The Prominence of Prayer

Trials are a good thing in life as they bring increasing endurance, wisdom, and contentment. Ultimately, we are becoming more Christlike through our trials.

God, who is good and only gives us good things, has given us His word to read and obey.

While we do not perfectly obey His word, we must identify our weaknesses and seek to strengthen them. Many in the universal church struggle with judgmentalism, controlling their tongue, and fighting in the local assemblies.

Thankfully, God has granted us wisdom from above to address these matters. Now, we need to be sure to take advantage of the “mist opportunities”, because life is short.

It is God’s expectation of us to patiently endure trials and mistreatment, until the Lord returns.

Obviously, we have spent several months in this epistle and we have gone far more in-depth than this oversimplified overview. But it is a good thing to be able to summarize large chunks of Scripture into easier to remember statements.

Now, let’s dive into the remaining verses of this epistle.

Read James 5:13-20.

Without question, the main topic of this last paragraph of the epistle of James is that of prayer.

Prayer is mentioned in every verse.

The context for the admonition to pray is the trials that the community of believers is experiencing.

There are three kinds of responses to these trials that are addressed by James.

First, in the opening question of the paragraph: Is anyone among you suffering?

James is addressing those who are suffering through the trials of various kinds that is promised

The “suffering one” seems to be tied to the reference to the prophets’ suffering in v. 10, who serve as examples of people who obediently spoke and believed the revelation of God and endured harsh punishment for it.

Should someone find themselves in this position of suffering in their trial, they must pray. That is the only hope they have to endure it. They place themselves wholly at the mercy of God and, like the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, are led to believe that God’s grace is sufficient for them.

The second response to trials, Is anyone cheerful?

This almost seems kind of sick and twisted to the person looking at their trials through the natural lenses. “Who, in their right mind, can be cheerful in the midst of trials and suffering?”

But this is where James wants his readers to be. Count it all joy, when you meet trials of various kinds.

Remember Paul and Silas in Acts 16:

The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them (v. 22-25)

The people and the officials were all aligned against Paul and Silas. The gospel obeyers were attacked, beaten with rods, imprisoned, and placed in the stocks. Yet, we see they were wholly committing themselves to the mercy of God through prayer and were cheerful in the midst of their trials as evidenced through their singing hymns to God.

James, pointing out the second kind of response to trials as being the one who is cheerful, says, Let him sing praise.

Why?

Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

We cannot allow ourselves to become spiritually short-sighted when we face trials. It is not about the here-and-now, but the then-and-forever.

Philippians 3:8

I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

The final of the three responses to trials: Is anyone among you sick?

Now this is a strange development in the line of thinking for James. Is he saying that believers who are sick will be healed through the prayer of the Elders? If so, what does this mean for those believers who are not healed after the Elders have prayed for them?

Here at First Baptist Shapleigh, we have been very blessed to see the healing power of prayer over the years. People have been ill… to the point where death was knocking on the door… and we have seen them healed and returned to our fellowship.

God hears and God answers prayer. But always according to His will and His timing.

We have seen firsthand the healing power of prayer. But, is that James’ intention in this passage?

The Greek word used here for sick is ἀσθενέω It is translated 18-times in the New Testament to mean physical sickness. It is also translated 14-times in the New Testament to mean emotional/spiritual weakness. Most notably, 2 Corinthians 12:10: For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Thus, if we translate it as weak (instead of sick), it follows the flow of thought a little more closely. Consider this as a suitable option: Is anyone among you spiritually or emotionally weak [in the midst of trials]? 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. And the prayer of faith will deliver the one who is weak, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

If indeed James is intending to convey spiritual weakness, instead of a physical ailment, it would make sense to call on spiritually strong members of the church, namely the Elders, to pray for the one who is weak.

What about this anointing him with oil?

Anointing with oil served a few different functions in ancient Jewish society.

It served as a medicinal salve for wounds and ailments (Isaiah 1:6)

It was also used to bless and refresh guests in the home (Luke 7:40-47)

It was also used to prepare bodies for burial (Mark 16:1)

Thus, it is likely that the anointing him with oil is in reference to the blessing and refreshing in the life of an individual.

When an elder goes to pray for a weak believer, he is going to encourage, strengthen, and refresh that individual, in the name of the Lord.

There is a divine intervention and restoration that takes place in the life of the weak believer.

The intervention is found in the phrase the Lord will raise him up. In our own flesh, we are weak. We are incapable of enduring the hardships and trials in life. However, when the Lord intervenes and raises us up, we have enough to get through. It is God’s work being done in our lives. Through the righteous prayers of godly men, God will restore His battered sheep’s enthusiasm.

The restoration is found in the phrase if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. The spiritually weak and embattled believer is prone to sin. Whether sin is the cause of the weakness, or the result of it, sin is always a bedfellow of death (cf. 1:14-15). The antidote is to confess those sins to God and obtain His forgiveness.

Psalm 32:5

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Proverbs 28:13

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Thus, James establishes the principle of accountability for all believers Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

Again, this healing that takes place is not a physical ailment being relieved, but a spiritual weakness that is being strengthened and upheld. For a believer, strength is not only gained from proper fellowship with God, but it is also gained through proper fellowship with one another.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

When we keep open lines of communication with other believers, sharing our struggles and interceding for one another, then we are helping one another from becoming spiritually weak.

That is not to say that we will not become discouraged due to our trials. But we will be strengthened through encouragement by others bearing our sins with us.

Paul, in Galatians 6:1-2, also calls for this accountability principle.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

As seen in this passage, the spiritually strong benefits the spiritually weak. However, the spiritually strong must also be careful not to be tempted by the trials of the spiritually weak.

James continues his point by giving an example of the power of fervent prayer: Elijah

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Spiritually strong people offer up strong prayers. Spiritually weak people offer up weak prayers. The difference between the two is that the strong prayer is based on the truth of the Word while the weak prayer is based on the flesh of the person.

Scottish writer Robert Law:

Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done on earth.

This quote is a good lead in to the final verses of this epistle:

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

The benefit of a stronger believer praying with and bearing up a weaker one could bring them back to the truth of the Word and preserve their life.

CONCLUSION

Prayer is of utmost importance in the life of a believer… especially those enduring harsh trials and difficulties in life.

Whether someone is getting overwhelmed by their trials (“suffering”), or they are cheerfully enduring them, prayer is what puts us at the mercy and grace of God.

The one who has been made weak ought to call for stronger believers to pray with them, that they may be restored in their strength.

“Grace Greater Than Our Sin”

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

God’s grace offered at the expense of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross is freely offered to all.

Whether you need to commit to Him as Savior and Lord, or you need to be restored in your walk, God’s grace is available to you.

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