James‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ - “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.”

4 Commitments of a Praying Church

1. We will pray about EVERYTHING.

1. Biblical Precedent
   1. James: 
      1. Are you suffering
      2. Are you happy
      3. Are you sick
      4. Have you sinned
   2. Other passages expand the list:
      1. ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
2. Prayer orients us to God.
   1. ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬ - “Never stop praying.”
   2. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ - “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.”
3. It comes down to relationship.

2. We will pray TOGETHER.

1. Biblical precedent
   1. This passage speaks of joining in prayer several times:
      1. If you are sick - call for the elders.
      2. If you sin - confess to each other and pray for each other.
   2. The revelation here is agreement.
2. When we pray together:
   1. We are all signing the petition.
   2. We are increasing one another’s faith through encouragement. 
   3. We are standing unified before God, and He loves unity. 
3. How to pray together:
   1. Don’t spectate, engage! 
   2. Engage your faith.
   3. Engage your voice.
   4. “When we pray, we all pray”.

3. We will pray in FAITH.

1. Biblical precedent:
   1. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!
2. Praying from the right place is so important:
   1. Praying IN RIGHTEOUSNESS - Righteousness is the standing you have with God.
   2. Praying IN PASSION - “Praying in Prayer” is the real translation. It just means a double down. 
   3. Praying IN ALIGNMENT - When you pray the will of God, He does it! 
   4. Praying IN FAITH - Elijah had a strong conviction in his prayer.

4. We will pray AGAIN

1. Jesus taught us the power of perseverance. The widow and unjust judge. 
2. Don’t let your faith decrease with time, but let it grow.
3. Romans 4:19-20 (NLT) 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead--and so was Sarah’s womb. 20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.