E-pistle for Agust 31, 2012
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E-pistle
FreeWay Foundation August 31, 2012
Why prayers go unanswered
(James 4:1-17)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on "heart" sins which hinder effective prayer
1. Desires for pleasure, v. 1.
2. Unfulfilled lusts, v. 2.
3. Murder (malicious hatred), v. 2.
4. Covetousness, v. 2.
II. Meditation: on why some prayers go unanswered
(By "unanswered," we mean that God answers by saying "NO".)
1. Because they are made with a wrong motivation ("amiss"), v. 3.
2. Because they are made selfishly, v. 3.
3. Because they are made by believers who are un faithful to God (adulterers
and adulteresses); who are "friendly" toward the world's system, but who
who are enemies of God, v. 4.
4. Because they are made with pride rather than with humility, v. 6.
III. Revelation: on how to pray and receive "YES" answered from God
1. Submit to God and resist the devil, v. 7.
2. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you, v. 8.
3. In repentance, receive God's forgiveness and cleansing, vv. 8-9.
4. Humble yourselves in the sight of God, and He will lift you up, vv. 10, 16.
5. Do not speak evil of other person, nor judge (condemn) fellow believers, vv. 11-12.
6. Recognize that God controls the future; do not presume that you'll even be alive
tomorrow, vv. 13-14.
7. Seek for and pray that the Lord's will be done in every situation and circumstance
of your life, v. 15.
8. Avoid the pernicious sin of omission . . . knowing that you should do good, but too
lazy actually to do it, v. 17.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Avoid the worldly sins of the flesh, which hinder my prayers from being answered,
Isaiah 59:2.
2. Make sure my motivation in prayer is pure: love for God and love for persons in
need . . . not selfishness nor pride.
3. Draw near to God daily (Bible study, prayer, meditation), in repentance and humble
submission to His will.
4. Watch my mouth! . . . making sure that which I piously ask for in prayer to God is not
contradicted and negated by my ungodly speech and actions toward other persons.
How to minister divine healing
(James 5:1-20)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the personal, human situations in verses 13-18
1. Suffering? . . . pray, v. 13.
2. Cheerful? . . . sing, v. 13.
3. Sick? . . . call for elders to pray, v. 14.
4. Sinful? . . . confess sins to one another (accountability group), and to God, and be
forgiven, vv. 15-16.
II. Meditation: on the proper exercise of prayer
1. The person who is suffering (physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually)
should pray for himself, v. 13.
2. The person who is sick (physically) should call for the elders of the church; the
elders should pray over the sick person, anointing him with oil (symbolizing the
Holy Spirit) in the name of the Lord, v. 14.
3. The elders should have faith that the Lord can and will heal the person who is sick
. . . that "the Lord will raise him up," v. 15.
4. The entire group of believers should confess their sins to one another (and to God),
so that their prayers may be heard and answered by God.
III. Revelation: on the benefits to be received from praying in faith
1. The divine healing of persons who are physically ill.
2. An increasing faith, as God miraculously manifests His power.
3. A moving of focus from the physical realm to the spiritual realm . . .from healing of
the body to healing of the soul (forgiveness and cleansing).
4. Encouragement to live a righteous life, so that our prayers might be fervent and
Effective in all areas of daily living . . . even for rain to break a drought, vv. 16-18.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Pray for my own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing.
2. Take the initiative, when I become ill, to call the elders of the church, even before I
call the doctor.
3. Function as an elder: when requested to do so, anoint the sick with oil and pray with
faith for their recovery.
4. Always pray fervently (with my sins confessed and forgiven), believing that God will
answer miraculously . . . according to his sovereign will and for His own glory.
"I do because I can, I can because I want to, I want to because you said I couldn't."
--Unknown
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