PRAYER AND SUFFERING (JAS. 5:13)

 

1.   The widespread nature of human suffering is seen in the death of Jesus.

2.   The Lord was innocent but He suffered.

3.   A thief who was penitent and contrite suffered.

4.   A man who was guilty of a crime but not remorseful also suffered.

5.   At the death of Christ three very different people suffered.

6.   This suggests that suffering is a common human experience.

7.   Because this problem is so universal the Bible has something to say about it.

8.   One of the passages that relates to this subject is Jas. 5:13.

9.   James said, “If any is suffering let him pray.”

 

THE CHRISTIANS IN THE FIRST CENTURY ABIDED BY THIS INSTRUCTION.

 

A.  Paul and Silas were in the city of Philippi.

B.  As they were going to a place of prayer they met a lady who was possessed with an evil spirit.

C.  This woman followed Paul and Silas for several days (Acts 16:17-18).

D.  As she followed she shouted to others that Paul was a servant of God.

E.  I was once in another country doing campaign work and passed by two young people.

F.  It was summer and these children didn’t have anything to do.

G.  They decided to tag alone with me and my partner.  We could not get rid of them.

H.  Let’s just say that they were not exactly an asset.

I.  The same was true for Paul.  Having unwanted help becomes an annoyance.

J.  After many days passed Paul freed this woman from the evil spirit.

K.  What Paul did made some people angry.

L.  The apostles were beaten and then cast into the worst part of a prison (verse 23).

 

2.  Acts 16:19-24. 

 

3.  God’s people were suffering.

4.  They must have been bleeding, they were incarcerated, and their feet were in stocks.

5.  This was a very unpleasant set of circumstances.

A.  Yet, the Bible says that God’s people were praying (verse 25).

B.  James told those afflicted by troubles to pray.

C.  This is exactly what Paul and Silas did.

D.  This example brings to mind Ps. 50:15.  God said, Call upon me in the day of trouble.

 

6.  Paul and Silas were suffering and they prayed.  Were their prayers answered?

A.  According to verse 33 their “stripes were washed.”

B.  These men were fed a decent meal (Acts 16:34).

C.  The preachers were finally released (verse 39).

D.  Two Christians were suffering, they prayed, and they received help.

 

7.  In this case we might say that these Christians unquestionably deserved help.

8.  By this I mean that they were faithful Christians.

9.  They were suffering unjustly; they did not deserve to be imprisoned and beaten.

10.  God helped those who prayed to Him when they were suffering.

 

11.  IF WE LIMIT OUR STUDY OF PRAYER AND SUFFERING TO THIS STORY WE WOULD CONCLUDE THAT GOD ALWAYS HELPS THOSE WHO SUFFER.

 

A.  This conclusion would not be accurate.

B.  In the book of 2 Corinthians we again read about Paul.

C.  Paul said that he had received a “thorn in the flesh.”

D.  The word thorn meant, “something pointed.”

E.  This word plus the fact that Paul used a present tense verb means the problem was frequent.

F.  Paul had some type of persistent pain.

G.  This problem, whatever it was, is described as a “messenger of Satan.”

H.  This problem was designed to buffet Paul (2 Cor. 12:7).

I.  The word buffet is a special word.

J.  It meant to hit with the fist, box the ears, or mistreat.

K.  This word is also used in Mt. 26:67 to describe the suffering experienced by Jesus.

L.  A more precise definition for the word in 2 Cor. 12:7 is, “blows w/the fist from an angel of Satan.”

M.  Paul suffered.  He suffered on a regular basis

N.  The intensity of the suffering is pictured as being hurt with a pointed object.

O.  The pain was like being hit with a fist.

P.  If we experienced this type of pain as a Christian we would probably pray.

Q.  The Bible says that Paul prayed about this painful suffering.

R.  2 Cor. 12:8.

S.  Notice the word “besought.”

T.  This word describes a type of pleading that is earnest and passionate.

U.  In other places this same word is joined the word “much” (Mk. 5:10).

V.  Lk. 7:4 couples the term with the word “earnestly.”

W.  Mk. 1:40 uses the term to describe someone who knelt before Jesus.

 

12.  The intensity of the word besought is very strong.

13.  Paul prayed with great earnestness three separate times. 

14.  Because the pain was so bad he may have wanted to pray several more times.

15.  God said that the pain would not be taken away.

16.  In Acts 16 Paul was suffering, he prayed, and he was helped.

17.  Paul was introduced to suffering at a different time (2 Cor. 12); this suffering was like torment.

18.  He begged for God to take away the affliction but heaven said no.

19.  When we combine 2 Cor. 12 and Acts 16 we find that no all suffering can be relieved by prayer.

20.  Some suffering will be, and in some cases the suffering may be completely eliminated.

21.  In other cases the suffering remains.

22.  Some have devised a view of suffering and prayer that is too simplistic.

23.  Many seem to think, “I am a Christian and I am suffering.  I will pray and God will take it away.”

24.  In some cases this happens.  In other cases this is not the way things go.

25.  In fact, God’s response to our afflictions is often what we would not expect.

26.  Consider the case of Jonah.

27.  This prophet was given a mission but he decided to skip town.

28.  Jonah’s sin caused him to suffer.  His shipmates put him on the spot.

29.  They demanded to know where he was from, what he did, and the sin he had committed.

30.  Jonah was finally tossed overboard.

31.  A great fish swallowed him.  Jonah suffered.

32.  He prayed.  God answered his prayer but the answer wasn’t quite what Jonah wanted.

33.  This man still had to preach to a people he didn’t like.

34.  He still had to help people he despised.

35.  Jonah suffered so much that he said, God, “take my life” (Jon. 4:3).

A.  “It is better for me to die than to live.”

B.  In Jon. 4:8 the prophet repeated his request – “Let me die.’

C.  Here was a man who suffered so much after he prayed he craved death.

D.  Though he prayed and he had direct communication with God, the Bible says he still suffered.

 

36.  A fourth example of prayer and suffering is found in the book of 2 Chron. 33:1-12.

A.  This passage describes a king named Manasseh.

B.  King Manasseh reigned for 55 years.

C.  He started to reign at the age of 12.

D.  Being young he was easily influenced by some people who were liberal and sinful.

E.  Because of the evil influence Manasseh did many things that did not please God.

F.  This man even burned his children as an offering to a pagan God.

G.  If you have found 2 Chron. 33 let’s read the first twelve verses.

H.  Under this king the Hebrews became worse than the heathens (verse 9).       

I.  This king wouldn’t listen to God (verse 10).

J.  Manasseh was finally “bound in fetters” and was “in chains”  (verse 11).

K.  The KJV says, “among the thorns.”

L.  The words “chains” and “thorns” describe a very unpleasant experience.

M.  Some of us have caught fish and put them on a stringer.

N.  We run a piece of steel through the mouth of a fish so the fish cannot go anywhere.

O.  This is what was done to King Manasseh.

P.  People had something like a chain that snapped.  This chain was poked through the king’s skin.

Q.  Maybe it was poked through his lip; perhaps it was his cheek.

R.  Some think that handcuffs are bad; what about being put on a stringer?

S.  This man suffered.  He lost his kingdom.

T.  He was chained like a fish and carried to Babylon.

U.  He was reduced to nothing.

V.  This man was suffering and he finally decided to pray.

W.  Let’s look at verse 13.

 

37.  We sometimes hear people say, “It’s too late to pray.”

A.  This could have been Manasseh’s attitude.

B.  “I have lost my home, kingdom, and authority.

C.  “I am now a captive in a foreign land.  There is no hope.  All I can do is suffer.”

D.  Manasseh decided to pray and God responded to this man’s pray.

 

38.  This king was restored to his former walk of life.

39.  Although this man had sinned in the worst possible ways God heeded his prayer when he repented.

 

40.  There are a lot of things about suffering that I do not understand.

41.  When we study about prayer and suffering the examples given today demonstrate certain truths:

A.  First, those who suffer are entitled to pray.

B.  When we pray during times of suffering we will receive an answer.

C.  Our sufferings may be removed (Acts 16).

D.  We may beg and plead but the suffering remains (2 Cor. 12).

E.  In cases like 2 Cor. 12 there is a divine purpose for our pain.

F.  Manasseh shows that anyone who suffers is allowed to come to God.

 

42.  A long time ago a very famous man (Chrysostom) wrote these words:

A.  “Should the Empress determine to banish me, let her banish me; ‘The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.’  If she will cast me into the sea, let her cast me into the sea; I will remember Jonah.  If she will throw me into a burning fiery furnace, the three children were there before me.  If she will throw me to the wild beasts, I will remember that Daniel was in the den of lions.  If she will condemn me to be stoned, I shall be an associated of Stephen the proto-martyr.  If she will have me beheaded, the Baptist has submitted in the same punishment.  If she will take away my substance, ‘naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return to it.”

 

43.  We cannot always explain suffering but we can always respond to it in the right way.

44.  We pray and we remain faithful to God.

45.  Have we determined to remain faithful to God at all costs?