September 14, 2023 Bible Study Lesson
September 17, 2023

Bible Study Lesson

Importance of Prayer

Scriptures

  • James 5:13-18 - The Prayer of Faith

Discussion

  • James is encouraging the believers to pray during times of suffering, pray during times of sickness, pray through sin, pray because prayer works.

  • James is trying to help us understand in the scripture that there are times where we all have a reason to pray. Most of us have no problem praying when we are in trouble. Even atheists pray when they are in trouble. You have people who do not believe in God in the sense of really believing in God. As soon as they are in trouble they call out to God. That’s easy.

  • When we look at this scripture in James, we come to find out that James is trying to open the believer’s heart to recognizing how important prayer really is.

  • James 5:13 – we come to find out that some of the first things that the man of God points out is praying through times of suffering.

  • Verses 15, 16, 19, 20 - The focus is for those who are seasoned in the Lord, praying for those who are weak, those who do not know to pray, those who cannot pray. Pray for people who are sinners. You are asking the Lord to open up his life to them that they will be able to become believers and believe that they will be changed by the word of the Lord.

    • We pray because it works, but it doesn’t work because we pray.
    • It works because God acts and responds to your prayer.
    • When we are praying and believing we have to make sure that we are allowing the Lord to connect to it.
    • We cannot pray our own will our own desire because the real deal is that God is not committing himself in something that is not his word.
    • We have to recognize that when we pray it works, but it doesn’t work because we pray. It works because God acts and responds to our prayers.
    • When we look at verse 16 – 18, the bible says the prayer of a righteous person has power. Believe that I have power.
    • Prayer is one of the essential tools that you can have in your toolbox as a disciple in Christ.
    • The only other tool that would top the tool of prayer would be the word of God itself. When we get this in our heart and in our spirit, when we begin to pray this and live this. This is the only thing that is going to trump our time in prayer.
    • The Lord promises to meet you at what his word says.

In preparation for next week’s bible study lesson, ask the Lord to show you something in the word that confirms prayer, the need, the power of it, the purpose of it and bring back questions and things that the Lord has spoken in your heart. This will be the time of learning. Encountering God.