Power of Prayer
We have reached the last verses in our study of the book of James. As we have seen throughout our study, James continuously strikes at the heart of issues found within the church and an individual’s walk with Jesus Christ. James ends his book now with a reminder to the believers.
“Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. 19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”
James 5:13-20
To often when we are suffering we try to go through it alone, to often when we are happy we place the source within ourselves. In these final verses, James is directing the audience toward the true source of comfort and joy; God. When we are suffering and faced with hard times we are called to pray. When we are cheerful and have everything going the way we would like it to, we need to praise the One who is giving us these blessings. In both the highs and the lows of life, we need to seek God.
James then continues with the acknowledgement that we are not meant to walk through our faith by ourselves. This is why he points out that when we are faced with issues we need to call upon the church to pray for us. Through corporate prayer, much can be accomplished! This idea of corporate prayer is also to encourage us to hold ourselves accountable to our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we do sin, we need to confess to God and to those we have sinned against, in this our sins are forgiven.
James then ends his book with the desire to show the power of prayer, a trait that is often overlooked. James brings up Elijah who prayed that it would not rain due to Ahab’s sins (1 Kings 16:29-17:1). Elijah was an ordinary man, there was nothing that set him apart. Nothing except his faith in God, he knew that God heard him and knew that God was angry regarding Ahab’s sins, thus Elijah knew that if he asked for God to show his righteousness by denying rain it would be done. Just as he knew that God would hear his prayer to bring the rain back to the land. Verse 20 may seem out of place when you place it within the story of Elijah, but it really is not. James is encouraging the readers that when they pray for those who are sinning, God hears them just as God heard Elijah. When we pray for others, God does mighty things, including softening the heart of sinners to bring them back to Him. A prayer for an individual actively sinning, who then turns from their sins, this prayer will be able to stop a multitude of sins from occurring. This is why we need to continuously pray! Prayer is a powerful tool for the born-again believer, but it is not often utilized enough.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex