Prayers to Experience Power (James 5:13-18)
Today’s title is, “Prayers to Experience Power.” It is the prayer of faith and a prayer of repentance.
1) Prayer of Power, Faith
And just as it said in the Bible passage, “A righteous man’s prayer is effective and powerful.”
2) Prayer of Repentance (Covenant)
A repentance prayer based on the covenant.
3) Earnest Prayer
And because we know God, an earnest prayer is a prayer with power.
Crisis, Persecution, Failure (Filling of the Holy Spirit)
Among many people we meet, we may face people with illnesses and diseases, they can be within crisis and persecution. As we live our life, we are bound to face these problems, and from that, what is it that God desires the most? Simply put, God desires you to have the filling of the Holy Spirit. And this is leading to the three types of prayer.
Problem – X
It’s the same when you face problems. The right prayer isn’t a prayer to solve a problem, but it’s a prayer to God for His Spirit to come upon you. But what if you don’t have problems? Even when you don’t have problems, God desires the prayer for you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is a method by which we can live with power.
Problem X
The gospel should be proclaimed to the fields, and the first thing that happens when the gospel is proclaimed to the field is acceptance.
Acceptance
John 1:12
In John 1:12 it says, “Those who believe in My name will receive the right to become children of God,” and I’m not saying to receive it again when you already received it, but it’s about those who have never accepted, accepting Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:16
1 Corinthians 3:16 states that the Spirit of God resides in us.
Revelation 3:20
Identity, Authority
And Revelation 3:20 states when you open the doors of your heart, God will be with us forever, and we have the blessings of identity and authority. And the first movement that arises in your field is the convergent movement. And you go out into the field just for this, and God moves all businesses and works for accepting Jesus Christ. And I believe that there must be this continuous movement of accepting Jesus Christ. And whoever receives Jesus Christ especially the newcomers, or the believers who must relay this strength of prayer.
John 15:7
My Words -> Our Words
John 15:7 says “when you reside in me and my words reside in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you” this is the accurate promise of God. “When you reside in me” you accept in Me, and God’s word inside of me, God’s word resides in me, then ask for anything and it’ll be given to you. This is the answer to prayers.
Prayer Answers
There are some people in the church who have this faltering assurance and so they cannot experience this blessing. Being ambiguous means they accepted Jesus Christ but they don’t know the power. We must give them the confirmation. Not to accept Jesus Christ again, but to confirm what kind of being you are. And you must make it so that the person receives answers. And Jesus Christ already resides in us, but when we enter Gods word, we receive answers through the word, and we must make it so people are inside prayer.
Prayer
There are many believers who have received Jesus Christ but don’t know how to pray, it’s because at the start they didn’t learn how to correctly pray. From the very beginning, they held onto and were taught religious prayer where the eyes would just throw their desires to God. And that is why their status and authority were shaken. The reason why newcomers and new believers are important is because it’s important what enters first.
We told them the mystery of receiving answers, and it’s apparent for us that when we hold onto God’s word and pray, we receive answers. It’s because I’m a child of God.
Field, Lifestyle
And you must be able to experience this and accurately relay this to the field. It is the same out in the field, it must be so that this takes place in every aspect of our life. And how is this possible in the field? How in our life? John 15:7. And when you are able to this holding onto the word God has given to you, you will be able to experience and get answers in your life. There’s true freedom in only the gospel. And in other things, you’ll be caught.
And when you hold onto the word and pray, you will receive true freedom.
John 14:16-17
1) Within me (Thoughts, Heart, Brain, Flesh)
It is written, “the spirit the counselor will be with you forever,” not just the spirit, but the counselor, is with you forever. And he is inside of you. And you must be able to relay this. The Spirit inside me, and so inside my thoughts, the spirit to come within, the sorority to come upon my heart, the spirit to come upon my brain, the spirit to come upon my body. If this does not take place, this will not take place. The spirit is inside me, but you must teach them how to pray for the spirit to seize their thoughts heart and body, because the spirit, the Counselor, sees what comes upon my thoughts. My heart, spirit, and flesh, this is what you must teach the newcomers.
2) My Circumstances
To be “inside me” means to also “come upon my surroundings.” My circumstances are also with me because I live within circumstances. May the Holy Spirit come upon my circumstances because my circumstances influence my heart and spirit. So, it is from the very start that you relay to newcomers, not “me.”
3) Within my Ministry
For those who do ministry, the Holy Spirit does work. You must experience the filling of the Holy Spirit upon your Upper Room meetings through prayer. If that prayer doesn’t take place, it means you’re just relaying the principle and theory of it, and that cannot save lives. Your ministry is not about theories. The Bible Study isn’t about relaying theories about the Bible. It’s not about teaching the knowledge you’ve gathered up from so much learning. Then, would you be able to follow up with the pastor? Even the pastor doesn’t recognize, so you must not misunderstand, but you must have the prayer for the working of the Holy Spirit to come upon your work.
You cannot overcome your circumstances. Your ministry are blessings, but it doesn’t happen. Jesus is within me, I have Jesus Christ, but I keep losing strength, and if you do not relay this to the newcomers, then you lose strength, and no matter how much you receive the Word, you cannot receive strength, then later on, you give excuses about quitting. Then, instead of quitting right, you keep delaying it and giving excuses. At that time, we should take notice and think, “This is not being relayed properly,” but they go the other route of forcing it. This applies to me and all other people. The spiritual strength is not being relayed, meaning that I’m losing hold of spiritual strength.
Family Background
To new believers, even if you relay all this, what does not take place? They have their individual family backgrounds. You must come to shake this family background. The family background is talking about the circumstances and innermost experiences they had before accepting Jesus Christ.
1. Problem
New believers will absolutely face problems. Even though everything has been completed, the problems are huge problems to new believers. It is according to how you teach all of this that the new believer will be able to overcome or else fall into that problem. When you talk about this, the new believer seems to understand, but in front of problems, you must be able to properly relay this word.
Problem
This is something you can hear when you have no problems, when you’re successful, or when you go to church. But in front of problems, new believers tend to shake. Then, what is it that we must do at that time? You must relay the sure and accurate thing in Rev. 3:20, that God is with you and problems cannot overcome or shake Jesus. When they see this, they will understand, and though they understand, they can’t relay this.
New believers shake before problems, and because of the problems, they don’t go to church anymore. You assume they will keep coming but that’s not right. You must make it so they can overcome the problem. We must relay, “These problems cannot overcome or shake Christ Who is inside of us.”
(1) Family
There have been so many problems and there continue to be so many problems in the family. How can we make it so that though they accepted Jesus Christ, it can be applied to the family? Because when they go back home, they face the same problems, so when they come to church, it seems like there are no problems, but when you go back home, you face your parents, and there are continuous family problems.
New believers get confused. It was good when they received the message, but in front of their families, they’re oppressed. Because they only get oppressed when they nitpick at each of their problems, you have to tell them about the general problem of the family problem in Genesis 3.
Family- Platform
Make sure they rise up, using the family as the platform, otherwise they will fall back down. No reason to get bound by their scars. You must relay that they can overcome the family problems and use them as a platform to rise up, but for most people, it is not their platform; rather, they are bound by it.
(2) Prayer Topic
The problems of the family become your prayer topics. It’s not enough to just say it’s fine, there are so many churchgoers who are oppressed and troubled because of family problems. The new believers won’t come to church because everyone keeps saying it’s fine. It’s important to understand family problems. In order to understand, it’s important to also look at all aspects, including the parents, the person, the friend’s family.
When I meet a person, I don’t know that person at first, and after we talk a bit, I can get to know them a little bit, but that’s not enough. I have to be able to understand the family background. You can only come to understand the family background when you ask about the parents’ religious background, economic, social backgrounds. I’m not trying to pry, but I’m just knowing the family background. I can’t just point out spiritual problems the person has without knowing the family background.
You all can’t just give me your detailed family problems. How can I know each one of them? Then I wouldn’t be able to do my ministry. But when I talk to each one of you, I remember, through many conversations, for example Elder Lee, I was able to know so many details about him such as where his family are, why he came to America, things with his visa. But that’s not enough for me to know about his family background.
And so it has become a habit for me to just meet with someone and know their family background, and this happened with someone I met recently. And you can call this a talent of mine, at first I was troubled, but then I used it for the ministry that I’m doing, instead of being intrusive, I get to know that person. And if possible, in my perspective it is best to know then over all and save them.
And Tiffany told me about herself during the Navajo trip, and I told her it’s her family background. I told her it’s not reason to be disappointed this is all according to your background, because I know about her family, there’s nothing to be disappointed about. Or else people will question, “why is this person doing that” and when you’re able to see their family background, you get to see they had no choice but to do that.
2. Mental Problem, Disease
You can also meet people with mental illnesses. You meet a new believer who was getting mental help and they became a believer. But we keep getting seized when we keep asking God, “When will this problem be solved?”
(1) Gospel
But what we definitely know for sure is that this person needs the gospel, and it’s the same for problems of illnesses. We keep distancing ourselves from the gospel, we keep trying to solve the problems of illnesses and disease because we keep thinking, “The gospel solves everything, then why isn’t this problem solved?”
When you meet someone with a mental problem, you must definitely give them the gospel. But close friends and relatives to this person are only interested in whether the illness got better. It’s the same for diseases where close friends and relatives are only interested in whether it gets solved or not, and you’ll find hardships. Anyhow, they need the gospel, and in addition to the gospel, they need to become children of God.
God’s Child
These new believers accepted Jesus Christ in their hearts, but you meet them for a second or third time, and they continue to be the same. You may be a little shocked because they continue to stay the same. Their interests and motives lie in whether their problems will get better. It’s the same with mental problems and diseases, their focus is on whether it will get better. You can say that’s the natural way of thinking, that is, the people who think according to their flesh, but God has a plan.
(2) Plan
It is through mental problems and diseases that God has a plan for them to receive salvation. God has a plan and God is the One Who does healing. But it is important to see how God has His plan. But the reason why we do not have these continuous thoughts about God’s plan is because we keep oppressing ourselves by saying, “Why isn’t the problem solved?” The families are also interested in and only thinking about why this problem has or hasn’t been solved.
When the one doing ministry doesn’t have assurance in this, they’re either oppressed or run away. They think, “I must be lacking because no works are taking place,” meaning the one who did the ministry is unable to see God’s plan. There are some people who say, “Some others’ illnesses are fixed when they hear the gospel, but why isn’t it happening when you relay the gospel?” That’s the mindset of people who do not believe in God’s absolute sovereignty.
In the Jerusalem Temple, many people were healed all at once, but some others may ask, “Why didn’t you heal all the other people?” meaning, there was someone who was giving a testimony and heard about this healing and came to see this firsthand. Even though they met a couple of times, the illnesses were not healed. But it’s not you who does the healing, but God Who does the healing. Whether it’s early healing or healing that takes place after a long time, that’s all up to God and within God’s plan.
I know a person whose wife has a mental illness. And sometimes the powwow tells me, I think my wife got a little better. And sometimes they tell me “I think she’s the same,” but I don’t react to any of that, because it’s not something I do. What’s important is to see God’s plan of salvation happening through the wife’s mental illness. It is important to see that, through the wife, the person is able to receive God’s Word.
They have two children, and I desire for the gospel to go inside the family background for the two children. So, we must be able to see it was God’s plan for the person to receive salvation through the wife. It’s not a matter of fixing the problem. It’s not about children wanting money and giving the children money. There are good things about money and there are bad things about money. You can’t just give them the money.
3) Change Family Line
I’m saying God has a plan for the entire family line and God has a plan to change the entire family line. These two are getting married soon and unbelievers will come to the wedding ceremony. Do you think God cares about congratulating this couple? Regardless of the celebration, they will get married. This celebration will only happen for a short amount of time and then will go away, meaning that only people who can make it should come. But there are a few unbelievers or a few religious people who will be coming. It’s God’s plan for relaying the gospel through the wedding.
This is how I see it. It’s not just anyone who comes to the funeral. It’s not just anyone that comes to the funeral. Hid has a plan for people who come to the funeral for that one person. It’s important for the proclamation of the gospel. Likewise you have to see that through mental problems, God is proclaiming the gospel,and it’s the same for us. Do you believe you would’ve received the gospel if you didn’t have a problem? That’s why God gives us problems. But if you don’t hold onto God’s Word, then you’re interested in whether this problem will be fixed or not? Then it’s better to go to a fortune teller because they’ll tell you straight away. It’s not good if the wrong message is relayed.
3. Family Relationships
Not about individual persons, but the suffering given to the person by the family.
Parents, Children
I’m not really too sure about the culture of America, but at least according to what I know, if parents are divorced or separated, it greatly influences the kids. The kids may not express it, but they receive great influence. They don’t say anything about it. I experienced it when I was a child, my mom would go to work, and when I got back home after school, no one was there. In the past, my mom would always be there when I came back from school, but one day, she wasn’t there. This was life-changing. But I came back from school and she continues to not be there.
Some people think, “This is the natural way of the household,” it gives great influence to the child. For parents, it’s okay because it’s up to their own decisions to like or dislike the person, but children receive great influence. But there’s a method so that these children will be able to overcome this without regarding this as a problem.
Just because they don’t express themselves doesn’t mean they don’t feel anything. Reversely, where parents are okay but they are heavily affected by the problems their children face. For instance, some children are born with ADHD and these parents have a really hard time raising them up. There are no parents who say, “I’m having such a difficult time raising my child with ADHD. I’m sorry to say this about parents, but ADHD is just an example that came up in my thoughts. But I’m thinking about this in regards to doing ministry. You cannot ignore this, you must help them to overcome this.
(1) Own efforts
You can’t do this with your own efforts. We’re talking about Jesus Christ, God being with me. I’m not just saying to memorize these Bible verses, but within your circumstance, within facing the limitations, you can overcome it because God is with you. That’s how this Word works to let the person overcome their problems.
(2) Circumstance
God is with you and God will raise you up. Otherwise they will come to church a few times and then quit coming because it seems nothing is working out, so you must let them overcome even though they’re not expressing anything. The fact that the new believer keeps coming to church and is having continuous word movement means that the fulfillment of the Word doesn’t keep happening in their lives. The fact that all of you are coming here to receive this word means that you all received healing and seen the word movement happening in your life, and that doesn’t happen, you’ll think, “This are the same words that are always spoken.
(3) Crisis
And at times you might face a crisis, and a new believer might be shocked. In front of cires, do not be shaken for God is with you. When you say this, try to understand it but in the face of a crisis they don’t understand. And for you doing the ministry must relay this accurately. But if the one doing the ministry don’t know the background, it’ll just end with giving the word. It’s so different to just give this Word and to give this Word while they are within the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So if you want to do a ministry, you have to be told what kind of ministry to do. If you do not share the ministry you can do, you will face limitations, because it would be best if you could see all this and receive answers, but God’s system doesn’t work like that.
Even Rev. Ryu has to discuss this with many people because he needs to know who the True Disciple is. When you say “I’ll do this” you’ll face limitations, God sees your field and give the accurate Word after they leave. Being able to Communication will not take place, then that ministry will be cut off, meaning the “me” is too strong. And it eventually will not work out. It’s not me, but it’s about the communication with God, and it’s checking to seeing the flow. That’s not something we just have to tell other people, but rather you are receiving this and you’re sharing it with other people. That’s how God is with you all.
Within the pastors, we also give forum and give word to one and other that is a form of communication. If you know this very well, you all will have this form of communication through the Holy Spirit. Studying may be done somewhat well, but this cannot be done well. I’m not saying you can just come here alone, open up the bible and listen to God’s Word alone. You have to see the new believers, when they come, they’re holding onto something. They nod their head but they are just nodding their head.
Some people may come to this church, “I face problems with other churches” and if you don’t help them overcome this problem, they go to another church. Those people who have attended for a long time could not have overcome it. Knowing this well, you must give them the way to overcome it and that is the way to save.
It was during this time of healing evangelism school where I talked about healing taking place. So, don’t just pray about the problems but with the filling of the holy spirit, holding onto the working of the holy spirit, pray to receive healing and the Word entering inside of me is the answer. And inside of my field and my life, to be revealed as an answer. So that’s the Word and the Spirit to come upon me in my life. That’s related to me and to all the people I’m related to. Knowing the family background, you will be able to change that person.
Say I have been assigned to a child, then I must have a conversation with the child’s parents. But because I assume I know the child’s background, I can’t talk with the child, because I can’t see the field, I keep trying to rely the word to the child that’s not working out. The problems of the family background, we have to make it so that they can overcome it. I pray that these blessings will be revealed through you.
Prayer
Dear Father God, thank You. May the Friday healing be a ministry of healing. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.