Prayer and Patience

"Prayer and Patience"

James 5:7-16
 

 

Thomas a Kempis – “He deserves not the name of patient who is only willing to suffer 

as much as he thinks proper.”

 

Life Lesson: Patience perfects God’s plan so I won’t preempt it.

 

“The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also must be patient.”  - James 5:7b-8a

 

 

Insights that Grow our Patience

 

Insight 1 – Keep focused on the big picture.

 

James 5:7 – “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming.”

 

Point:  “Patience” is rooted in a macro approach to life. 

 

Michael Hodgin – “Don’t give up. It took Noah six months to find a parking place.”

 

Insight 2 – Reset your resolve.

 

Arnold H. Glasow  - “The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.”

 

James 5:8 – “Be patient and stand  firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.”

 

Idea:  “Stand firm” = it has a determination factor in it…

 

= idea:  set a course into the wind.     

 

Insight 3 – Waiting is not weakness. 

 

James 5:11 – “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.”

 

Point: “Persevered” = figuratively: to hold one’s ground .

 

...spiritually: to wait for God’s timing.

The “Thoughts” of Patience

 

Thought 1 – Appeal to God rightly.

 

James 5:12 – “Above all, my brothers, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.

 

Thought 2 – Appeal to God honestly.

 

James 5:13-14 – “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

 

Thought 3 – Appeal to God faithfully.

 

James 5:15 – “The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”

 

Thought 4 – Appeal to God humbly.

James 5:16 – “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

 

Faith Fellowship Boca · Prayer and Patience

Prayer and the "Perfection Possibility"

Prayer and the “Perfection Possibility”

1 Thessalonians 5:14-22

“Pray continually.” (NIV)

“Pray without ceasing/constantly.” (ESV) 

- 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Note: This is God’s purpose for working in your life: Perfection

1. “Sanctified through and through” = Complete and Permanent Transformation.

2. “Blameless” = above reproach... implies a witness connotation

Point: Prayer maintains a dedicated line of communication with God...

Life Lesson: Unbroken communion with God sustains us perfectly.

2 Blessings of the “Unbroken Communion” Life 

Blessing 1 – Deeper Peace with God

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Richard Foster - “Unceasing prayer has a way of speaking peace to the chaos.” ( Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home)

Blessing 2 – Purer Passion for God.

Howard Taylor - “For forty years the sun never rose on China that God didn’t find him on his knees.”

1 Thessalonians 5:14 – “We urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.”

Point: Prayer is the food that satisfies the soul for God.

8 Disciplines of Perfection 

Discipline 1 – “Be Joyful Always.” (v. 16)

“Joy” = the satisfaction of the soul

Discipline 2 – “Pray continually.” (v. 17)

Discipline 3 – “Give thanks in all circumstances.” (v. 18)

2 Corinthians 9:8 – “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

William Barclay – “Even on the darkest days there are blessings to count.” 

Discipline 4 – “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” (v. 19)

Matthew 12:30-32 – Jesus said, “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. 31 So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven - except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.” (NLT)

Point: Let God lead the church.

Discipline 5 – “Do not treat prophecies with contempt.” (v. 20)

“Contempt” = to be cavalier/resistant about God’s revealed will.

Colossians 3:16 – “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.”

Discipline 6 – “Test everything.” (v. 21a)

“Test” = verify authenticity, consistency; implies avoiding gullibility

1 John 4:1 – “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Discipline 7 – “Hold on to the good.” (v. 21b)

Point: Purity is the result of testing and holding.

Discipline 8 – “Avoid every kind of evil.” (v. 22)

“Evil” = distortion, twisting or destruction of what is of God.

Faith Fellowship Boca · Prayer and Perfection

Faith Fellowship Boca · Prayer and the "Perfection Possibility"

Prayer that Transforms

“Prayer that Transforms”

Search me, O God, and know my heart; 

test me and know my anxious thoughts. 

See if there is any offensive way in me, 

and lead me in the way everlasting.

- Psalm 139:23-24

Richard Foster – “To pray is to change.”

Life Lesson: We do not master prayer, prayer masters us.

The Power of Transformative Prayer

Application 1 – Transformative Prayer unpeels the layers of corruption in my heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” 

Psalm 139:23 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.”

“Search Me” invites God to dig deep into our hidden places.  

“Test me” has judgment seat overtones.

Application 2 – Transformative Prayer cleanses the impurities from my heart.

Psalm 139:24a – “See if there is any wicked way in me...”

Point: Transformative Prayer opens the way for God to remove anything that he deems wicked.

Application 3 – Transformative Prayer sets my vision on holiness.

Psalm 139:24b – “...and lead me in the way everlasting.” 

** Israel often deviated from the “Way”

Jeremiah 6:16 – “Thus says the LORD: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, “We will not walk in it.”

** But Jesus not only showed us the Way back to God, he IS the Way.

John 14:6 – “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Point: Transformative Prayer enables us to choose holiness as our preferred lifestyle.

Faith Fellowship Boca · Prayer that Transforms

Prayer: God's Invitation to Intimacy

Prayer and Intimacy

James 4:1-10

Life Lesson: Prayer is our response to God’s invitation to Intimacy. 

** C.S. Lewis (Letters to Malcolm) – 4 Habits that Keep us from Intimacy with God

1. Inattention

2. Distraction

3. Greed

4. Conceit and Arrogance

 

I. Truths about Prayer

Truth 1 – James teaches us that God yearns to be intimate with us.

James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

James 4:5 – “God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us.”

Point: Any flirtation with the world cause jealousy in the Lord’s heart. 

Truth 2 – When we are ready to come close to God, he welcomes us.

 

James 4:8 – “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

 

Point: “Drawing near” is the first step to Peace   

II. Stepping Stones to Intimacy

Stepping Stone 1 – Follow God’s five Guidelines to intimacy. (See: James 4:7-10)

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Guideline 1 – Submit... no matter the cost.

Guideline 2 – Resist...because Satan WILL attack.

Guideline 3 – Draw Near...after all, your intimacy journey is a choice.

Guideline 4 – Cleanse and Purify...so there are no barriers or pretenses in your heart.

Note: Daily confession is a great gift you give yourself.

Guideline 5 – Humble yourself...since God’s grace is discovered in Humility.

Stepping Stone 2 – Have a daily “Heart to Heart” with God.

Galatians 4:6 – “Because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

Point: Totally open up...Tell God all your fears, failures, hopes, dreams

Stepping Stone 3 – Have a daily “Praise” session.

Ephesians 5:19-20 – “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Note: Ask for nothing during this Session.

Point: Love God for himself.

Psalm 106:3 – “Oh give thanks to the LORD for he is good.”

Faith Fellowship Boca · Prayer: God's Invitation to Intimacy