, usable, and to manifest His strength. Jesus prayed three times in Gethsemane that He would not drink the cup representing his separation from God at the crucifixion but submitted himself to the will of the Father. Let us be faithful and fervent in our prayers, and often pray again.