Prayer of Faith
September 29, 2024 Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church
1 Kings 17:1, 18:41-45James 5:13-18
“Prayer of Faith”
Melissa K. Smith
A few weeks ago, I was on a hospital visit to see one of our congregants. They were not in the room when I got there, so I waited for their testing to be done. As they were wheeled in the room, the patient transporter said, “Look, you have a visitor!” And he asked me, “Who are you?” I responded that I was a pastor, and I came to visit and pray with my dear friend. As the nurses were getting the congregant situated in bed, the patient transporter asked to speak with me. He said, “How do I pray when things get hard? Things have been really rough at home, and I don’t know what to do. How am I supposed to pray?”
I love that he named that he did not know what to do while he was actively trying to figure out how to pray. He knew what to do. His instinct was spot on: he needed to pray. He was already responding appropriately to a difficult situation.
I named that for him, and then told him that his prayer just needed to be simple – it did not need to be fancy, and he did not have to be worried about having all the words articulated “just so”. Tell God what is going on, that will be sufficient. Just turn to God – even if words don’t come, your tears, your cries…those are sufficient prayers.
He seemed surprised that there was not a rote, memorized prayer for his exact ailment and that God was easily accessible.
But this patient transporter is not the only one who has ever thought, “How do I pray when things get hard?” Or just simply, “How do I pray?” “When do I pray?” How does one pray through any situation life throws at them? Do we pray when things are going poorly? Do we do the same when things are going well in our lives?
James invites us to pray the prayer of faith.
In our Scripture reading this morning, James is concerned about appropriate Christian responses to trials and celebrations and everything in between, and his answer is that the appropriate response is to pray.
The purpose of the book of James is to promote righteous living. A crucial piece of growing in our faith is living out our faith – we must allow what we believe to affect the way we live.
Our text begins, “Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.” From the beginning we get two opposite realities: suffering and celebrating. James is creating a spectrum from the best of times to the worst of times. One scholar writes, “whether one’s life feels laden with trouble or buoyed with joy, the right response is to turn to God, praying in the face of the former and praising in the face of the latter.”
What we see is that from the worst to the best and everything in between, our response to life’s circumstances is to turn toward God.
I have shared with many of you that my faith really grew when I learned how to pray to God with lament. Prayers of lament are passionate expressions of grief and sorrow – psalms of Lament make up over a third of the book of Psalms. But what is powerful about lament is that it gives me, it gives us, permission to turn to God with our suffering, with our sorrow, and with our grief. Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Turn to God. James is encouraging us to know that God does not just look for our Sunday best or our “fake it till you make it” smiles. God intimately knows us and wants us to turn to him in all circumstances.
This is beginning to get at the concept of the prayer of faith.
James continues, “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” What started as individual prayer has now moved into elders at prayer. In situations such as this, the elders were called to “bring and apply the outward tangible sign of God’s covenant faithfulness” through oil showing that even in the midst of adversity, God is all powerful. Lean on your church – let us help you turn toward God.
James explains that “The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.” But what is this prayer of faith? It is a prayer of submission. It’s a prayer of surrender. It is a prayer trusting and knowing that God is ultimately in control. Is anyone suffering? Surrender to God. Is anyone celebrating? Surrender to God. Is anyone sick? Surrender to God.
We don’t know if healing will take place on this side of heaven or the next but surrender to God. God is superior and his will is paramount.
I first learned the concept of “God’s will” not through the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done” but from my grandmother. Whenever I would say goodbye to her, I would say, “See you soon!” and she would always reply, “God willing.” When I was a child it seemed like a quip, like something she just said. But later in her life and as my faith continued to mature, I realized that she meant it. “Grandma, I hope you feel better soon.” God willing. “Grandma, I am going to be a pastor.” God willing. “Grandma, I will call you soon.” God willing. The last time I saw her before she passed away, we celebrated communion together and powerfully prayed that God’s will be done.
My grandmother firmly and fiercely believed in the power of God’s will, and she actively and constantly prayed the prayer of faith – a prayer of submission to God’s will trusting that God is in control.
The prayer of faith will save the sick because God is in control. Those who pray the prayer of faith will be forgiven because they are turning toward God, trusting in him, and surrendering to him.
James says, “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” James has invited us to individual prayer, to the prayer of the elders, now to prayer in community. James knows that prayer is powerful because God is powerful. Through prayer we are in active relationship with God.
Chrysostom, an early Church Father, articulates the power of prayer – the prayer of faith – saying, “The potency of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, it has bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the fates of heaven, assuaged diseases, dispelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. There is (in it) an all-sufficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted, a sky unobscured by clouds, a heaven unruffled by the storm. It is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings!”
Maybe this is why so many are hesitant to pray and are afraid that they won’t get it “right”.
When we turn to God in prayer, we are turning to the one who is in control, who is all powerful, and whose will is great. The prayer of faith is a prayer of trusting that God can do all things. Do you trust God? Let your prayers reflect your trust.
James utilizes the story of Elijah to show us an example of a prayer of faith. He tells us, “Elijah was a human being like us…” As we heard from Grace’s reading and the choir’s excellent singing, Elijah prayed for no rain and there was no rain for three years. Then, he prayed that it would rain, and the heavens poured. This shows God’s control and God’s relationship with humanity through the gift of prayer. James chose Elijah as our example for prayer…not David or any of the other writers of the Psalms. He chose a man who is known for lots of things, but prayer is not one of them. And he specifically names, “Elijah was a human being like us…”.
Elijah’s prayer is great – there was no rain for years and then the rain came pouring down and replenished the land beautifully. But James is using an example of someone like us, someone who knows what it is to suffer, who knows what it is to believe in God, and who knows what it is to turn to God.
The prayer of faith is not unattainable. Like I told the patient transporter, the first step is to turn toward God. The next? Pray. Your prayer does not need to be articulate or spectacular. In his sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples, “5 And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father…”
Just turn to God and share what is on your mind and heart.
According to historians, James was known for having camel’s knees – he prayed on his knees for so long day after day that his knees were extremely calloused – so he practiced what he preached.
Let us practice what is preached today by growing in our faith as we live out our faith through the prayer of faith. Turn to God. Pray to God. Trust God.
Amen.
Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church
1 Kings 17:1, 18:41-45James 5:13-18
“Prayer of Faith”
Melissa K. Smith
A few weeks ago, I was on a hospital visit to see one of our congregants. They were not in the room when I got there, so I waited for their testing to be done. As they were wheeled in the room, the patient transporter said, “Look, you have a visitor!” And he asked me, “Who are you?” I responded that I was a pastor, and I came to visit and pray with my dear friend. As the nurses were getting the congregant situated in bed, the patient transporter asked to speak with me. He said, “How do I pray when things get hard? Things have been really rough at home, and I don’t know what to do. How am I supposed to pray?”
I love that he named that he did not know what to do while he was actively trying to figure out how to pray. He knew what to do. His instinct was spot on: he needed to pray. He was already responding appropriately to a difficult situation.
I named that for him, and then told him that his prayer just needed to be simple – it did not need to be fancy, and he did not have to be worried about having all the words articulated “just so”. Tell God what is going on, that will be sufficient. Just turn to God – even if words don’t come, your tears, your cries…those are sufficient prayers.
He seemed surprised that there was not a rote, memorized prayer for his exact ailment and that God was easily accessible.
But this patient transporter is not the only one who has ever thought, “How do I pray when things get hard?” Or just simply, “How do I pray?” “When do I pray?” How does one pray through any situation life throws at them? Do we pray when things are going poorly? Do we do the same when things are going well in our lives?
James invites us to pray the prayer of faith.
In our Scripture reading this morning, James is concerned about appropriate Christian responses to trials and celebrations and everything in between, and his answer is that the appropriate response is to pray.
The purpose of the book of James is to promote righteous living. A crucial piece of growing in our faith is living out our faith – we must allow what we believe to affect the way we live.
Our text begins, “Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.” From the beginning we get two opposite realities: suffering and celebrating. James is creating a spectrum from the best of times to the worst of times. One scholar writes, “whether one’s life feels laden with trouble or buoyed with joy, the right response is to turn to God, praying in the face of the former and praising in the face of the latter.”
What we see is that from the worst to the best and everything in between, our response to life’s circumstances is to turn toward God.
I have shared with many of you that my faith really grew when I learned how to pray to God with lament. Prayers of lament are passionate expressions of grief and sorrow – psalms of Lament make up over a third of the book of Psalms. But what is powerful about lament is that it gives me, it gives us, permission to turn to God with our suffering, with our sorrow, and with our grief. Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Turn to God. James is encouraging us to know that God does not just look for our Sunday best or our “fake it till you make it” smiles. God intimately knows us and wants us to turn to him in all circumstances.
This is beginning to get at the concept of the prayer of faith.
James continues, “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.” What started as individual prayer has now moved into elders at prayer. In situations such as this, the elders were called to “bring and apply the outward tangible sign of God’s covenant faithfulness” through oil showing that even in the midst of adversity, God is all powerful. Lean on your church – let us help you turn toward God.
James explains that “The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.” But what is this prayer of faith? It is a prayer of submission. It’s a prayer of surrender. It is a prayer trusting and knowing that God is ultimately in control. Is anyone suffering? Surrender to God. Is anyone celebrating? Surrender to God. Is anyone sick? Surrender to God.
We don’t know if healing will take place on this side of heaven or the next but surrender to God. God is superior and his will is paramount.
I first learned the concept of “God’s will” not through the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done” but from my grandmother. Whenever I would say goodbye to her, I would say, “See you soon!” and she would always reply, “God willing.” When I was a child it seemed like a quip, like something she just said. But later in her life and as my faith continued to mature, I realized that she meant it. “Grandma, I hope you feel better soon.” God willing. “Grandma, I am going to be a pastor.” God willing. “Grandma, I will call you soon.” God willing. The last time I saw her before she passed away, we celebrated communion together and powerfully prayed that God’s will be done.
My grandmother firmly and fiercely believed in the power of God’s will, and she actively and constantly prayed the prayer of faith – a prayer of submission to God’s will trusting that God is in control.
The prayer of faith will save the sick because God is in control. Those who pray the prayer of faith will be forgiven because they are turning toward God, trusting in him, and surrendering to him.
James says, “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” James has invited us to individual prayer, to the prayer of the elders, now to prayer in community. James knows that prayer is powerful because God is powerful. Through prayer we are in active relationship with God.
Chrysostom, an early Church Father, articulates the power of prayer – the prayer of faith – saying, “The potency of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, it has bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the fates of heaven, assuaged diseases, dispelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. There is (in it) an all-sufficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted, a sky unobscured by clouds, a heaven unruffled by the storm. It is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings!”
Maybe this is why so many are hesitant to pray and are afraid that they won’t get it “right”.
When we turn to God in prayer, we are turning to the one who is in control, who is all powerful, and whose will is great. The prayer of faith is a prayer of trusting that God can do all things. Do you trust God? Let your prayers reflect your trust.
James utilizes the story of Elijah to show us an example of a prayer of faith. He tells us, “Elijah was a human being like us…” As we heard from Grace’s reading and the choir’s excellent singing, Elijah prayed for no rain and there was no rain for three years. Then, he prayed that it would rain, and the heavens poured. This shows God’s control and God’s relationship with humanity through the gift of prayer. James chose Elijah as our example for prayer…not David or any of the other writers of the Psalms. He chose a man who is known for lots of things, but prayer is not one of them. And he specifically names, “Elijah was a human being like us…”.
Elijah’s prayer is great – there was no rain for years and then the rain came pouring down and replenished the land beautifully. But James is using an example of someone like us, someone who knows what it is to suffer, who knows what it is to believe in God, and who knows what it is to turn to God.
The prayer of faith is not unattainable. Like I told the patient transporter, the first step is to turn toward God. The next? Pray. Your prayer does not need to be articulate or spectacular. In his sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples, “5 And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father…”
Just turn to God and share what is on your mind and heart.
According to historians, James was known for having camel’s knees – he prayed on his knees for so long day after day that his knees were extremely calloused – so he practiced what he preached.
Let us practice what is preached today by growing in our faith as we live out our faith through the prayer of faith. Turn to God. Pray to God. Trust God.
Amen.
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