James (Part 5)
James on Prayer
In Part 1 of this study on James, it was mentioned that Martin Luther called the book of James “The Epistle of Straw” because, unlike Romans, for instance, it deals a lot with what could be called good Christian works, as distinct from faith. However it was also pointed out that faith and works are each mentioned 18 times in James! Also, James deals a lot with the subject of Prayer – and if anything involves faith, prayer certainly does!
Seven Prayer Principles in James
1. Ask and keep on asking (James 1:5; 4:2)
2. Ask in faith (James 1:6; 5:15)
3. Ask with right motives (James 4:3)
4. Ask and work (James 2:17, 26)
5. Ask and … submit to God
resist the devil
draw near to God
(James 4:7-8a)
6. Ask with clean hands and pure hearts (James 4:8b; 5:16a)
7. Ask fervently, sincerely, and from the heart (James 5:16b-18)
Martin Luther felt that the epistle of James lacked substance because it dealt more with works, than with salvation by faith! The following study on James’ teaching on Prayer will show that faith and works go hand in hand – we live by faith and that faith is demonstrated by the good works that the Holy Spirit inspires and energizes in our lives, to the glory of God!
"Whoever knows what is right to do, and fails to do it, for him it is sin" (James 4:17)
1. Ask … and keep on asking (1:5 and 4:2)
Why pray? Very simply: “We do not have because we do not ASK!” See Matthew 7:7-11. Also, prayer involves or requires relationship with the Father (see Luke 11:9-13). God is a good and loving and wise Father who loves to give good gifts to His children who come and ask Him. Note that in Matthew 7:7 the call to “ask” is in the continuous tense – “ask and keep on asking”, for God wants us to “persevere in prayer” and not give up (Luke 18:1).
2. Ask … and ask in faith (1:6-8 and 5:15)
“If any of you lack wisdom, ASK God who gives generously and without grudging, and it will be given to you. But ask in FAITH, without doubting, for those who doubt are like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. Doubters are double-minded and unstable; they cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord.”
Not only do we need to ask God, but we also need to ask in faith – faith based on a word from God, and a knowledge of God’s character, His ways, principles and purposes.
Faith is not merely a wish, or a “hope for”, or for something we would like or want. God has promised to supply all our needs so we can pray in faith for all we need (Phil. 4:19)
Wisdom is referred to in the above verses, and how we need wisdom from above! (3:17). Wisdom involves both knowledge and the right application of that knowledge! So we can always pray, in faith, for God’s wisdom in every situation we face. Wisdom is something we all need. Godly wisdom leads us in Godly ways.
James 5:15-16 also refers to “the prayer of faith” when praying for the sick. Repentance, confession of sin, wisdom and the prayer of faith combine to “save” the sick – both physically and spiritually, so that the Lord will “raise them up” and their “sins will be forgiven”.
3. Ask … with right motives (4:3)
Why do we sometimes pray and there is no answer? “We ask and do not receive because we ask wrongly” – we ask with wrong MOTIVES, such as asking in order to satisfy our:
· pride
· greed
· selfishness
· laziness
· impatience
· anger (wrong anger: “Be angry but do not sin” Eph. 4:26-27)
· revenge
· bitterness
· wrong opinions or ideas – e.g., cultural not Biblical; prejudice or bias
· fear
· anxiety
4. Ask … and work (2:14-26)
Prayer is an act of faith. But with our prayers we also need to do whatever God asks us, in order that our prayers may be answered.
There is an old saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” Is this true? Is it Biblical? Like many such questions, the answer is both Yes and No! God helps those who cannot help themselves, but who call on Him and ask for His help. He also expects us to do what we can to be part of the answer to our prayer. He is not going to encourage us to be lazy; He is not going to do what we can do, but can’t be bothered doing! Answers to prayer may be miraculous. Many, perhaps most, are a combination of doing what we can to be part of the answer and seeing God direct, empower, give wisdom, etc., for what we cannot do.
Without prayer we may be unable to do something; without works God may not do it. There is power in faith + works acting together! With regard to salvation, Ephesians 2:8-10 says that we are saved by God’s grace, which we receive by faith. The outcome being that we do good works which bring glory to God!
Another example is prayer and evangelism. Evangelists need intercessors who will support and pray for them and those they are sharing the Gospel with; but intercessors also need evangelists who will reach out to people with the Good News – intercession alone may not bring people to Christ; a messenger is also usually needed!
5. Ask … and submit to God (4:7-10)
These verses tell us both to:
· SUBMIT to God and His will – “Thy will be done” (which implies listening to Him and praying as His Spirit leads us), and
· RESIST the devil (and his attempts to hinder the answer), and he will flee – spiritual warfare may be necessary before prayers are answered!
Both submitting to God and resisting the devil are important!
This may apply, for example, to temptation, frustrations, discouragement, depression, sickness, wrong relationships, etc. Note that the order is important: before getting into a battle with the enemy, always submit yourself to the Lord for His protection, guidance, power and authority first!
These verses (4:7-10) also tell us to:
· Draw near to God (wait on Him; sense what He wants)
· Cleanse your hands so there is no hindrance to the answer coming
· Purify your hearts (examine your motives)
· Grieve over sin (especially your own!)
· Humble yourselves
· Be patient (5:7-8)
QUESTIONS
1. What did Luther mean by saying James’ letter was “an epistle of straw”? Was he right?
2. Why does God sometimes “take a long time” to answer our prayers?
3. Why does God sometimes not answer our prayers the way we hoped for?
4. Faith and works are both important for answered prayer. Why?
5. What is spiritual warfare? Why may it be necessary before our prayers are answered?
6. What are “clean hands” and “pure hearts”? Why are they so important for answered prayers?