July 28, 2019 – Learning from James – The Power of Prayer

-                        The

The Power of Prayer


1 Kings 16:31-17:1 and 1 Kings 18:41-46 - New International Version (NIV)

³¹ He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. ³² He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. ³³ Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.

³⁴ In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.

¹ Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

⁴¹ And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” ⁴² So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

⁴³ “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.

“There is nothing there,” he said.

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

⁴⁴ The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

⁴⁵ Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. ⁴⁶ The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

What did Ahab consider trivial (verse 31)?

Where did Ahab set up the alter to Baal (verse 32)?

Who did Ahab arouse the anger of more than “all the kings of Israel before him” (verse 33)?

Who told Ahab “as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (verse 1)?

What did Elijah tell Ahab to do (verse 41)?

Where did Elijah go to bend “down to the ground and put his face between his knees” (verse 42)?

How many times did Elijah tell his servant to “go and look toward the sea” (verse 43)?

What did Elijah tell his servant to do after the report of “a cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea” (verse 44)?

In your opinion, why is it significant that “the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling” (verse 45)?

What came upon Elijah (verse 46)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of these passages?

Mark 6:53-56 - New International Version (NIV)                

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. ⁵⁴ As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. ⁵⁵ They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Where did Jesus and the disciples land and anchor (verse 53)?

Who did the people recognize (verse 54)?

Where were the sick of the region carried to (verse 55)?

What did they beg Jesus for (verse 56)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?


In your opinion, how is the reaction of the people of Gennesaret to Jesus in Mark 6:53-56 different from Ahab’s reaction  in 1 Kings 18:41-46 to Elijah and God?


Ephesians 3:14-21 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Who does Paul kneel before (verse 14)?

In your opinion, what does Paul mean when he says “from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name” (verse 15)?

Where does Paul pray for the faithful in Christ Jesus to be strengthened “out of his glorious riches . . . with power through his Spirit” (verse 16)?

How does Paul expect Christ to dwell in their hearts (verse 17)?

What does Paul pray for “all the Lord’s holy people” to have power to grasp (verse 18)?

In your opinion, how can believers “know this love that surpasses knowledge” (verse 19)?

How is God able to “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (verse 20)?

Where should the Father have glory “throughout all generations, for ever and ever” (verse 21)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how are Elijah, who prays as he finds himself confronting Ahab in 1 Kings 16:21-17-1 and 1 Kings 18:41-46, and Paul, who prays for all the Lord’s holy people to know the love that surpasses knowledge in Ephesians 3:14-21, similar?  And how are their prayers different?

In your opinion, how does the healing of those who touch the edge of Jesus’ cloak in Mark 6:53-56 help us understand the love of Jesus that Paul prays for believers to be established in and know in Ephesians 3:14-21? 


James 5:13-20 – New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

What is the person who is in trouble to do (verse 13)?

What should the person who is happy do (verse 13)?


How are the elders of the church to respond to the sick who call them (verse 14)?


What will the Lord do for the sick person who offers a prayer in faith (verse 15)?


In your opinion, why does James follow the discussion about the sick offering a prayer in faith with the statement that “if they have sinned, they will be forgiven” (verse 15)?


What are believers to do “to” and “for” each other (verse 16)?


Whose prayer is “powerful and effective” (verse 16)?


What happened when Elijah prayed for it not to rain (verse 17)?


What happened when “again he prayed” (verse 18)?


Who is supposed to remember that “whoever turns a sinner from the error or their way will save them from death and cover a multitude of sins” (verses 19 and 20)?


In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?


In your opinion, how does what Elijah was trying to accomplish with his prayers in 1 Kings 16:31 – 17:1 and 1 Kings 18:41-46 compare with James’ is instruction on prayer in James 5:13-20?


In your opinion, what can the people of Gennesaret in Mark 6:53-56 teach us as we try to understand James’ message about prayer in James 5:13-20?


In your opinion, what can Paul’s prayer that the Ephesians be “rooted and established in love” in Ephesians 3:14-21 teach us about the prayers offered for the sick and lost that James instructs us to make in James 5:13-20?


In your opinion, how do these passages from 1 Kings, Mark, Ephesians and James guide us in communicating with God?


In your opinion, what can we who are righteous only through the intervention of Jesus powerfully and effectively knell down and place at Jesus feet in celebration or petition today?

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