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Let Us Pray Chapter 13. Chapter 5:13-20 By Warren W. Wiersbe. Use of Tongues: Lowest – complaining (5:9) and swearing oath (5:12) Highest – proclaiming God’s Word (5:10) and praying & praising God (5:13) Praying is a high & holy privilege
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Let Us PrayChapter 13 Chapter 5:13-20 By Warren W. Wiersbe
Use of Tongues: Lowest – complaining (5:9) and swearing oath (5:12) Highest – proclaiming God’s Word (5:10) and praying & praising God (5:13) Praying is a high & holy privilege “Taking it to the Lord” is a mark of spiritual maturity, instead of complaining about the situation.
Praying for the Suffering (5:13) “Afflicted” means “suffering in difficult circumstances”, not the result of sin or the chastening of God Difficult situation: • Avoid grumbling and criticizing the saints (James 5:9) • Avoid blaming God • Pray for the wisdom to understand the situation (James 1:5) • Prayer can remove affliction, if it’s God’s will. • Prayer can give the grace to endure trials • He giveth more grace (4:6) • Paul (II Cor. 12:7-10) • Jesus at Gethsemane
Praying and singing (5:13) Mature Christian knows how to sing while he’s suffering • Paul and Silas (Acts 16:25) • God is able to give “songs in the night” (Job 35:10). Important elements in worship. Singing: intelligent (understandable) (I Cor. 14:15), from your heart (Eph. 5:19), based on the Word of God (Col. 3:16), & motivated by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
Prayer for the Sick (5:14-16) Special characteristics: • The person is sick because of sins (15b-16) (I Cor. 11:30) • The person confesses his sins (5:16) • Church discipline • I Cor. 5 • Literal translation- confess your sins therefore to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. (5:16) • Hamartia-sin (1:15, 16)
The person is healed by prayer of faith (5:15) • Praying, not anointing, heals • Prayer of faith – I John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” • Prayer of faith – a prayer offered when you know the will of God. • God’s will • Who pray? The body of elders who seek God’s will and pray
Practical lessons: Disobedience to God can lead to sickness David (Psalms 32) Sin affects the whole church There is healing (both spiritual & physical) Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy”. Confessing occurs among the saints I John 1:9 private sin, public sin
Prayer for the Nation (5:17-18) • Elijah as an example of righteous man • I King 17-18 • “Elijah was a man just like us” (5:17 NIV) • Not perfect for he was discouraged • “prayer is not getting man’s will in heaven. It’s getting God’s will done on earth” ~Robert Law • God’s Word and prayer can’t be separate • Elijah was persistent • Determined, he prayed earnestly (5:17) • Heart must be in their prayer (Ps 62:8) • Prayer power is the greatest power in the world “Tremendous power is made available through good man’s earnest prayer” (James 5:16 PH) • Prayer for our action that God will bring conviction and revival • I Timothy 2:1-3 - Pray for our government leaders
Prayer for the Straying (5:19-20) • “Err” mean to wander and suggests a gradual turning away from the will of God. • Old Testament term for err is backsliding • “Overtaken in a fault” Gal. 6:1 • Sin is usually the result of slow, gradual spiritual decline • Dangerous, because he may be disciplined by the Lord • Also, he is in a danger of committing sin unto death I John 5:16-17, I Cor. 11:30 It’s dangerous to the church for the backslider can influence others & lead them astray. Ecc. 9:18 NASB – “One sinner destroys much good”
Therefore, we must help the backslider. • The origin of the problem? “wander from the truth” James 5:19 • The truth is the Word of God (John 17:17) • Examples: Peter was warned that Satan was there to tempt, but Peter refused to believe what Jesus said. He slept while Jesus prayed at Gethsemane. • Peter denied three times. • The outcome, or result, of this is sin and possible death (James 5:20). This wanderer (backslider) is a Christian. The sin in the life of a Christian is worse than sin in the life of unbeliever. II Peter 2:20.
What should we do when we see a fellow Christian wandering from the truth? • We should pray for him and seek to help him. He needs to be “converted” – turned back into the right path. • “When thou are converted, strengthen thy brethren” Luke 22:23 • It is important that we seek the lost and win the saved. • Matt 18:15 - Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. • Gained means “won”, same as James 4:13
To help the erring friend, we must have the attitude of love, for “love shall cover the multitude of sins.” I Peter 4:8, James 5:20 Prov. 10:12 “Hate stirred up strife, but love covereth all sins.” Speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) Love helps the offenders to face the sin and deal with them and also assures him that forgiven sins are remembered no more. • A straying brother needs to be restored. • A lost sinner needs to be brought to the Saviour. • If a straying brother dies, he goes to heaven, but the sinner is condemned to hell for eternity.