THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN


A. "THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH" - Jas. 5:16
  1. Prayer, in one form or another, is practiced by the largest number of people among all religions:
    1. The word "prayer" indicates that man feels his dependence upon a power outside of himself.
    2. Prayer is a means by which man seeks contact with God.
  2. Prayer does three things for us:
    1. It helps us to make and keep connections with heaven.
    2. It is God's chosen channel to bless us according to the riches of his glory.
    3. It is the great secret of the divine power so mightily revealed in those who exercised themselves in the art of prayer.
B. THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN
  1. A righteous man:
    1. "He that doeth righteousness is righteous" - 1 John 3:7
    2. "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him" 1 John 2:29
    3. "Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God" - 1 John 3:10
  2. How men become righteous:
    1. All our righteousness is as filthy rags - Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:10
    2. Christ is our righteousness - 1 Cor. 1:30; Jer. 23:6
    3. It is imputed to him that believeth in Jesus Christ - Rom. 1:17
    4. It is implanted into our lives - 2 Pet. 1:2-7
  3. The prayer of a righteous man is:
    1. Fervent, earnest, and persevering! EXAMPLES -
      1. Jacob prayed earnestly - Gen. 32:24-26
      2. Our Lord prayed more earnestly - Luke 22:44
      3. Elijah prayed very earnestly - Jas. 5:17
    2. Effectual! Brings results! That was true in the experience of the aforementioned persons.
    3. That is true of all god-fearing people, who do God's will.
C. FORCE OF THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN
  1. Prayer will cleave to God's promises:
    1. It is significant to learn from the Bible one of the secrets of the effectual prayers of some Bible characters -
      1. They were persistent - Mark 10:46-48; Matt. 15:22-28
      2. They claimed God's promises -- David was one of them that reminded God of his promises, and he won out.
    2. Do we know the promises of God, and if so, do we bring them to the Lord's attention?
  2. Prayer influences us:
    1. Some people have the idea that in prayer we influence God, but I personally believe that prayer influences us.
    2. How many lives have become transformed while they devoted much effort in earnest prayer! EXAMPLES -
      1. Saul of Tarsus was called harmless by the Lord because he prayed - Acts 9:11
      2. The thief on the cross became a changed person while offering a short prayer - Luke 22:42-44
  3. Prayer changes things:
    1. This is the great incentive for fervent prayer -
      1. Prayer affected the person of the Son of God - Luke 9:29
      2. It affected Paul and Silas and even the prison keeper - Acts 16:25-34
      3. It turned Israel back to the worship of the true God - 1 Ki. 18:36-39
    2. More and greater things are wrought through prayer than through any other means known to men - "it availeth much" -
      1. It sealed the lions' mouths in the lions' den, and so kept Daniel safe - Dan. 6:10-28
      2. It saved the lives of the wise men of Babylon - Dan. 2:17
    3. Volumes have been written to show how wonderfully prayer changes things.
    4. It has wrought many miracles for me and my family on many occasions.
    5. Said the Lord through Jeremiah, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." - Jer. 33:3


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