“FAITHFUL TO THE CORE”—A CELEBRATION OF OUR 7 CORE VALUES
VALUE 1—“PRAY FERVENTLY”
Passage: James 5:16
Introduction
A. OUR CORE VALUES—Pray Fervently. Study Diligently. Worship Passionately. Serve Joyfully.
Believe Boldly. Give Enthusiastically. Love Faithfully.
 Built on Scriptural convictions, these establish our priorities & guide how we live as a community.
 We are on a journey together, navigating God’s will for our future.
 Our 50th Anniversary Theme > “Legacy—Shining Ever Brighter”
B. Our 1st Core Value > PRAY FERVENTLY—enthusiastically, energetically, intensely, passionately
 The very opposite of indifferently, half-heartedly . . .
 Many passages teach fervent prayer, but one verse stands out most > James 5:16.
 “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (NKJV)
 Its James’ belief that a powerful, passionate prayer life will make a difference in your life & world.
C. When I read James, I get the clear impression he didn’t think much of shallow religion.
 And I think he came to this conviction through his own faith journey:
 Matthew 13:55 identifies him as one of the Lord’s own brothers.
 John 2:12—“his mother and brothers” even travelled with Jesus & his disciples early on.
 And, it doesn’t take much to see that James wasn’t into his brother’s ministry.
 Matthew 13:57—“A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”
 John 7:3—“For even his own brothers did not believe in him.”
 But all changed > James received a personal visit from his brother, after He was raised from the dead.
 1 Cor. 15:7—“Then he appeared to James”
 And from that day on:
 James rose as the leader of the Church in Jerusalem—Acts 12:17; 15:4ff
 Nicknamed “James the Just” (godly example) & “The Man with Camel’s Knees” (hardened > prayer)
D. And there’s nothing shallow about his writing either—James is about being real & relevant.
 James 1:8—“Don’t be all over the place/double-minded when you pray”—ask believing
 1:22—“Don’t merely hear the Word . . . do what it says”—“walk your talk”
 1:26-27—“Don’t just say you’re ‘religious’—care for hurting people and live right.”
 2:18—“Don’t just say you have faith—let it show in your daily actions.”
 3:13f—“Don’t go around telling people how spiritual you are—let it show in humility, mercy, & peace.”
 5:12—“above all”—“Don’t cover ½ truths w phony religious oaths; say what you mean & mean what you say”
 But it’s his closing thoughts that impress me most—“Is any one in trouble? He should pray.”
E. Be real, not superficially religious . . . especially when you’re talking to God.
 And the Holy Spirit tells us through James what that needs to look like.
 There is an effective way to pray that touches His heart & changes our world.
 And that kind of prayer will always be “FERVENT” = active, mighty, powerful
 Four qualities of effective prayer teach that we must pray with fervency.
1
Pastor Tom Keinath—January 17, 2015
I.
FERVENT, EFFECTIVE PRAYER IS AUTHORITATIVE—vv13-14
A.
Little girl heard Mom praying on the phone; after waiting respectfully; “Mom, is that Jesus on
the phone? . . . I need to talk to Him too”—Jesus is just one call away!
B.
Where there is trouble, weakness or sickness, we have been given authority to ask in faith.
 “Is anyone among you in trouble [afflicted or suffering a hardship]? “Let them pray.”
 “Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.”—always an appropriate response; we’re never stuck
 “Is anyone among you sick [weakened in their body]?”
 You may feel powerless in a situation, but you have His unlimited power at work in you.
 “Let them call the elders [spiritually mature leaders] of the church”—representing Jesus to
you
 “to pray over them”—leaders stand in the delegated authority to cover you
 “and anoint them with oil [lit. ‘olive oil’]” (cp. Mark 6:13)—symbolic of the Holy Spirit
 “in the name [speaks of all He is & all He has accomplished] of the Lord.”—3
implications:
 “under His authority”—submitted to Him; His claim is upon us
 “in His authority”—appointed by Him; His representative; His ambassador
 “through His authority”—empowered by Him; “of the Lord” > His power, resources
Missionary Hudson Taylor: “I used to ask God to help me > Then I asked if I might help
him. > I ended up by asking him to do his work through me.”
C.
D.
Prayer that is authoritative speaks like that: “Lord, do your work through me.”
 And that’s when the fervency of God becomes our fervency in prayer!
II.
FERVENT, EFFECTIVE PRAYER IS FAITH-FILLED—v15a
A.
Not all prayer is created equally—some prayer is shallow, lifeless & very ineffective.
 “And the prayer offered in faith”—trusting Jesus & taking Him at His Word

Heb. 11:1—“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do
not see.”




Praying “in faith” is not anti-evidence, anti-intelligence, anti-natural and anti-rational.
 Rather it moves above evidence, above intelligence, beyond the rational . . .
 . . . into the super-natural > until FAITH gives birth to the needed answer in the natural.
Praying “in faith” is grounded in the greatness of God.
Praying “in faith” is grounded in the faithfulness of God.
Praying “in faith” is grounded in the goodness of God.
 “will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”
 James seems very sure, not of himself, but of God.
 Some people avoid the “prayer of faith” out of concern for God's reputation . . .
 But I think God’s Word shows that He can handle His own reputation!

Jeremiah 32:26-27; 33:3; Mark 11:22-24; Ephesians 3:20;
B.
2
Prayer that is “filled with faith” says that God CANNOT BE LESS THAN HE IS!
 “Effective” prayer like this says that God CANNOT DO less than He said He would do!
III. FERVENT, EFFECTIVE PRAYER IS GODLY—vv15b-16
A.
God will never answer a prayer in a way that violates His own nature.
 Already in this letter James teaches against obstacles & hindrances to effective prayer.
1.
Unbelief (lack of faith, wavering faith)—James 1:6-7
2.
Wrong desires/asking outside of the will of God—James 4:3
3.
Pride (which exalts the flesh, rather than God)—James 4:6
 Now in v15b, unconfessed sin > “If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”
 Sin results in isolating us from people & distancing us from God . . .
 But confession of secret sin breaks its power to work in the dark.
 Sin will choke off answers to prayer we need . . .
 But repentance pulls back the clutter of sin & brings freedom and healing.
 (16) “Therefore confess your sins [agree with God’s Word] to each other [trusted people]”
 And so often sin involves other people.
 “and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

Cp. 1 Cor. 11:30—it may be that sickness is directly related to un-confessed sin.
 “The prayer of a righteous person [to James one who lives it] is powerful and effective”

Two words come together to speak of power—“powerful” & “effective”; “fervent” &
“avails”

energeo—“active, effective” [participle] “something powerfully at work”

ischyō—“avails much” > “is powerful,” [present active] “keeps on being very strong”
B.
So much of prayer is not effective, simply because it’s not fervent, not powerful . . .
 And it’s not fervent & powerful because something in us is standing in the way.
 Prayer is relational—above the importance of the issue in prayer is the condition of your
heart.
 It’s a right heart that will become fervent about the things God is fervent about.
IV.
A.
FERVENT, EFFECTIVE PRAYER IS PASSIONATE—vv17-18
Elijah [this great man of prayer] is now given as final proof.
 “A man” [revered by the Jews, yet,] “just like us” [“subject to like passions”]
 Subject to the same emotions & flaws & human limitations as we are.
 “He prayed earnestly”—lit. “prayed with prayer” [Hebraism for “prayed fervently, intensely”]
 “that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years”—1 Kings 17:1
 “Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”—1 K. 18:41ff
 Elijah depended on God’s authority, prayed in faith, stood true in a wicked day and
then prayed like his life was dependent on it!! . . . and God answered Him!!!!
B.
We have God’s invitation to pray like this! > Passionately!—God is saying, “You can do this!”
 You & I can pray effectively . . . You & I can make a difference in our world like this.
3
Pastor Tom Keinath—January 17, 2015
Conclusion:
 William and Mary College; founded 1693; oldest institute in America; fell “sick” financially [aftermath
of Civil War]; closed in 1881; sitting president wouldn’t accept it; each morning for 7 years rang that
bell as if to welcome the students to class—he kept ringing it until faith became sight > dream a reality!
4