In this passage of scripture James teaches us about the power of prayer. Prayer is an important part of our Christian walk. God created us a spiritual people. There is a spiritual power available to us when we spend time in prayer and when we pray for others. We need to not neglect this important gift that has been given to us. James gives us some important instructions about the role of prayer in our lives and in the life of the church.

Wiersbe comments, "Prayer is certainly a high and holy privilege. To think that, as God’s children, we can come freely and boldly to His throne and share with Him our needs! ... The mature Christian is prayerful in the troubles of life. Instead of complaining about his situation, he talks to God about it; and God hears and answers his prayers."

Prayer and praise should be part of every Christian’s daily life. When we are suffering or overwhelmed, we are told to go before the Lord in prayer. And when things are going well and we are filled with joy, we are told to sing praise which is another important part of prayer. Too often we only think of prayer as a time of asking God for favors or a time of serious contemplation. But another aspect of prayer is joyful worship of all that God has done for us. If we learn to sing praise during the good times, then when trouble comes, it will be easier to have faith when we go to God in prayer.

Plummer points out, "The convert has still to be taught that there can no longer be this divorce of religion from conduct, but that prayer and praise must go hand in hand with work and life. ... All of us are apt to draw far too strong a line of distinction between Church and home, between Sunday and week-day, between the time that we spend on our knees and that which we spend in work and recreation. Not, alas! that we are too scrupulous about allowing worldly thought to invade sacred times and places, but that we are very jealous about allowing thoughts of God and of His service to mingle with our business and our pleasures, or at least take no pains to bring about and keep up any such mingling. Our worship is often profaned by being shared with the world; our work is rarely consecrated by being shared with God."

Verse 13 tells us what we should do if we are suffering. Are you suffering? Are you facing hardship or misery? James tells us to pray. This is the divine remedy for all our bad times – whether it’s physical sickness, mental confusion, or spiritual warfare. We need to learn to come to God in prayer, and to do it quickly, often, and continuously.

Now James gives us important instruction for those times when we are sick. We need to take these needs to the church. We don’t need to carry the burden alone. We have a family of fellow believers who can support us in prayer at our time of need.

When we are hurting, we’re sometimes like the little boy who had a sore lip. His Mom told him to pray for the pain to go away, but the boy said, "My lips are hurting too much to make the words." Sometimes we need others to pray for us.

The Expositor’s Bible comments, "After charging his readers in general terms to resort to prayer when they are in trouble, St. James takes a particular and very common instance of trouble, viz., bodily sickness, and gives more detailed directions as to the way in which the man in trouble is to make use of the relief and remedy of prayer. He is not to be content with giving expression to his need in private prayer to God; he is to call for the elders of the Church."

It is important that we are willing to pray for one another. Prayer causes changes to happen. We may not understand it, but God has chosen to act through the prayers of his children. This is why we need to be faithful in praying – for ourselves, for our family, and for others, and especially those in need.

Here is a wonderful promise from God. The prayer of faith can result in healing. God hears our prayers and raises up those for whom we are praying. Prayer is a powerful force in our lives and in the lives of all believers. As we reach out to God, he reaches out to us. As we pray for others, God raises them up. What a privilege we have that God hears our prayers.

McNab remarks, "The directions James gives are important in their bearing on the life of the Christian Church. There is to be the closest possible friendship and sympathy amongst members. The elders are to hold themselves in readiness at any time to serve any member with prayer and sympathy and spiritual counsel. They are to be men who can offer the prayer of faith and who will respond when called upon to visit cases of sickness and trouble."

James now tells us the importance of confessing our sins. Often our physical health is affected by our sinful behavior. Until we are willing to admit our sins, we will continue to face the trouble and consequences of our sinful lifestyle. This is why it’s important for a church to have an open, loving atmosphere where we can share our needs with others without fear of condemnation or judgemental attitudes. This does not mean that we need to share all the details of our life with others, but it does mean that we need to be willing to admit our own faults and be open to asking for prayer. There are times when we cannot go it alone. We need the love and support of our church family.

We just finished the Mardi Gras season. Too many churches are like going to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans – everyone is wearing a mask! We need to take off our masks, and let our needs be known.

When someone comes to us with a need, we must be willing to pray for them. In fact James says pray for one another. This is because we all have needs, and we should not only be willing to pray for others, but also we should not be afraid to ask for prayer for our own needs. James gives us the reason for making our requests known – that we may be healed because the prayer of a righteous person has great power. Our righteousness is not determined by our goodness, but by our right standing with God. If we have made Christ Lord of our life, then we are righteous before God in spite of our many failings. So we know that we can come before God in prayer and our prayers will have great power.

Isaac Newton wrote, "I can take my telescope and look millions and millions of miles into space; but I can lay my telescope aside, go into my room and shut the door, get down on my knees in earnest prayer, and I see more of heaven and get closer to God than I can when assisted by all the telescopes and material agencies on earth."

If a church is willing to be a praying church, there is no limit what God can do in the hearts and lives of the people. God has given us a great power – a power to overcome trouble, a power to deliver those in sin, a power to heal and comfort, and a power to see lives transformed. That power is through prayer. In the Star Wars movies, Luke Skywalker was encouraged to let the Force be with him. That was science fiction, but in a real way Christians have a divine force available to them. That force is the power of prayer. The only problem is too many Christians don’t allow that force to be with them.

Now James gives us the example of Elijah. This story is recorded in 1 Kings 17 and 18. In order for all Israel to know the power of God, Elijah had told Ahab it would not rain until Elijah spoke the words. This led to a long period of drought and the great confrontation between the prophets of Baal and Elijah.

We went through a long period of drought here in the central valley a few years ago. Everyone affected by the agriculture industry was praying for rain. And then El Nino came, and everyone was praying for the rain to stop.

When Elijah prayed that it would not rain, it stopped raining for thee and a half years. We consider Elijah to be a remarkable man of faith, and yet James points out that Elijah was of like nature as we are. He was the same as us! The difference is that Elijah prayed fervently. In other words, anything Elijah could do, we could also do if we would pray as Elijah prayed. What a wonderful example for us. Let us be like Elijah – willing to pray, and willing to believe God.

Hickok wrote this poem.

He Answers

I know not by what methods rare,

But this I know, God answers prayer.

I know not when He sends the word

That tells us fervent prayer is heard.

I know it cometh soon or late;

Therefore we need to pray and wait.

I know not if the blessing sought

Will come in just the guise I thought.

I leave my prayers with Him alone

Whose will is wiser than my own.

After three and a half years of drought, Elijah prayed. And what happened? This verse tells us that the heavens gave rain and the earth brought forth its fruit. What do you need from God? What drought in your life are you facing? Spend some time in prayer, and you too will see the rain of God’s blessing, and you will see the fruit coming forth. Prayer changes things. God listens to our petitions and he answers from heaven. Let us be people of prayer, and we will see an abundance of blessings in our family, our church, and our community.

The New Bible Commentary tells us, "Elijah knew how to use the mighty instrument of prevailing prayer. Through prayer he became what he was and wielded the power he did."

At the end of verse 16 James wrote these words, "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects." Do you realize that your prayers have great power? They do. Let us not neglect this wonderful gift that God has given us. Let us commit to spend time in prayer with God, every day and throughout every day. Then we will see God’s great power in our life, and we will know his love, his comfort, and his divine presence with us – even when we are facing times of trouble.

Footnotes:

This study on James 5:13-18 © 1999 by David Humpal. All rights reserved.

All scriptures unless otherwise noted are from the Revised Standard Version © 1971, A. J. Holman Company

Wiersbe: Be Mature pg. 165 © 1978, Victor Books

Plummer: The Expositor’s Bible, vol. 6, pg. 632-633, 1947, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

The Expositor’s Bible, vol. 6, pg. 634, 1947, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

McNab: The New Bible Commentary pg. 1128, 1954 edition, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Newton quoted in Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations pg. 485 © 1956, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Hickok quoted in Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations pg. 485 © 1956, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

The New Bible Commentary pg. 1128, 1954 edition, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company