Latest / The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast / 290 | Prayer Changes Things and Prayer Changes Me

Transcript

290 | Prayer Changes Things and Prayer Changes Me · The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast

0:00
Music.
0:07
Hello, friends, and welcome back to another podcast of Woman at the Well Ministries,
0:11
where we believe that all of us have to come to Jesus like the woman at the
0:16
well in John chapter four.
0:18
Our highest priority is making God real in your life.
0:21
Whether you are listening in our app, in your favorite podcasting app,
0:25
or on our website at watwm.org,
0:28
we invite you to sit down with us as we look to the scriptures to learn more
0:33
about God and to strengthen your daily walk with Jesus Christ.
0:38
Living her life for Christ, she's a happy girl.
0:38
Music.
0:48
She's a happy girl.
1:02
Prayer is the means by which we make our requests known to God.
1:07
Jesus' Son, through salvation, has given every believer access to God.
1:12
But prayer requires more than words to be effective. perspective.
1:16
James 5.16 reveals both the requirements and the results of prayer when done as God commands.
1:23
Join us in this podcast of Women at the Well Ministries as Kim walks us through
1:27
the scriptures, examining not only the results of prayer, but the conditions of prayer.
1:33
Hello, and thank you for joining us in this podcast of Women at the Well Ministries.
1:37
We're going to talk about prayer, and prayer is essential to every believer's life.
1:43
Prayer is how how we activate our faith and speak to God and ask him to forgive us for our sins.
1:52
Prayer is how we tell him the things that are on our mind and in our heart.
1:58
Prayer is a way in which we speak to him.
2:02
And when we do as the scripture says and are still and realize he is God and
2:08
allow him to speak to us in our spirit and in our heart and in our mind.
2:16
That's how we're communicating with the Lord. Now, we communicate with the Lord
2:20
as well through Scripture, and oftentimes while we're in a state of prayer,
2:25
we are led to read certain Scriptures that give us more information and more
2:30
assistance in whatever it is we are asking, or perhaps more clarity in trying
2:35
to figure out what he wants us to do in his purpose.
2:38
But if you are a born-again Christian and you have placed your faith in Jesus
2:43
Christ and received his free gift of salvation, you must be a person of prayer.
2:52
And prayer to some people is a scary thing, especially if you ask them to pray
2:57
out loud and lead a group of people in prayer.
2:59
Some people panic.
3:02
And I get that. I'm not judging that.
3:06
But what I am saying is maybe we make too much out of the process and don't focus on the event.
3:16
Prayer is communication with Jesus. It is talking to him like you would talk
3:22
to your closest friend, because he is a friend that sits closer than a brother.
3:27
But he gives us James chapter 5 and verse 16, this verse.
3:34
Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed.
3:41
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
3:46
Much now many bible scholars
3:49
believe that he is strictly
3:52
talking here about being healed from some sickness some affliction and i in
3:59
no way doubt that by his stripes we are healed and when we ask we receive if
4:05
we seek we shall find if we knock it'll be opened unto us and it is most often that
4:12
horrible event in our life that causes us to pray.
4:20
And for most, that would be a bad diagnosis, a horrible injury,
4:26
something that would feel bad.
4:28
So I fully believe that in this verse, he's explaining to us that if we follow
4:35
this process that he reveals in James chapter 5 and verse 16, that we will be healed.
4:43
And there is power in prayer. And that's what I want to talk about.
4:47
Not only does this verse, in my understanding, pertain to being healed physically,
4:53
but we can be healed emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially,
4:59
whatever need it is that you have.
5:01
It is going to be through and by prayer, that God is made aware from you.
5:09
He already knows because he knows everything, but he is asking us to ask him.
5:15
He's asking us to seek him, and he's asking us to knock at his door in Matthew 7, 7.
5:22
And James 5, 16 is parallel to that, because when we are talking to him,
5:30
we are clearly asking for the things that we need.
5:35
We are told to do that, and that's the mechanism that we're going to do it.
5:39
We are seeking his guidance. We are seeking his counsel. We're seeking his knowledge.
5:45
We're seeking his direction.
5:47
We're seeking him first, as we're told in Matthew 6, 33.
5:52
And he said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
5:57
and all these things shall be added unto you.
5:59
And then we're knocking on his heart's door to supply our every need that he
6:05
promises us in Philippians chapter 4.
6:09
In Philippians chapter 4, 13 and 4, 19, he explains to us that he will give
6:15
us the strength we need to do what he's called us to do,
6:18
and he will supply us the need we have so that we can do what he's called us to do.
6:25
If we turn in Scripture to Hebrews chapter 4, beginning in verse 14, we see this.
6:31
Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens,
6:35
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. confession.
6:41
Now, let's think about that for a moment as we look at James 5, 16.
6:46
He says to confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed.
6:53
And then the last part of that verse says this, the effectual fervent prayer
6:58
of a righteous man availeth much.
7:01
So a righteous man praying fervently and passionately and earnestly for God's
7:11
intervention in a situation.
7:15
Is going to get the job done. God's going to hear, and God's going to intervene
7:20
in the way that God knows is best.
7:24
In this verse in Hebrews chapter 4, in verse 14, he ends that verse with,
7:32
let us hold fast our profession.
7:36
So one of the things that we begin to see as we dissect James chapter 5 and
7:42
verse 16, is that the condition of our life matters.
7:49
We need to be in right standing with the Lord.
7:54
We need to be holding fast our profession, being steadfast in the commandments
8:00
of God, steadfast in what God says we should be doing and what we shouldn't
8:05
be doing, strong in our convictions,
8:08
being holy as he is holy, as we are asked to be in scriptures in 1 Peter 1.16.
8:16
This is because it is written, be holy for I'm holy.
8:20
So as we begin to look at James 5.16 and we see all the parallel verses that
8:27
he gives us to help us better understand it, let's continue through Hebrews 4. Now at verse 15.
8:44
What that tells us is this. Jesus understands all that you're going through.
8:52
There's nothing that you're going through
8:55
that he has not gone through and understood in his own experiences.
9:02
What it also tells me is that he did it without sin because he is God.
9:09
We may not. We may fall left or right of the center of God's will on occasions.
9:16
But we have 1 John 1, 9 that says if we confess our sins, he's faithful and
9:20
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
9:25
But when we come to Jesus, we can be sure that he understands,
9:31
that he loves us, and he wants us to come to him.
9:36
In fact, he says in Jeremiah 33, 3, Call unto me all you that are heavy burdened
9:43
and labored, and I will give you rest.
9:46
In fact, he says in Jeremiah 33, 3.
9:59
In Matthew, he brings to our attention that we can give him our burden.
10:05
All of us who are labored and stressed and bogged down can give him our burden,
10:15
and he will take that, and in its place, he will give us something light.
10:24
In fact, in many cases, he gives us peace if we just hand him our burden.
10:31
In Isaiah 26, 3, he says, Thou will keep him in perfect peace,
10:36
whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.
10:42
You may not see the connections between these verses, but stay with me,
10:48
because you've got to trust in him to be able to come to him in faith,
10:54
believing that he's going to answer your prayer.
10:58
You've got to come to him in faith, believing to believe his answer is right and correct.
11:07
And you've got to believe in him to come to him as a righteous person.
11:13
Because scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 5, 21, that he hath made him to be sin for us.
11:22
That is, God made Jesus to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
11:28
the righteousness of God in him.
11:32
Righteousness is that cleansing that we receive by the blood of Jesus Christ
11:38
that though our sins were a scarlet, they are now white as snow.
11:42
No, righteousness is that character we have that is morally excellent,
11:49
that is purposed to follow what God asked them to follow,
11:55
that is determined to be holy as he has asked us to be holy,
12:00
that is fully committed to trusting in Jesus and leaning on him that they might
12:06
live the righteous life that God has given them the command to get live.
12:13
See, he imputes his righteousness in us, and we are sons and daughters of the Most High God.
12:22
Prayer is a right that is afforded every child of God.
12:30
And 1 Thessalonians tells that we are to abstain from all appearance of evil.
12:35
That's the righteousness part.
12:37
But it also tells us that we need to pray without ceasing.
12:41
Our hearts need to be in an attitude of prayer.
12:45
As we continue through Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 16, setting the stage for
12:51
us when we get to James 5, 16, it says, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.
12:59
Boldly. Because we have a right to be there.
13:03
We've been invited to come. We're invited here in Hebrews 4.
13:09
We're invited in the book of Matthew.
13:11
We're invited in many different instances. We are told to pray without ceasing.
13:17
We are to come boldly, trusting in him.
13:23
We are to trust in him and to lean not into our own understanding.
13:28
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct our paths.
13:35
He's asking you to come.
13:37
He's waiting for you to talk to him. That question you have,
13:42
he has the answer, and he is wanting you.
13:45
The Holy Spirit within you is urging you to come to him for the answer,
13:51
because his will be true and pure and right.
13:57
That problem you have, that you need a solution, he's the answer because he's
14:03
the way, the truth, and the life.
14:05
The abundant life he promises us in John 10.10 is made possible because he is
14:10
the way, as we are told in John chapter 14, verse 6.
14:16
Jesus has made a way for all who will come to him, not only for salvation,
14:22
but also that we might find help in time of trouble, which is what he says in 16 of Hebrews 4.
14:33
After he says, let us therefore come boldly into the throne of grace, he tells us why to come.
14:39
He says that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
14:46
If you have a problem, the answer is going to be at the foot of the cross.
14:52
And he very well may direct you through scripture to help you understand the
14:58
hows and the whys and the wins.
15:00
But faith and trust in him unlocks the door to heaven and unleashes all of heaven
15:09
on your situation as we look at james chapter 5 verse 16 it's puzzling to so
15:16
many of us why would he start,
15:19
this with confess your faults one to another why would he do that because one
15:26
he said be you holy for I am holy.
15:29
And the psalmist David explains to us that if we hold iniquity in our heart, that he will not hear us.
15:40
See, we have to come to him in right standing, not harboring sin in our lives,
15:47
not having ill will towards our brothers.
15:51
In fact, he says right after that, and pray one for another.
15:56
We must pray for one another. But before we can do that, we need to confess our sins.
16:04
When we confess our sins, we are opening up ourselves to those around us.
16:12
We're making God even more real than he could possibly be any other way because
16:17
we are letting them know we too fall short of the glory of God.
16:22
We too have to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness and allow him to cleanse.
16:28
Us, not just once, not just when we came for salvation,
16:32
but as we live our lives daily, asking him to wash the dust of the world off of us.
16:39
We have to be vulnerable with those around us because he said in John chapter
16:44
13, verses 34 through 35, a new commandment I give unto you,
16:49
that ye love one another as I have loved you, that also love one another.
16:54
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
16:59
another. other, when we come together in a small group of people,
17:03
we are able to do great business for the Lord.
17:08
Because where two or three are gathered in his name, he's in the midst.
17:12
When we are by ourselves, he's in the midst. But we have to be clean and pure
17:18
and allow the righteousness of God to rule in our lives and rule in our hearts.
17:23
We need to be about doing the good works that Jesus has asked us to do so that
17:30
when we come to him, we are in right standing and we can ask and we will receive.
17:36
See, when we confess our faults, someone else is also able to pray for us.
17:41
We have a built-in accountability buddy who's able to keep us on track and show
17:48
us when warning signs are coming up that we're stepping outside of being righteous.
17:53
When we confess we're being vulnerable and you cannot love someone unless you're vulnerable,
18:00
and we're getting rid of that haughty spirit that holier than thou presence
18:06
we're just being real in front of people you trust that you know are not going
18:12
to go off and talk about the things you pray about.
18:15
We're uniting together to help one another.
18:20
Letting that small group pray, or that one person that's your prayer partner.
18:27
You're just explaining who you are in front of God and them.
18:30
That witness that means you mean business. That fervent prayer that you were praying.
18:36
That's why he's saying confess.
18:39
That's why he's saying tell him your faults. Because this person is spending
18:44
time around the throne with you.
18:47
It's a bond that won't be broken. If you don't believe me, find a prayer partner.
18:53
Start praying earnestly and fervently for that person. Pray with that person.
18:59
You'll soon be able to open up your heart and your mind and your life to them
19:03
in ways that you cannot even believe you're doing.
19:06
But because you are with the Lord, because he's walking with his foot in your
19:12
heart and his footprint in their heart, and you're going back and forth,
19:16
and that person's got your back,
19:18
they are standing in front of the throne and they are praying earnestly and
19:22
fervently for the very same things that you are.
19:24
It begins to unleash heaven.
19:27
My friend, prayer changes things, but more importantly, prayer changes me.
19:33
When I begin to pray earnestly and fervently for another, when I begin to pray.
19:39
Passionately and am motivated and inspired to get down to business with Jesus
19:44
and to pray what is on my heart and to earnestly seek what he has for my life,
19:50
when I'm asking him for direction and purpose,
19:53
when I'm asking him for favor, when I'm asking him to heal those that I know
19:59
that need healing, to direct those that are lost, to save those who need him as Savior.
20:05
When I begin to do that, I need to be pure in heart, and I can't do it.
20:11
I'm fleshly, but he creates in us a clean heart. And that Psalmist David in
20:16
Psalms chapter 139 said, created me a clean heart.
20:21
Search me, O God, and if there be any wicked way, remove it.
20:27
When we confess, there's an accountability piece there.
20:32
There's a growth, a bond, a real pathway to live out that love one another as I've loved you.
20:42
Jesus prays for you. Read John chapter 17.
20:46
We should be praying for one another. Those people he puts in your life are there for a reason.
20:51
So as you begin to pray it's going
20:54
to change you as you pray for others how
20:57
you feel about them is going to change if you've
21:01
got a deep dark enemy in your life start praying for him and that takes a lot
21:05
of holiness and a lot of forgiveness and a lot of grace and mercy but God will
21:10
give you what you need and when you begin to pray for them you'll be surprised
21:14
that person may soon become your friend see Jesus works in mysterious ways his
21:19
ways are higher than our ways,
21:20
who can know the mind of God.
21:23
I don't have to know the mind of God because he'll give me what I need when I have need of it.
21:28
He'll lead me exactly where I need to go, even in days of rest by the still
21:34
waters, we're told in Psalms 23.
21:36
If he calls me and sends me, he will equip me and protect me.
21:42
See, that's what trust is. When we are told to trust in the the Lord with all
21:46
thine heart and to lean not into our own understanding in Proverbs 3,
21:51
5, and 6. It's so important.
21:55
See, it is important that you know who God is.
21:59
That you follow this recipe to get the results. What are the results, you say?
22:04
He says that you'll be healed.
22:08
And again, I believe that's more than physical, because he says that the effectual,
22:14
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
22:18
In Philippians 4, 5 through 7, he says, He says, let your moderation be known unto all men.
22:24
Folks, that means let your convictions, the things you will do and you won't
22:30
do, where you're placing your trust, how you're walking, be holy in front of people.
22:37
He says, the Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing.
22:41
But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,
22:45
let your requests be made known unto God.
22:47
When you are praying, you need to have a trust so strong that you are thanking
22:51
him for the answer before you've ever opened your eyes or left your prayer time.
22:57
If you've not seen that modeled, let me just give you an insight to how that works.
23:04
My mother prayed earnestly, fervently, diligently, pretty much all the time.
23:11
And when she would pray at certain times of day,
23:16
you would hear her in her little prayer place and her little soft voice that
23:22
you could barely hear out of the porch when she was yelling, come in.
23:28
Suddenly would have vigor and strength and power as she would call out unto
23:34
the Lord. and she would pray for a multitude of people, a plethora of issues.
23:41
She would pour out her praise for who he was and why she could pray to him.
23:48
And before she ever said, in Jesus' name I pray, amen.
23:56
She would, with great respect, full authority, and great confidence,
24:01
thank him for the answer.
24:05
She had no doubt that Jesus would hear her.
24:12
She had no doubt that he would answer her, and no doubt that his answer would be right.
24:19
If you want to know the
24:22
convicting power of someone you're
24:25
praying with let me tell you about
24:27
my nephew my nephew sam and
24:31
i were saying prayers one night when he was just a little boy it's probably
24:37
six or seven at most and he had this skin thing on his little foot his toe was
24:46
dried out and it was driving him crazy and it was itching and then it got kind of hurt.
24:51
So he had a little scab on it. And as I knelt down beside the bed beside of
24:57
him and I was telling him what I wanted to pray for, I asked him what he wanted to pray for.
25:05
Sam said, I want to pray for my toe. oh, it itches and it hurts,
25:10
and I need Jesus to fix it.
25:13
So I prayed for his toe, and Sammy prayed for his toe.
25:18
That night we went to bed, and next morning when Sammy woke up,
25:24
I was standing over top of him to reach down and hug him.
25:28
And he said, we need to look, we need to look.
25:32
Regretfully, I had forgotten what he was talking about. He pulled those covers
25:37
off, and his toe had not been healed.
25:40
He was so devastated, so completely hurt in his heart, because he fully expected that toe to be perfect.
25:52
He's a six- or seven-year-old little boy, and I went for backup on that one and got my mom in there.
25:58
And my mom came in and we talked
26:02
to him and convinced him that
26:05
God was listening because he was that God would hear that night when we went
26:11
to bed Sammy prayed as hard as he ever prayed for that toe in fact he prayed
26:18
really loud I don't know if he thought if he prayed louder it would help or not, but he did.
26:23
That next morning, I went in, my mom and I went in, and we were praying with everything we had.
26:30
He pulled those covers back, and his toe was perfect, and he jumped up,
26:36
and he clapped his hands, and he ran around the room, and he was praising Jesus,
26:41
and he said something I'll never forget.
26:45
He said, thank you, Jesus. I'm sorry I got ahead of you.
26:49
That's convicting. Perhaps your prayer partner might have words of wisdom to give you.
26:57
My little nephew, nearly 20 years younger than me, sure had something to say to me.
27:05
See, James 5.16 says we confess our faults. We pray for one another and can't
27:11
do that unless we love one another.
27:13
And then he says we are healed.
27:17
We pray in faith believing, something special happened.
27:22
But we have to be in a place in our lives where we can.
27:27
So maybe before you pray with your prayer partner or your accountability buddy,
27:33
maybe you need to do business alone.
27:36
Psalmist David did it all the time. If we are to pray always,
27:40
then we need to pray a lot by ourselves.
27:45
Jesus went alone and he prayed. He prayed with his disciples. He prayed with people.
27:52
He prayed. If Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we need to pray?
28:00
Prayer isn't a bunch of words. It's a condition of the heart.
28:04
In fact, sometimes we We don't even have words to say, and the Holy Spirit has to pray for us.
28:09
If you're not making time to pray, oh, how you're missing it.
28:15
But if you're not living a life sold out to Jesus, you're praying with diminished power.
28:23
So, as you hear this, I'm inviting you to take 1 Peter 5, 7 at heart and to
28:31
cast all your care upon him because he cares for you.
28:36
But it begins with having his righteousness imputed into you by receiving his
28:42
free gift of salvation that he gives to you because he purchased it on the cross
28:48
of Calvary with his own blood.
28:51
Then I'm asking you to confess continually,
28:57
the things that creep into your life that don't belong there,
29:01
to ask the Lord to search you and to remove it, to be vulnerable and show love
29:07
and be loved by others, but especially that group of people God has given you to pray with.
29:15
And do it faithfully. Do it regularly. Do it frequently.
29:22
And watch the healing God does in your life, your relationships,
29:28
your work, your finances, your body, your mind, your strength,
29:36
whatever it is you need, it's time to have a little talk with Jesus,
29:41
because prayer changes things, and prayer changes me. Remember, you are loved.
29:49
Jesus loves you.
29:53
Music.
30:01
In today's podcast. You can visit the show notes for quotes from today's podcast
30:05
and scripture references.
30:07
We pray today has been a blessing and we encourage you to reach out to us through
30:11
our app, our website, or our Facebook page.
30:14
You can find our app by searching for Woman at the Well Ministries in your app
30:18
store or through our website at watwm.org.
30:22
We're on Facebook at facebook.com slash watwm.
30:27
If you visit our website, you'll be able to subscribe to Bible Bits,
30:30
a daily devotion written by Kim and delivered Monday through Friday by text message.
30:36
Woman at the Well Ministries is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving
30:39
our Heavenly Father, and it is through your loving and generous support that
30:43
our ministry continues to bless others.
30:46
To learn how to partner with Woman at the Well Ministries, please visit our website.
30:50
Thank you to the gospel group Fudge Creek for letting us use their hit song, Happy Girl.
30:55
We greatly appreciate your prayers. We are praying daily for our listeners.
31:00
Remember that God loves you. You are loved.
31:05
Music.