The Prayer Of Faith
THE PRAYER OF FAITH
JAMES 5:13-20
There is nothing too small or too great, nothing too sad or too happy that cannot be turned into prayer.
Throughout this letter we have seen that James is strongly practical. He is greatly concerned with the way Christians live out their faith. Now in his concluding section he gives attention to prayer, possibly the most powerful weapon in the Christian’s armory, and certainly a powerful factor in the everyday life of believers. He relates prayer to suffering and to sickness. In the latter case he suggests that the elders of the church should pray over the sick person and anoint them with oil in the Lord’s name (5:14). Many have pointed out that in pagan religions there was widespread use of incantations and the like in times of sickness, and the thought is that James is advocating a Christian practice that would replace this kind of thing. That may be true, but his emphasis is not on the oil but on prayer. It is “the prayer of faith” that “will save the one who is sick” (5:15). James also sees this as connected with the person’s spiritual condition. Forgiveness of sins is to be sought and will be granted. This is the point also of the mutual confession advocated in 5:16. It is not a sacramental confession but a mutual sharing of grief, with prayer for healing. Christians should be concerned about one another’s spiritual condition and be consistent in prayer for one another. James goes on to refer to Elijah as a well-known example of the power of prayer. That power, which caused drought and then rain, he feels, is very applicable to believers.
This brings him to his final topic, that of soul-winning. To bring people back from sin to Christ is to bring them into salvation. It will cover all their sins. Nothing could be more worthwhile.
In all our concern for sickness and sinners we should not overlook the fact that James has something for those whose souls are healthy (5:13). The cheerful should sing praise. It is God who is the source of all their blessings and it is good that they recognize it.