Learning To Pray About Your Problems Not Panic!

Turning Pandemonium Into Praise!

In prayer, it is better to have heart without words, than words without heart. Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin entice a man to cease from prayer. The spirit of prayer is more precious than treasures of gold and silver. Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan. John Bunyan

Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God]. ¹⁴Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; ¹⁵and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. ¹⁷Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. ¹⁸Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual]. James 5:13-18

Prayer Is Your Greatest weapon on Earth…
It is a subject talked about… written about… Preached about… And yet, unfortunately rarely Lived Out.

Few People Grasp Prayer’s Incredible Potential.
Prayer is visiting with our heavenly Father…

Prayer is the grandest power in the entire universe, that it has a more omnipotent force than electricity, attraction, gravitation or any other of those “secret forces” which men have called by name, but which they do not understand. C. H. Spurgeon

Prayer Births… Freedom… Liberty… Miracles… Deliverance… Change …

The Presence of God is The only Place Your Weakness will Die….

God commanded … Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). Luke 18:1

The more we pray, the more we shall want to pray. The more we pray, the more we can pray. He who prays little will pray less, but he who prays much will pray more. And he who prays more will desire to pray more abundantly. C. H. Spurgeon

Prayer Is Your “Key” To Power…

About that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to afflict and oppress and torment some who belonged to the church (assembly). And he killed James the brother of John with a sword; And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded further and arrested Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week]. And when he had seized [Peter], he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers of four each to guard him, purposing after the Passover to bring him forth to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him was persistently made to God by the church (assembly). The very night before Herod was about to bring him forth, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared [standing beside him], and a light shone in the place where he was. And the angel gently smote Peter on the side and awakened him, saying, Get up quickly! And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, Tighten your belt and bind on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Wrap your outer garment around you and follow me. And [Peter] went out [along] following him, and he was not conscious that what was apparently being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed through the first guard and the second, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city. Of its own accord [the gate] swung open, and they went out and passed on through one street, and at once the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, Now I really know and am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting [to do to me]. Acts 12:1-11

Prayer is the sinew of the believer's strength; it is the thermometer of grace; it the autograph of The Holy Spirit on the renewed heart… C. H. Spurgeon

Prayer Changes Your “InnerWorld” Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Each time, before you intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things! Andrew Murray

Prayer Is “How” we Bless Others….First of all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, For kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way. For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior, 1 Timothy 2:1-3

It is also “How” we Bless Ourselves….And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10

Prayer is our “Secret” Weapon…For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

The prayer of the feeblest saint who lives in the Spirit and keeps right with God is a terror to Satan. The very powers of darkness are paralyzed by prayer; no spiritualistic seance can succeed in the presence of a humble praying saint. No wonder Satan tries to keep our minds fussy in active work till we cannot think in prayer. Oswald Chambers

Prayer Opens The Door To Supernatural Events. Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand). Jeremiah 33:3

Prayer Is The Pathway to DailyStrength….Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs; the early rain also fills [the pools] with blessings. They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]; each of them appears before God in Zion. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Behold our shield [the king as Your agent], O God, and look upon the face of Your anointed! Psalm 84:5-9

Prayer Is The Most Powerful Way To “Change” Your DestinyIf My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees. Billy Graham

A prayerless church member is a hindrance. He is in the body like a rotting bone or a decayed tooth. Before long, since he does not contribute to the benefit of his brethren, he will become a danger and a sorrow to them. Neglect of private prayer is the locust which devours the strength of The Church. C. H. Spurgeon

When Should We Pray?

James, mentions there are three specific times when I really need to pray.

1.When I Am Hurting Emotionally… Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God].¹³

Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray.
Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God]. [AMPC]

Kakopatheō [kä-ko-pä-the'-ō] to suffer evil, hardship, trouble, implies being in distress, under tension…

In Timothy, it's translated "hardships."He's talking about internal distress caused by external circumstances. It may be a financial crisis, a relational crisis, something on the outside, your heart is breaking, tension is at an all-time high when life gets hard. David said in Psalm 18:4, "In my distress, I call unto the Lord."

2. When I'm hurting physically… ¹⁴Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; ¹⁵and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up;

Prayer is the only way to amend your life: and without prayer, it will never be mended. Alexander Whyte

There Are Three Kinds Of Sickness:

There Is The Sickness For Death. In those days Hezekiah [king of Judah] became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said, “For the Lord says this, ‘Set your house in order and prepare a will, for you shall die; you will not live.’” Isaiah 38:1

And just as it is appointed and destined for all men to die once and after this [comes certain] judgment. Hebrews 9:27

There Is A Sickness For Discipline. But a person must [prayerfully] examine himself [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks [without solemn reverence and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ], eats and drinks a judgment on himself if he does not recognize the body [of Christ]. ³⁰That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason why many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep [in death]. ³¹But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged. ³²But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined [by undergoing His correction] so that we will not be condemned [to eternal punishment] along with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:28-32[Read Psalm 119]

Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” John 5:14

There Is A Sickness For The glory of God. While He was passing by, He noticed a man [who had been] blind from birth. ²His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” ³Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed and illustrated in him. [This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. NLT] John 9:1-3

When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary, it is] for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” John 11:4 [Lazarus]

A man who is intimate with God will never be intimidated by men. Leonard Ravenhill

Five Different Attitudes Toward Healing.

1. The Sensationalist.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ ²³And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’ Matthew 7:21-23

2. The Confessionalist.

Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with the will of God must [continue to] do right and commit their souls [for safe-keeping] to the faithful Creator. I Peter 4:19

3. The Dispensationalists.

Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 [AMP]

4. The Rationalists.

5. The Realist.

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. Samuel Chadwick

3. When I'm Hurting Spiritually…¹⁶Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored.

It is always in God's power to heal but it is not always in God's purpose to heal. A clear example of this is Paul, in 1 Corinthians. It said Paul prayed three times for God to heal a problem in his life but three times God said: "No, I've got a better plan for you."

What's the condition for healing? Confess. We'd rather conceal and camouflage our sins than confess them. It is a liberating experience to confess your sins and get them out and share them, not just with the Lord but with each other. Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing.

He says confess your sins, not broadcast them. If it involves somebody else you ought to go to somebody else. There ought to be at least one person -- husband, wife, pastor, friend -- you have that you can share everything with and know you'll be loved and accepted unconditionally.

For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not abandon (turn away from) the fear of the Almighty. Job 6:14

Prayer is the way you defeat the devil, reach the lost, restore a backslider, strengthen the saints, send missionaries out, cure the sick, accomplish the impossible, and know the will of God. David Jeremiah

Who Can Pray?

The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. ¹⁷Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. ¹⁸Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual]. James 5

God Uses Ordinary People To Do Extraordinary Things Through Prayer.

The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer, nor yet those who can explain about prayer, but I mean these people who take time and pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is important, very important, and pressing, but still less important and less pressing than prayer. There are people that put prayer first, and group the other items in life's schedule around and after prayer. S. D Gordon

How Can We Pray Effectively?

1. We Must Ask.

We never pray specifically. The more specific your prayers are the greater you're going to be blessed in the answer.

You do not have because you do not ask [it of God]. James 4:2

When the devil sees a man or woman who really believes in prayer, who knows how to pray, and who really does pray, and, above all, when he sees a whole church on its face before God in prayer, he trembles as much as he ever did, for he knows that his day in that church or community is at an end. R. A. Torrey

2. We Must Have The RightMotive.

You ask [God for something] and do not receive it, because you ask with wrong motives [out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda], so that [when you get what you want] you may spend it on your [hedonistic] desires. James 4:3

When Motives are Wrong NOTHING is Right!

MOTIVE:
Causing motion; having power to move or tending to move;
An internal or external drive that prompts a person to action;
That which incites to action; that which determines the choice, or moves the will. Thus we speak of good motives, and bad motives; strong and weak motives.

All the ways of a man are clean and innocent in his own eyes [and he may see nothing wrong with his actions], But the Lord weighs and examines the motives and intents [of the heart and knows the truth] Proverbs 16:2

When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do. And so on. But when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do. A. C. Dixon

3. We Must Seek A CleanLife.

The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. James 5:16

If I regard sin [conceal it or get cozy with it] and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it], The Lord will not hear [me]; Psalm 66:18

He who turns his ear away from listening to the law [of God and man], Even his prayer is repulsive [to God]. Proverbs 28:9

But your wickedness has separated you from your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. Isaiah 59:2

No man's prayer is acceptable with God whose life is not well pleasing before God. Alexander Whyte

4. We Must AskIn Faith.

But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world. Karl Barth

Learning To Pray About Your Problems Not Panic! Pastor Mark Evans

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