Sermon Notes

December 22, 2024 AM
Paul Gotthardt
(#31 in series)

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Undivided: Effective Prayer (Part 2)

James 5:13-18

All prayer is not equal prayer. All prayer is not equally effective.

Big Truth:

When a child of God pursues the will of God (in faith, persistence,

and righteousness), there is greater effectiveness in prayer.

Ask questions like…

• Am I a child of God?
• Am I pursuing the will of God?
• Am I walking by faith?
• Am I persistent in prayer?
• Am I living righteously?

What can we learn about praying effectively in difficult contexts?

• Believers must pray when they encounter suffering. (v.13)

Praying while suffering may accomplish one of two things.

It can provide relief by removing the affliction (if it’s God’s will).

It can provide grace for enduring the affliction (while accomplishing God’s will).

• Elders may be called to pray over the sick. (v.14-15)

• The __ is to pray for each other through sin. (v.16)

__ living hinders our prayers.

When confessing sin, there needs to be __ honesty that sin was committed, but not a public __ of every detail of the act. (Psalm 51)

• Believers should pray __ when serving the Lord. (v.16b-18)

Elijah’s prayers were NOT powerful and effective because He was a spiritual superhero; they were powerful and effective because he was a __ man who prayed __.