Join us for a heartfelt exploration of the teachings of James, the esteemed leader in prayer from the New Testament. This episode dives deep into James’ unique position as a half-brother to Jesus and his practical approach to faith and prayer. We uncover how James emphasized a faith that manifests in actions, challenging us to integrate wisdom, worldliness, and wellness in our prayerful lives. Through compelling listener testimonies, discover how James’ teachings have guided and transformed lives, reinforcing the timeless relevance of his pragmatic insights. We also explore James’ perspective on the sincere application of prayer in various facets
00:43:52 Conclusion and Call to Join the Bible Bus
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The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
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Tradition says James, the half-brother of Jesus, was called Old Camelnese because he spent so much time in prayer. I love that, don’t you? Welcome to the Sunday sermon on Through the Bible for Dr. J. Verna McGee’s message, James Will Lead Us in Prayer. It’s such a practical and personal study. I know you’re going to love it. So grab your copy of God’s Word and get comfortable, and I’ll share a few letters from our fellow listeners as you do that. First, there’s a note from a listener named N. She writes, I can only describe myself as a prodigal. Saved at 12, I wandered far from the Lord during my teen years. I married an unsaved man and we have two sons. A few years back, my life began to crumble. My husband was in the hell throes of alcoholism and my children, teenagers by then, fell distant. I was going to school, but everything in my life seemed wrong. Then one day I turned on my radio and heard the most wonderful voice talking to me about my savior. His rough Southern drawl was soothing to me. and I listened intently on my way to school. I tuned in on every drive after that, leaving home early each day to hear Dr. McGee. After a bit, I applied his teaching to my daily life. The peace I experienced doing things God’s way instead of my own, I cannot possibly describe. Alone, as I was in the human sphere, I grew closer and closer to Jesus. I continued to listen after graduating, and praise God, my husband and sons are now saved. Praise God for that. God has blessed us beyond anything I can describe. The radio in my vehicle no longer works, so I now listen on my phone through your app. I love the daily lessons and Sunday sermons, and I have joined the World Prayer Team. Thank you so much, Steve, Greg, and the entire TTB team for continuing to send out Dr. McGee’s teaching. I’m excited to thank him in heaven, although I’m certain I’ll have to wait in a long line. I can’t truly describe what you mean to me. I only pray that the Lord will use what little I can give to bring another prodigal home. Thank you so much. Well, thank you, Ann. I pray that your story helps those who need to hear it today. And then here’s another one. This is from a listener named Mark. He shares, I first started listening back in the mid-90s. I was listening to the daily radio program two or three times a day, morning, noon, and night, as well as the Sunday sermons. It awakened me to my spiritual condition that the need to repent of my sin and turn to Christ. I was listening to all the scripture that persuaded me that no part should be neglected, even Leviticus, now one of my favorite books. I have always felt that the letters you read were a very significant part of your program and proof of the longevity of McGee’s teaching and presentation of the word of God. After 10 years on the Bible bus, I hopped off as two of the radio stations changed ownership and programming. Then several weeks ago, at church during our service, we just so happened to sing both the hymns that open and close this program. Well, the words got stuck in my head, and I started listening again by podcast during my 40-minute commute to and from work. I will continue to listen and tell others to do as well. Do not change a thing, music, letters, or McGee’s teaching. I will be signing up to give regularly. Well, Mark, we’re so glad to have you back aboard with us. Thanks for your financial commitment. It really does help keep the bus running in your community as well as in the over 250 languages around the world. Now, what are you learning as we travel through God’s Word together? What’s been your favorite sermon or study, and why is that? You know we’d love to hear from you. You can write to us at Box 7100. Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. You can always email us as well at biblebus at ttb.org or use the feedback feature in our app or just leave us a voicemail at 1-800-65-BIBLE. Let’s pray. Father, thank you for this opportunity to draw close and sit at your feet to be taught from your word. We’re listening, Lord, so help us to hear you speak and grow in wisdom. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. Here’s the Sunday Sermon on Through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
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This morning our subject is, James will lead us in prayer. If this morning I should say we want James to lead us in prayer, here in this congregation, I have a notion that at least a dozen men would start moving toward the platform because I’m sure that there are that many here today who have the name of James. May I say that that’s true as far as the word of God is concerned? And in order this morning to avoid calling upon the wrong James to lead us in prayer, we ought to identify and introduce the James that we have in mind today, the right one. The one that we have in mind is the one who wrote the epistle of James. And that may not be very much more helpful than what we’ve already said. There actually are four possibilities in the writer of the epistle to James. However, I think we can know reasonably well who he was. There’s first of all the James, who’s the brother of John, the apostle, and he’s one of the sons of thunder, also one of the sons of Zebedee. This man was slain by Herod. You find that given to us in the 12th chapter of the book of Acts. He is not the one who wrote the epistle of James. Then there is James, the son of Alphaeus. He’s sometimes called James the Less in order to keep him from becoming confused with James the Fisherman, the brother of John. And he is not the one who wrote this epistle, although we know practically nothing about him. Then there’s another James. And this James is our Lord’s really flesh and blood brother. He was a half-brother, let’s say, of the Lord Jesus. We find a reference to him over in the sixth chapter of Mark, the third verse. Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joseph and of Judah and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. You see, our Lord had several brothers and sisters according to the flesh. They actually were half-brothers and half-sisters according to the flesh. Now James happened to be one of them. Now if this man James had been a man who had the mood of the modern-day Christian, I’m confident that he would have had a very famous message he would have given as he went about over the early church, and it would have been on the boy Jesus as I knew him in the home. And if James was only in Southern California, we’d have him tonight at the church of the open door to give that message, and we’d pack out the place. Because, you know, people would want to meet the man that was raised as a boy with Jesus. And, you know, friends, had I been a half-brother of Jesus according to the flesh, and I had written an epistle that got in the scripture, you’d find somewhere in this epistle where I let people know it. I would have been a very pious, casual manner. I would have said, well, you know, when I was with Jesus in the home, he did this or he said that, and I would have done it like that without just coming right out, you know, and making a great deal to do of it. But the interesting thing is that James here, he never even mentions it. You see, immediately we discover he’s probably a little different in his outlook on life than we are. As you read his epistle, he seems to have nothing in common with the contemporary Christianity that we know today. Fact of the matter is, I do not believe that he would have very much to do with this frivolous and sophisticated type of fundamentalism that we have about us today. He was austere. He was rugged. He was very serious and solemn. He’s very practical, though. He believed that Christianity had to be put in shoe leather, and if you couldn’t put it in shoe leather, it wasn’t Christianity. He was very pragmatic. He is a man of prayer. He was known as Old Camel Knees in the early church because his knees actually had calluses on them. He spent so much time on them in prayer. So he is a great man to talk to us this morning on the subject of prayer. Actually, the subject of his epistle is not works, as a great many seem to think. I am disappointed that even Martin Luther went so far as to say the Epistle of James was a strawy epistle. Now, he never said, as the liberalists said, Dr. McIntosh of Union Seminary years ago made the statement that he said that the Epistle of James was an epistle of straw. He never said that. He said it was a strawy epistle. And even the Schofield Bible, that I highly recommend. But even this note here, I’m not satisfied with it at all. It says it’s elementary in the extreme. Well, personally, I do not think James is elementary at all. I find him extremely difficult, my beloved. I believe that the subject of the epistle has been missed. I do not think he’s discussing works at all. He’s discussing faith and a faith that works, my beloved. And because of that, We missed the point. He’s talking about the fruit of faith. And he’s more concerned about that tree that produces the fruit than anything else. And so this man, James, is a very practical man. Now, he gives us the skills and the techniques of living the Christian life. and in that he has a great deal to say about prayer. The fact of the matter is he makes three practical suggestions concerning prayer. He moves into three separate areas where prayer should be made and where you and I live and move and have our being, and he shows the practicality of prayer. May I mention these three? The first is prayer and wisdom. Listen to one verse, chapter 1, verse 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not shall be given him. And then he speaks on prayer and worldliness. And will you listen to him here in verses 3 and 4 of chapter 4. Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” And then finally he moves in the area of prayer and being well. And my, how important that is for us today. Over in the 5th chapter, the 14th verse, he says this, “‘Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church.'” Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. And if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Now, it’s in these three areas of prayer where you and I live and move and have our being that James is speaking today. Prayer and wisdom. prayer and worldliness, and prayer and being well. Now, will you listen to him this morning? Because I think he can help us a great deal in our prayer life. First of all, prayer and wisdom. Will you listen to him? But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing Now, my beloved, the kind of wisdom that he’s talking about here as he moves on, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. He’s talking about now not that kind of wisdom that we speak of today as book learning. It’s not philosophical that he’s talking about. Everything James is talking about is that which is very practical. He’s talking about here the reasonable and sensible view of God’s will for our lives. Now, will you listen to him? He says, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into many testings, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patiently. and let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be complete, should be the better word, and entire, wanting nothing. Now James is saying this, that you and I as Christians should be well-rounded, normal Christians. That’s what he’s talking about. And he says in order to do that, that we need to know God’s will. In other words, we need to keep in God’s will all the time. And in order to do that, there are certain decisions that have to be made, not just one great decision for life, but he’s talking now about the many decisions that you and I have to make, daily decisions, decisions concerning these things that are very practical. Shall we go here or shall we do that? Shall we refrain from doing this? Now, these are the things that he’s talking about here that are the matter of prayer in order to determine God’s will. I think if James had a sense of humor, which, by the way, he did not have at all, I think he would say this to us. Not all Christians have their marbles. And in order that you might, in being a Christian, be well-rounded, normal in your action, he says it’s going to be necessary for you to know God’s will for all of these decisions that come to you. Now, he says if we need wisdom, therefore to be complete and to be normal in order to know God’s will concerning any matter, to know what God’s will is concerning our lives, for the details that come up each day, just what are we to do? And he says we’re to ask God. It’s very practical. He says, you ask God and he gives to every man liberally and he upbraideth not. It’s these decisions in life that confront us every day that take many of us out of the will of God. Many of us, as we move through life, start out in the morning, probably in the will of God, and before we come to high noon, we’ve moved out of the will of God. And the reason is, there were decisions to be made, and we thought probably they should not be taken to God in prayer. They’re very practical. I’m at work. I’m busy. I had my Christianity yesterday at church, and this is Monday, and certainly I don’t put on overalls in order to worship, but may I say to you, to know God’s will, why we should be constantly in touch with him, asking him for his will concerning these matters, because decisions face us constantly, and it’s these decisions that are disturbing. You remember the old story about the boy in the country that got a job in the country store and the proprietor sent him down in the basement to sort potatoes. He said to the boy, he says, I want you to put all the big potatoes on this side of the basement and you put all the small potatoes on the other side of the basement. And he says, I want you to be very careful with this. The big potatoes over here and the small potatoes over there. And the boy said, yes, sir. And he worked for about two hours up till almost noon or to the first coffee break. And he came upstairs and he said to the man, he said, you know, I am going to quit. He says, I’m quitting. And the proprietor said to him, well, he said, son, you haven’t worked but just a little while. Is the work too hard for you? Oh, he says, no, sir, the work’s not too hard. Well, he says, am I not paying you enough? And he said, yes, you’re paying me enough, sir. Well, he says, what is it that’s wrong? He says, it’s them decisions you have to make downstairs. May I say to you this morning, my beloved, that’s the problem with life today. It’s them decisions. that we have to make. We come to the place where you can’t tell whether it’s a big potato or a small potato, and you can’t tell which side it should go on. And there are many things that come up in our lives, and we do not know just where to turn. Now, that’s the thing that James is speaking of here. This word, we’ll find out tonight that this is one of the requirements for a church officer, is this kind of wisdom. Wisdom relative to the decisions of life. Here is a Christian, and the Christian is a sincere one who sincerely wants to do God’s will. But what is God’s will for his life? He moves out into today and tomorrow and next week, and he says, I want to do God’s will, and he comes to the crossroads of life, and two ways open up to him, one to the right hand and one to the left hand. Which way shall he go? And God is… so far has not put up a marker at the crossroads. He hasn’t put up a light there that turns green and red. He hasn’t let a voice come out of heaven today that says to us, this is the way, walk ye in it. Which way are you to go, my beloved, when you come to a place like that? We do not know sometimes where to turn. And the traffic is heavy and they’re blowing their horns and they’re saying to us, move on. And in life, you’ve got to move on. What decision shall you make? James says, if any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. And God is not stingy in this department. God is generous in this department. He gives to every man liberally here if you will look to him for these matters. Yeah, but somebody says, I did pray for wisdom. I did ask God to lead me to make the right decision. And I had to move out and move out in faith. May I say to you this morning, I can’t speak for you. I can only speak for myself. But the highway I’ve come hasn’t been marked very well. I’ve come to many crossroads, and I didn’t know which way to turn. I remember being at one of these crossroads, and I’ll be honest with you, I was frustrated. I did not know which way to go, and I did believe I could say I wanted to go God’s way, but he didn’t tell. And it was that time I heard Dr. Harry Ironside, the late Dr. Harry Ironside, make the statement, he says, 90% of the decisions I’ve had to make in life, I had to make them without knowing at the particular time that I really had God’s will. It was not until later. And I believe, my beloved, that God moves us to the crossroads purposely. And if you and I will look to him in wisdom, he’ll let us move out and we’ll have to walk softly. And that’ll keep us close to him, you see. If he gave us a road map, we’d forever be looking at that road map and not be looking to him. And so he doesn’t always make it clear. But someone says, yes, but I’ve made a mistake. I didn’t know just where to go. Well, the apostle Paul almost made a mistake. The Holy Spirit kept him from making a mistake. I turn to the 16th chapter of Acts. Will you listen to this? And this is on his second missionary journey, by the way. Now, when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the regions of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia. And that’s the province of Asia, which Ephesus was the capital. And Paul was to touch there later. In fact, he was to do his greatest missionary work there. And yet the Spirit of God, when he wanted to go there, stopped him and blocked the way. And you’d think, well, then if he didn’t go that way, he’d know where to go then. No, he didn’t. After they were come to Mysia, they assayed, that is, attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered them not. And Paul attempted, he says, well, if the Spirit of God doesn’t intend for me to go south, he certainly intends for me to go north into Bithynia. And at that time there was a very large Jewish population in that area. He thought he was to go there. But there the Spirit of God blocked him again and said, not this way. My beloved, this morning you and I need wisdom. And if you and I are willing to commit matters like this in our lives to him, God will give us leading and guiding. But somebody says, Paul had difficulty. Yes, he did, but he finally got leading. Many have difficulty. Somebody says, but maybe I make a mistake. Maybe you will. I remember hearing Dr. Arthur Mao. several years ago tell this. He and I were riding on the San Joaquin Daylight and I sat in the diner with him for breakfast and we stayed there and they brought the luncheon menu to us. And I was very much interested in what he had to say. He said that when he finished the Bible Institute that he went out as a missionary to China. He’s on the way to China, he and his wife. And they got to Borneo and they stopped there and because of some difficulty they couldn’t go on so he began mission work there he found out about the natives on the interior and finally he and his wife prayed about it and he got a guide started up the river got up a certain ways to the forks of the river stopped and prayed which one to go up he took the left fork got up there the boat turned over the guide drowned and he almost drowned and he came back and said his wife let’s go to chung And she said, no, let’s pray about the other four. And they prayed about the other four. And then they went up that form. And that’s where he spent his life as a missionary. And I understand today there are over 20,000 that through his missionary efforts have been led to the Lord. Evidently, that was God’s will for him. But you see, God doesn’t flash green lights on for us. This is very practical. As you and I move out these decisions that confront us in life, we need wisdom. God never put a steering wheel on any of us. because he wanted to steer us. And when we come to those, we have a right to look to him and ask for wisdom if we mean to do his will. And then, my beloved, if we do take the wrong fork, that’ll be made clear. And when you take the wrong fork and come back down and go the right fork, you’ll never be bothered the rest of your life whether you should have gone up the other fork or not. God will make it very clear to you. This is very practical. This is something, my beloved, that works. And then there’s prayer and worldliness. And I want you to notice this passage of scripture here. I want to read it to you this morning in Weymouth’s translation. And I have checked the Greek here and know that this is quite accurate. Will you listen to this and follow your translation? What causes wars and contentions among you? Is it not the passions which are ever at war in your natures? You covet things and cannot get them. You commit murder. You are envious and cannot gain your end. You fight and make war. You have not because you do not pray. You ask and yet do not receive because you pray wrongly, your object being to waste on your pleasures what you acquire. And my beloved, May I say to you that that’s worldliness. Someone says this morning, but I thought worldliness was questionable amusements. I thought worldliness was going to movies. Of course, it’s different when you see those same movies on the television, but the thing that’s worldly is to go to these places that we call today worldliness. May I say to you that James, who’s very practical, doesn’t list those things. He says that the thing that’s worldliness is strife. And how many churches today call themselves spiritual churches, fundamental churches that have strife within? You see, the spirit of the world this morning is a spirit of strife and competition. James says here that out in the world they have a desire to get and they’re willing to hurt and harm to get it. Even making today missiles, atomic warheads, in order to get what you want. That’s the spirit of the world today. Now he says that that spirit, which is the spirit of strife, that’s worldliness. And that the worst thing in the world is when that spirit of strife and competition gets into the heart of a believer. That makes a worldly Christian. to fill the heart today with the world. And you can’t fill your heart with the world because someone has said, God has so made the heart that only he can fill it. And when we put the whole world in it, the heart’s not filled and still longs for more. That spirit of wanting more, that spirit of getting, and that’s the thing, my beloved, that leads to carnality. That’s the thing that Paul spoke about when he wrote to the Corinthians and listened to him. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk. and not with me, for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. Now listen to him. For ye are yet carnal, for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Paulus, are ye not carnal? That, my beloved, is… When worldliness comes into the heart, then that spirit of strife makes a babe in Christ. It makes a carnal Christian. It’s the thing that reaches out and says, I want something. I must have something. I’ve got to have something. And then to go out after that, my beloved, that’s worldliness. That’s the spirit of the world today. And then will you notice what he says? Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your own desires. The reason that our prayers are not answered is because our prayers are selfish. They’re not for God’s glory, but they’re for our own desires, our own lusts, our own pleasures. And we’re to test them therefore. Listen to him. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, and I think that’s spiritual, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. You can pray for anything and God will hear and answer that prayer and he will. Any believer as a child can go to God. But this is the acid to pour on your prayer to see whether it’s genuine or not and see why you didn’t get the answer that you asked for. Is it because we today have a bad case of gimmies or is it because we really want God’s glory done? This is practical. This worked. You see, James says that prayer will work, and if your prayers are not working, he says it’s because we’re praying as worldly Christians, because of strife and competition, and we want something. Will you listen to this? He prayed for strength that he might achieve. He was made weak that he might obey. He prayed for health that he might do greater things. He was given infirmity that he might do better things. He prayed for riches that he might be happy. He was given poverty that he might be wise. He prayed for power that he might have the praise of men. He was given infirmity that he might feel the need of God. He prayed for all things that he might enjoy life. He was given life that he might enjoy all things. He had received nothing that he asked for, all that he hoped for. His prayer was answered. He was most blessed. My beloved, prayer and worldliness. Why do we want it? Why are we asking for it? Is it because we have in our hearts the spirit of the world, we are really worldly Christians, that spirit that Paul labels a carnal Christian? Carnal, that means of the flesh. That word carnival doesn’t even come out of the Latin, doesn’t even come out of the Greek language at all. It comes out of the Italian. It means apparently to lift out the flesh, and at one time carnival meant to deny the flesh, but today carnival… Well, it’s that celebration they have in Italy. They call it Mardi Gras in New Orleans right before Lent when they are to deny themselves meat and certain things like that. Then they have this tremendous celebration, and now it’s Mardi Gras or Carnival, the flesh-running riot getting what it wants. That’s the spirit of the world. That’s worldliness. That’s worldliness. And that’s the thing that will cut and short-circuit the power line of prayer quicker than anything else, my beloved. Now finally, will you notice this? Prayer and being well. You see, James talks right down where we are, right where we live today. Listen to him now. Is any sick among you? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church. Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up. And if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. My beloved, we have here this reference to anointing with oil. And the very interesting thing is that this is the thing that’s been seized on because of the fact that where you and I live, the problem of keeping well physically is one of the greatest problems that we have. In fact, that’s the way we greet each other, is it not? We meet somebody and say, how are you? And sometimes they tell us. How are you today? I remember as a boy in southern Oklahoma, in the country, there used to be a dear little old lady there who wore a sun bar on it. You’d ask her, how do you feel this morning, Miss so-and-so? And it was either one of two things. She says, I feel pert this morning, or I feel puny. It is either pert or puny. And she always felt puny more often than she felt pert. It was the unusual thing to meet her and have her say, I feel real pert today. It was always, I feel real puny today. My beloved, a great many of us are that way. We want to enjoy good health. We feel like we ought to have good health. And if we’re well, we say this, we reason like this. We say, well, I can be a better Christian. I can do more for God. I can serve God. Therefore, it must be God’s will for me to stay well. That’s the reason for the popularity of the faith healer today. He promises to give people what they want regardless of God’s will. Fortunately, there’s a slackening of that popularity right now, and I notice that most of them don’t even dare call themselves any longer faith healers. They merely say, we pray for the sick. And this is one of their favorite scriptures here in James. If you find a book on healing, this verse will be there. Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The word for anoint here is a very interesting word. In fact, that English word translates about eight different words in the Bible. The two words in the New Testament that are used is the first word, trio. That’s the word that our Lord used that day that he stood up and read from Isaiah, where he said, The Lord has anointed me to preach the gospel. John used that same word when he said, We have an anointing of God. that we might know the mind of God. When that word is used, it has a spiritual value. It has a religious meaning. But there’s another word that is used, and it is the word alepho. And that word is a medical word. It has nothing to do with the ceremony or religion at all. It means when you anoint, you’re putting ointment on to heal. It’s the thing our Lord meant. You either heal or improve your looks. You remember our Lord said, when you fast, you anoint your head. Put on the hair tonic and brush your hair. Don’t act like you’re fasting at all. You’re improving your looks. There’s no religious value in that. Those are two different words. Now, which words used in James? Well, the interesting thing is it’s the medical word that’s used, and James has nothing in the world to do with a religious ceremony at all. Doesn’t have anything to do with just going through some sort of a ritual and pouring on oil. James is very practical, I’d remind you. He says, is anybody sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him. And I do believe that we ought to have more prayer for the sick. I think that’s God’s will that we pray for the sick. But what about anointing him with oil? Well, the anointing with oil has to do with medicine. That means put medicine on him. You remember when Hezekiah got sick? Why, it was Isaiah who went in and said, The Lord’s going to heal you, but be sure and put that poultice of figs on the boil. You see, do two things. Use the medicine at hand and also… Make it a matter of prayer. And that’s exactly what James is saying here to us. James is saying that when you get sick, you’re to call for the elders to pray for you. And also, don’t forget to get out that Watkins ointment and put it on also because you’ll need that. And call for the doctor at the same time because these are things God has raised up for us. You remember Paul had a thorn in the flesh. Paul says, I went to God about that thorn in the flesh, and I said to him, Lord, I’ve got a thorn in the flesh. It’s hindering me, and I’m trying to get around over the Roman Empire, and I’d like to get around over it before I’m either put in prison and executed, and therefore this thorn’s hindering me. I wonder if you couldn’t remove it. And Paul felt he was praying in the will of God. When he prayed that prayer, he got no answer. And he went back the second time and he said, Lord, generally when I pray, I always get an answer from you. And I didn’t get an answer. I asked you to remove the thorn and you didn’t remove it. Don’t you see I can be a better Christian? He got no answer. He went back the third time, and I think Paul was a little impatient with the Lord because Paul always got answers to his prayers. And he said, Lord, I’ve been here twice, and this is the same matter. I want this thorn removed. I can be a better missionary. And the Lord said, Paul, I answered you. I answered you the first time you prayed. I didn’t take away the thorn. That was my answer. You’re going to find my grace sufficient. And that’ll be a greater message than if I healed you. It’s not my will to do that. When you came to me in prayer, I heard and answered your prayer. My friend, isn’t that practical? Do you need this morning wisdom about the decisions of life? Go to God in prayer. He hears. He gives liberally. Is that spirit of strife within your heart this morning? Maybe that’s what short-circuited your prayer. You want to be well today? Every normal person wants to be well. Can we make that a matter of prayer? We certainly can. We ought to pray about that. and you’ll get an answer from him. James says you’ll get an answer. But don’t forget to call the doctor, because God uses doctors also, and God uses medicine. This morning I’ve taken you to the edge of a very practical paradise. I wish this morning I could say to you, I know by daily experience, moment by moment, what it is to be completely submerged in the will of God. I’m sorry this morning that I have to report that many times I’ve held back. I’m sorry to have to report this morning that I have not gone all the way all the time. But I am prepared to say this to you. I’ve been in that paradise several times. And I’ve looked over the fence into that wonderful, marvelous garden where he wants us to walk today in shoe leather, where you can commit your way and your will to him completely and go out and face the world and say, I belong to him. I may not know what to do tomorrow morning. But I’m committing it to him. And if you see me stumble and fall before noon, I want you to know I’m going to get up and brush myself off and try the other way, because I’m committed to him. And if I get sick, I’m going to him in prayer. I’m going to ask him to make me well. Then I’m going to call the doctor. And if I don’t get well, I’ll know I’ll have his will. And it’ll be the best thing in the world. Brethren, count it all joy when you enter into many testings. That’s the will of God for you. And he’s doing the very best he possibly can for you.
SPEAKER 01 :
This week on the Bible Bus, we’re going to finish our study of Hosea and return to the book of James. So hop aboard on our app, online at ttb.org, or your local Christian radio station. To contact us or to find out how you can support this fruitful ministry, call 1-800-65-BIBLE. Join us each weekday for our five-year daily study through the whole Word of God. Check for times on this station or look for Through the Bible in your favorite podcast store and always at ttb.org.
