Title: The Keys to An Effective Prayer Life
Text:
James 5:13-18 (HCSB)
13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord.
15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will restore him to health; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.
18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.
Observation:
One of the key elements of effective prayer is personal communion with God. There is nothing on earth that is sweeter than being able to speak to God, and hear Him speak into our soul; what a pure delight and blessing. O how sweet to be in the presence of God; now that is Face Time that is beyond the reach of iPhone.
Notice that there is a prerequisite to effective prayer. Prior to communing with Holy God there must be nothing between our soul and our Savior. There is nothing more cleansing than the confession of our sins. We should seek to maintain short accounts with God and man.
1 John 1:9 (HCSB)
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The wonderful thing about the message of our text is that there is nothing beyond the reach of prayer; even the weather is included. If a child of God has a need, the place to take that need is to the Lord in prayer.
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so glad that You are God almighty, and that You hear and answer the prayers of Your believing children. Father, I am so delighted that I have a helper to tutor me in how to have an effective prayer life. Father, I am so thankful that nothing is too difficult for you to handle. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Romans 8:26 (HCSB)
26 In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.
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Proverbs 30:5 (ESV)
5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Psalm 119:11 (ESV)
11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
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