Sermons
July 9th, 2023 by Pastor Solley070923AM Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace #2
Sub. Prayer
Theme: Power in prayer
Text: Heb 4:14-16 ; James 5:14-17
“Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace” #2 Heb 4:14-16 ; James 5:14-17
Introduction
We continue with the subject of prayer this morning and specifically with power in prayer. Prayer is the most powerful thing available to the child of God. Prayer changes people, changes circumstances, is able to suspend the laws of nature, of science, of physics, prayer is able to move mountains. Prayer is able to do all of those things because prayer moves the hand of Almighty God.
I. We are to come boldly to the throne of grace: Heb 4:14-16 ; 13:6 There are many things that the word boldly does not mean but it does imply a power in prayer.
A. We have so many examples of power in prayer in the Bible: Because of prayer we see fire have no power on those thrown into it, the mouths of hungry lions shut, a man control the weather for three and one half years, the dead raised to life, buildings shaken, prison doors opened and much, much more.
1. God does not give us those examples to show us what we cannot be: God gives us those examples to show us what we can be in prayer, the power available to us in prayer. Prayer is the most powerful thing in the universe.
2. And God has promised to answer our prayers in great power: The promises of answered prayer in the Bible, to do great and mighty things, to move mountains, are for the child of God today.
B. But are we powerful in prayer? If not, why not? When we lack power in prayer the problem is never with God or His Word. When we lack power in prayer the problem lies with us, always with us.
II. The Bible sets before us a pathway that leads to power in prayer: What we must ask ourselves is if we are willing to follow it.
A. Last week we looked at three things that lead to power in prayer: One found in our text and two in the book of James.
1. Power is prayer is found in Jesus Christ: Heb 4:14-16 Just as the Old Testament saint came to God in worship through the High Priest we come to God in worship and in prayer through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is our High Priest today. – Heb 4:14-15
a. The closer ones gets to our High Priest today the more power they will have in prayer.
b. If you want more power in prayer get closer to the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Power in prayer is found in praying: James 5:17-18 Elijah was a man of God and did many things, but foremost Elijah prayed.
a. If you want power in prayer you must pray. A problem with those addressed by James was they did not pray. – James 4:2
b. If you want power in prayer you are going to have to spend time in prayer.
3. Power in prayer is found in fervency in prayer: James 5:16 It is the fervent prayer that is effectual.
a. To be fervent in something means you are giving your all to it, giving your best effort.
b. If you want power in prayer give your best effort in prayer.
B. This morning I want to look at some more things on this path to power in prayer:
PROP: The Bible sets forth the pathway to power in prayer. TS. But do we want to follow that path set before us?
Body
I. Power in prayer is found in fervency: James 5:16-17 We ended with this point last week and we begin with it this morning because of the importance in giving our best effort in prayer.
A. Jesus warned about not giving our best effort in prayer: Matt 6:6-7 Vain of course means empty. But the way the words vain repetitions are used here carry a deeper meaning as well.
1. This means to repeat idly or without thought: It means to speak meaningless phrases, mechanical phrases without thought. Jesus condemned such prayers. – Matt 6:7 – Their much speaking amounted to nothing with God.
2. We are not to pray without thought or effort: But very often we do just that.
a. How much thought do you give to praying before a meal? We are not to be mechanical in prayer.
b. When asked to pray how much thought and effort do you give? We are not to be mechanical in prayer.
c. In your daily prayers how much thought and effort do you give? We are not to be mechanical in prayer.
3. When Jesus warns us about something we ought to pay attention: Matt 6:7 Prayer needs to be more than just some meaningless phrases offered up in a mechanical manner. Those prayers carry no power at all.
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B. When does God want anything less than our best effort? Eccl 9:10 Could I apply this verse to my prayer life?
1. The Bible says whatsoever thy hand findeth to do: Eccl 9:10 I need to do it with all my might, give my best effort.
2. Why wouldn’t that apply to prayer? When there is fervency found in prayer there is power in those prayers. When one gives his or her best effort in prayer there is power in those prayers.
a. Elijah was fervent in prayer. – 1 Kings 18:36-38 – A fervency that brought fire down from heaven.
b. Daniel was fervent in prayer. – Dan 6:10-11 – A fervency that shut the mouths of lions.
c. Jesus was fervent in prayer. – Luke 22:41-42 – A fervency that brought an angel to His side and left 144,000 waiting to be called.
3. When does God want anything less than my best effort in prayer? Eccl 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
4. When we lack power in prayer perhaps we are not giving our best effort in prayer: If I want power in prayer I must give an effort in prayer and that is not putting on a public display as those ones Jesus warned about. Fervency is not an outward public display.
a. Daniel was in his bedchamber.
b. Jesus often apart and alone in prayer.
5. How often do you really give your heart to the Lord, give your all to the Lord in prayer: The more often that is the case the more power your prayers are going to have. David watered his pillow with tears in prayer.
C. Power in prayer is found in fervency in prayer: James 5:16-17
II. Power in prayer is found in righteousness: James 5:16 The Bible says it is the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that availeth much. – James 5:16
A. The word availeth means to be strong, to have power: The same word is used in Phil 4:13 in a verse often quoted. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” “I can do all” is the same Greek word translated availeth in James 5:16
1. We know that Paul was powerful in prayer: He could do all things through Christ because he was powerful in prayer.
2. We know Elijah was powerful in prayer: James 5:17-18 He controlled the weather for three and one half years through prayer.
3. Is that the type of power we want in prayer? It is a legitimate question because that type of power demands something of us.
B. That type of power comes with righteousness: James 5:16 It does not say perfection. It does not say sinless sanctification. But it does say righteous. – James 5:16 – Our righteousness does rest in Christ and for the born again believer we stand righteous before the throne of grace in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way we can come boldly to the throne of grace.
1. But this speaks as well of our walk with the Lord day by day: I am, you are, we are to walk in the light as He is in the light. This speaks of our walk. – 1 John 1:5-10 – We have a position in Christ that He maintains and a walk in Christ we are to maintain.
2. A walk in righteousness is a walk apart from willful and known sin: Eph 5:1-8 – We are to give no place to the devil. – Eph 4:27 Satan and sin are to have no footholds in our lives.
3. It is true that God cannot answer the prayers of the lost because of sin: The first prayer God can answer from the mouth of a lost person is that one of repentance and salvation in Christ. It is sin that keeps God from answering the prayers of the lost.
4. Sin will do the very same thing to our prayers, keep God from answering: Ps 66:18 This is known and willful sin.
a. We all sin, all make innocent mistakes that we become aware of and those need to be confessed and God forgives.
b. This is not talking about the traps laid and temptations set before us by Satan. Those things, when we become aware of them through the conviction of the Holy Spirit need to be confessed before God and God will forgive and cleanse. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That is speaking to the Christian and of a daily cleansing.
5. But to regard is to know of sin and hold onto it: Why should my heavenly Father answer my prayers in power if I hold onto things I know separate me from fellowship with Him? If I hold onto known sin why should God answer my prayers?
a. It may be things I enjoy doing that I know God dopes not agree with but I don’t want to let them go.
b. It may be things I refuse to do that I know God wants me to do but I just decide no.
c. When I know I am not in agreement with God and stay that way I have regarded sin in my life. Why then should I expect God to answer my prayers?
6. God has made a way for me to become clean, to be righteous in my walk: 1 John 1:8-2:3
7. Even as a pastor I don’t need to find out what is wrong with you folks, I need to find out what is wrong with me and bring that to my savior in repentance and confession and be cleansed if I want power in prayer:
C. Power in prayer is found in righteousness:
III. Power in prayer is found in praying for others: James 5:13-14 We are to pray for ourselves and our own needs. We are to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in our personal times of need. I am to pray for me.
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A. But have you noticed in the Bible how many prayers are offered up for others and the power in those prayers? Often when we get our eyes off of ourselves and have a burden for others prayers increase in power. Life is not about me.
1. As many times as it is recorded Jesus praying in the Bible count the times He prayed for Himself: I count one and even then as Jesus was praying for strength to get to the cross that prayer was really for all those who would place faith and trust in Him.
2. Paul asked for prayer many times, but count the times he was praying for himself: Even in that prison cell with Silas it is not clear that he was praying for himself.
3. It is not wrong to pray for ourselves and our personal needs: But the most powerful prayers in the Bible are for others.
a. Elisha prayed for God to open the eyes of his servant, not for himself.
b. Elijah prayed for fire to come down from heaven so others could see the true God.
c. The church was praying for Peter and not for their own safety.
4. The most powerful prayers recorded in the Bible are for others and not for self:
5. But who is that often dominates our prayer lives? It is a direct contradiction of Scripture for me to be more concerned about me than I am about others. We are to pray for ourselves but life is not all about us.
B. When we realize that life is not all about us it brings power to prayer: We are to pray for ourselves but it is not me that is to dominate my prayer life.
1. We are to be concerned for the needs of others: Phil 2:4
2. I am to be more concerned with the needs of others than my own: Rom 15:1
3. I am to bear your burdens in prayer: Gal 6:1-2
4. When we are concerned for others we find that others will be concerned about us: And people will be praying for us.
5. I would rather have you all be praying for me than me alone:
C. Power in prayer is found in praying for others:
IV. Power in prayer is found in submission: Submission to the will of God. – James 5:14-15 – Have you ever wondered if all the sick in that church were healed? If all who needed prayer had those prayers answered in the way that they wanted? I don’t think that they were all healed or that all prayers were answered in the way that they wanted. – James 4:1-3
A. But what if we followed this pathway to power in prayer we have been looking at? What if we checked all of these boxes?
1. That we are in Christ: That Jesus is our High Priest because we have been born again and we are close to Jesus.
2. That we are found praying:
3. That we are fervent in prayer:
4. That we are walking in the light, walking in righteousness:
5. That are main concern is with others and not ourselves:
6. Would those being true bring us great power in prayer and have all prayers answered the way that we want? I believe it would bring great power in prayer but that does not mean all prayers will be answered in the way that we want.
7. The reason being that God knows the end from the beginning, God knows what is best for each individual, God knows what will be used for His glory and God does all things well: Only God knows the end form the beginning.
B. Even those most powerful in prayer and strongest in faith did not have all prayers answered the way that they wanted: Consider the example of the Apostle Paul. – 2 Cor 12:7-10 – Paul never had this prayer answered in the way that he wanted.
1. But Paul was submissive to the will of God: 2 Cor 12:10 Paul did not become bitter, angry, he did not sulk, he did not lose his joy, he did not stop serving, he did not stop praying, he submitted to the will of God.
2. There was a time Peter was not released from prison: Even as he died I believe there were prayers being offered up for him.
3. We have no record that Timothy was ever healed of his stomach troubles: Yet in know Paul prayed for him.
4. David prayed and prayed and prayed for his child to be well: But the child died.
5. Even the most powerful in prayer did not see all prayers answered in the way that they wanted:
C. There will be things we don’t understand, things we pray about, things we know would be better of God would do what we asked in prayer: But would they really be better?
1. There are things I pray about daily that have not changed: Some in years and years. Things I know in my mind wouold be better if God just answered prayer the way I wanted. But would they really be better?
2. I have doubts and fears:
3. But one thing we also need to remember: Isa 55:8-11 His way is always the best way, the higher way.
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D. Power in prayer is found in submission:
Conclusion
There is a path to power in prayer. Are we willing to walk in it?
I. Power in prayer is found in fervency: James 5:16-17 We ended with this point last week and we begin with it this morning because of the importance in giving our best effort in prayer.
II. Power in prayer is found in righteousness: James 5:16 The Bible says it is the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that availeth much. – James 5:16
III. Power in prayer is found in praying for others: James 5:13-14 We are to pray for ourselves and our own needs. We are to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in our personal times of need. I am to pray for me.
IV. Power in prayer is found in submission: Submission to the will of God. – James 5:14-15 – Have you ever wondered if all the sick in that church were healed? If all who needed prayer had those prayers answered in the way that they wanted? I don’t think that they were all healed or that all prayers were answered in the way that they want. – James 4:1-3