Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
September 27, 2009

Psalms 124:1-8 (NRSV)
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side —let Israel now say— 2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us, 3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters. 6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

James 5:13-20 (NRSV)
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. 19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, 20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

The Power of Prayer

Germaine Copeland has a story to tell, but it's not about the "great American novel" she once dreamed she would write. This author, who has sold more than 3 million copies of her "Prayers That Avail Much" book series, began her faith journey years ago when she was a homemaker who was on the verge of taking her life. "I had a problem with depression and had come to the place where I didn't want to live," recalled Copeland. As she was sitting at her kitchen table contemplating suicide, a light flooded the room and she knew that it was God.
            "My yellow kitchen became a yellow I'd never seen before. The grass outside was a green I'd never seen before," said Copeland. "It was as though old things passed away and all things became new. I didn't want that time to be over, but when it was, I was left with this joyous ecstasy."
The experience gave her motivation for living and a hunger to know the Scriptures: “I couldn't read the Bible fast enough.” She invited friends to study with her and after several years began to focus on prayer. "Prayer struggles are common among Christians," she said. "Sometimes it's a simple thing like how to start, and that's really why I started writing my prayers. I never had prayed except when I was in trouble but I began to write prayers and read them back."
Friends noticed the changes in her life and asked her to intercede for them. She began taking requests and writing specialized prayers. "I wanted them to know they could go to God for themselves,” she said." I liked putting something in their hands [that they could use."]
One day, a friend suggested that she compile her prayers into a book to share with her study group. It was a big hit. "I was surprised when I got a letter from someone asking for an order. I wasn't set up at all," she said. "I was just a housewife who wanted to know God."
            Germaine Copeland found the power of prayer and helped others to enter into prayer with the Lord. This morning our reading from the Book of James gives us a model for praying. James says to pray when we hurt, pray when we are happy, and pray when we are sick. He suggests that we confess our sins in prayer, that we pray for one another, and that we pray fervently. James is suggesting that we pray at all time and in all situations.
            Throughout the New Testament we find standards for prayer: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says: “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” Philippians 4:6 reads: “Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.” Matthew 18:19-20 reminds us: “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there." The Bible tells us that prayer is important. And if prayer is important, it must be powerful!
            Let’s unpack what James is saying about prayer. Using The Message as our translation, listen to how James begins: “Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you've sinned, you'll be forgiven—healed inside and out. Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.” (13-16)
            James is writing to a community where people suffer and pray; rejoice and sing, become sick and are healed, sin and are forgiven. Doesn’t this reflect congregational life as we know it – people with needs looking to the community of faith for assistance and support? We, the body of Christ, are to offer help in ways that are appropriate and helpful. One of those ways is by praying. Christians are called to pray for one another in the name of the Lord Jesus!
            Prayer can take on many forms. We can call out prayers of adoration. We can breathe prayers of confession. We can pray prayers of thanksgiving. And we can lift up prayers of intercession – for ourselves and for others.
How easy it is to pray to the Lord. How comforting it is when we know others are praying for us. How powerful it is to pray for our neighbors – near and far. And yet, so often we choose not to pray, defending our decision with excuses like “I’m too busy” or “I’m too tired” or “I’m not sure…”
A magazine cartoon has a little fellow kneeling beside his bed for evening prayer. He is overheard saying with some measure of disgust: “Dear God, Uncle Jim doesn’t have a job. Sis still doesn’t have a date for the dance. Grandma is still feeling sick – and I’m tired of praying for this family and not getting results.”
This little guy had a problem with prayer and he is not alone. Our reluctance to trust the power of prayer shows our misgivings about prayer. If we took prayer seriously, we wouldn’t hesitate to be persistent and consistent in spending time in conversation with God!
We all have had times when our prayers were answered. But we have also had times when we have been disappointed; when we have been disillusioned; when we have been discouraged. When Huckleberry Finn heard about prayer, he put an empty shoe box under his bed and prayed that God would fill it by morning. When the box remained empty, Huck said that was IT between him and prayer. Huckleberry Finn lost his trust in the power of prayer and, many times, so do we. Unfortunately, when we lose our trust in the power of prayer, we stop praying.
It was Sunday morning in the mountain country of central Europe, and the church bells were ringing. A man walking a mountain path came upon a shepherd lad with his father's flock of sheep. The boy was kneeling, and, looking up, was reciting the alphabet.
The man asked, "What are you doing?" and the boy answered, "I am praying." Somewhat sternly, the man said, "Praying? What kind of praying is this? Just saying letters, no words at all?" The lad replied: "I've never learned any prayers, sir. But it's Sunday morning and the bells are ringing in the valley, and I thought I wanted to pray, and I thought maybe - well, maybe - if I just said all of the letters, God might hear them and put them together for me, and spell out what I ought to say."
This, my dear friend, is true prayer - prayer in its essence, prayer at its purest and best: simply to place ourselves before God and turn it all over to God. This is the ultimate devotion, the first act of worship and the final one – here it begins and here it ends. Whatever else we may do - all our liturgies, all our preaching, all our singing - nothing ever surpasses this: simply to turn it all over to Jesus and say, "Here it is, Lord; take it, and make it come together as it should; take it, and spell it out for me, if you please." When we have done this, we will have prayed something pretty close to the perfect prayer.
If we believe that God hears and answers prayer; if we are convinced that prayer changes things; if we understand that prayer heals broken lives and restores severed relationships, we would be knocking on God’s door constantly. If we really believe in the power of prayer, then we, like Jesus, will not give up praying because a situation seems too hopeless or we are too worn out to take it to God in prayer.
Remember Germaine Copeland and her series of short but powerful prayers that helped millions begin a life of prayer. Remember the young shepherd whose found prayer in the recitation of the ABC’s. If we really believe that prayer matters, we will continue to pray with diligence – even if we don’t know what to say or how to say it. Remember what James wrote, “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” (16b)
When we pray to God, lifting up the name of our Lord Jesus, the mind of the Holy Spirit becomes known to us. God moves through our lives to alter the course and destiny of our world. It is through Jesus Christ that prayer has power and meaning and value. John Calvin referred to prayer as “the soul of faith,” and indeed faith without prayer soon becomes lifeless.
We need to pray – for one another, for ourselves, for God’s creation. We need to pray for situations, for peace, for other to come to know the Lord. Through the power of prayer, God’s will is done! Let’s call on the name of Jesus and claim that power – the power of prayer. Praise be the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Amen and amen.