Effective Prayer

James 5:16-18

September 3, 2000

 

The Epistle of James' exhortations must be kept in the circle of the church. If we lift his commands out of the church-context and give them general usage elsewhere, then we forfeit a true understanding of what he instructs us to do as members of local churches. James is explaining how we are to live with each other in the church. Such behavior will certainly have an outward effect upon the world. But the priority of living with one another in the spirit of Christian brotherhood dominates his exhortations.

 

Consider James' use of "therefore" and "one another." When he uses "therefore" he is drawing the knot on what he has instructed. He brings together the mass of exhortations offered and summarizes them by telling the church to confess their sins to one another and to pray for one another. Both of these ideas are related or intertwined. "Therefore" connects both confession and prayer with actions the church takes in relationship to one another. This is verified by the repetition of "one another." He is certainly not speaking of the open community of unbelievers and believers by this phrase. Rather he uses it, as does Paul in so many instances to refer to members of a common body of believers. When we have been united by the regenerating work of the Spirit in Jesus Christ and have openly confessed this union through baptism, we have taken on the unique responsibilities of living in the sphere of relationship to the church. Our actions affect the body. Our sins affect the body. Our praying or neglect of praying affects the body. Our spiritual fervency or spiritual coldness affects the body. We are no longer living as an island unto ourselves.

 

We may object to this because of self-centeredness or even laziness on our part. But our objections do not change the biblical picture for the church. We are to live in relationship to "one another." Seeking to live in righteousness with each other and seeking to intercede for one another are basic elements of being Christians and members of a church.

 

Both confession and prayer in our text come in relationship to others in the body of Christ. Our day has minimized church relationships and maximized individualism. The result has been a weakening of local churches and a loss of corporate witness in communities. James reminds us that we are to live with one another in the body of Christ. We must give attention to our relationships in the body of Christ. In this context such attention calls for confession and prayer. How does this affect the body?

 

I. Commands for the church

 

James has set forth a series of commands in the previous verses that are pointed toward how we are to live with each other in the body of Christ. We are to be patient as we await the Lord's return; we are to strengthen our hearts; we are not to complain against one another or sit in judgment over one another; we are to be forthright in our conversation; if we suffer we are to pray; if we are cheerful we are to sing praises; if we are sick we are to call for the elders to pray over us, anointing us with oil in the Lord's name. All of these exhortations or commands are in the context of body life rather than individualism. Now James brings all of these together by the word "therefore." This is only a three-letter word in the Greek but it has the influence of summarizing our duties toward each other in the church.

 

1. Confess your sins to one another

 

Confession is a common term in the New Testament. The word is used especially by all of the gospel writers and Paul. The basic meaning of "confess" is to agree together or to say the same thing as another. Our Lord uses the term as an expression of praise toward the Father: "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants" (Matt. 11:25). Paul uses it similarly in Romans 14:11, "And every tongue shall give praise to God." In both of these texts it is clear that praise means to be in agreement with the revelation of God. Confession of sins has a similar meaning. It implies that we are in agreement with God's revelation concerning that particular act on our part, that it is sin.

 

So James tells us, "Confess your sins to one another." This verse has led to a number of practices that are not what the text commands. Among Roman Catholics, this text has been used as a proof-text for the confession to priests, a practice that is to be done at least yearly by Catholics. But the "one another" clearly points to other individuals in the church, not to any sort of hierarchy. Other groups have used this as a means to an emotional catharsis, or emotional inner cleansing. This is where you basically let it all hang out as far as your sinful activities. You get in a group and tell everything that you have done as a means of individual and group therapy. But there is nothing in this command to suggest that James has in mind group therapy or an emotional catharsis.

 

There are several issues that are involved in the command to "confess your sins to one another." First, we must keep in mind the previous command about the person who is sick calling for the elders to come to them, pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. In the latter part of the verse James states, "and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him." This seems to indicate that there are some cases where there is a clear link between the illness and some act of sin. As we saw in our previous study, Jesus clearly debunks the common Jewish idea that all sickness is the direct result of particular sins (John 9). But that is not to say that there are never any occasions where our sickness might be divine means of disciplining us for our sins. In such cases, there is the promise of forgiveness and restoration. So in this context, if the sins were against a particular person, then confession to that person is required as part of the process of elders praying for the sick person. The indication is that the elders will be involved in a spiritual examination of the sick person before committing to pray for that person's healing. They will refuse to pray for healing until the sick person confesses his sin to the individual he has wronged, seeking the brother's forgiveness.

 

A second concern is part of our living together as members of the church. There are times, in our sinful humanity that we will sin against a fellow brother or sister. It might be that we make an unkind remark about the person or hurt their reputation or speak to them harshly. Or it may be that we misjudge another person or neglect a person or mistreat in some other way. James calls for us to confess the individual sin to the individual person. Otherwise there is a fracture or disunity in the body. There are wounds that may take much time to be healed that could be immediately remedied by the honesty and humility of confession. James places the burden of responsibility upon us to deal with individual wounds for the sake of the body and for the glory of the gospel. The confession of the sin should be only as wide as the offense: if it was against one individual then the confession belongs to the individual; if against the whole church then the confession should be to the church.

 

Another concern has to do with the matter of accountability. This is where a brother or sister might open himself or herself to a mature believer to help hold them accountable for their propensity toward particular sins. Obviously this is confidential and the confession is only for the purpose of helping that fellow believer stem the tide of temptation with particular sins. Is there someone to whom you owe confession of sin?

 

2. Pray for one another

 

When Samuel discharged his duties as the leader of Israel, giving the reins over to King Saul, he declared, "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you" (I Samuel 12:23). Samuel saw that his intercession for the rest of the people of God was a divine responsibility, so that to fail in doing this would be sin against the Lord. Likewise, James tells the church, "Pray for one another so that you may be healed." Is it not a sin against the Lord if we neglect praying for one another in the body of Christ?

 

Does this prayer relate only to physical healing? That is an important concern in this text, especially since James has just given instructions for divine healing in verses 14-15. The word "healed" is used widely for both physical and spiritual wholeness. It seems that it is best in this context to view it addressing primarily physical healing, while secondarily spiritual healing. The proximity to instructions on divine healing certainly helps us to see the need to pray for one another in physical concerns. But the use of "therefore" and "one another" as we have noted brings us into the broader circle of the entire church family and context of the larger passage, not just the sick person mentioned. The use of the present tense for "pray" also points to a regular activity, which certainly should be broader than just physical needs. This in turn brings us into the circle of the broad range of needs within the church. All of our concerns for healing are not physical. We have relationships that need healing, we have emotional concerns that need healing, and we have spiritual concerns that need healing. While the physical is the primary concern here by inference we also see the need to pray for other areas of need in the body.

 

The passive voice of the word, "may be healed" (iathete) is what is called a theological passive, that is, it is not the praying person who does the healing but the Lord. Confession of sins is made, so that integrity and righteousness is restored in the relationships, then prayer is made in dependence upon the will of God. The Lord alone can bring healing. We do not command healing as though we as elders or members of the congregation have the power to exercise sovereignty over someone else's physical condition. Instead, we pray in dependence upon the Lord to bring healing according to his sovereign purposes.

 

Do you practice what James has commanded for the church? As you offend or sin against another brother or sister do you confess your sin, agreeing with God's assessment of it before that one sinned against? Do you join others in the body in praying for one another for both physical and spiritual needs?

 

II. Considerations for the church

 

To help us see how these two elements of confession and prayer in the body are effective, James sets forth two considerations for us.

 

1. The nature of effective prayer

 

By virtue of the mighty power of the Lord at work and the promises given to us in the Word, there is an inherent effectiveness in prayer. "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." Our natural propensity is to shrink back when it comes to praying for the impossible. We would rather not attempt to pray and not have our concerns met, than to pray and feel as though we did not have what it took to accomplish our prayers. The problem is that we rest the power of prayer too much upon ourselves. We think that we are the ones making things happen in prayer. Instead we are to see ourselves as instruments in the Lord's hands for accomplishing his purposes through prayer. Prayer is an act of obedience and privilege for the believer. We are commanded to pray. But we are also invited to bring our needs before the Lord. We are to anchor ourselves in his faithfulness and promises. We are to see that the very fact that God commands us to pray is a foundation for effectiveness in our prayers.

 

The stress in this sentence is upon the effectiveness of prayer. The language points to prayer being "great" ("much") in terms of it scope, "strong" ("effective") in regard to its nature, and "effective" ("accomplish") in the breadth of what it accomplishes. Doug Moo translates it, "Prayer is very powerful in its working, or in its effect" [TNTC, 187]. Alec Motyer makes the point that prayer "looks unimpressive and it is easy to despise; but it has great resources waiting to be tapped, a huge potency to release" [The Message of James, 204]. His reminder is that we do not view prayer as a mere ritual as is so common in the other religions of our day. Hindus and Muslims offer their repetitious prayers day after day. But the Christian is to approach the place of prayer with a consciousness that the Sovereign Lord has promised to engage his might in our prayers. He filters these prayers through the purifying of his will and purposes. Then he extends his mighty hand to accomplish what is beyond the scope of our natural abilities.

 

2. The necessity of personal righteousness

 

James adds yet one more qualifier in his considerations on prayer. He speaks of the prayer "of a righteous man" accomplishing or producing much. Here the necessity of personal righteousness enters into the scope of praying. And it fits the context clearly. For he has just addressed the need for confession of sins to one another so that we establish blamelessness and integrity in our relationships. Now he uses the word "righteous" not in its forensic sense as noted so much by Paul, but in its practical, ethic sense. Moo says that it means, "One who is whole-heartedly committed to God and sincerely seeking to do his will" [187].

 

The word "righteous" seems to threaten us. We know our own propensity for sin. We know the coldness of our hearts. We dare not think to call ourselves righteous! But because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us, we can now live "an ethically righteous life" [Kent Hughes, Faith that Works, 267]. We are not bound by the same slavery to sin as we lived in apart from Christ. His life at work in us has changed us ethically and morally. We are new creatures who are to live like new creatures in this world that is bent on rebellion against God.

 

This should serve as a wonderfully powerful reminder to us. We are never to view prayer as a long distance catalogue for securing our wishes. Prayer is chiefly relational. We enter into relationship with the Lord through the means of prayer. We engage the Almighty Lord with our desires and needs. Should we approach him without concern for our relationship before him? Too often this is indeed what happens. There is no concern about the sinfulness in our hearts or the relationships we have broken by our cruel words or harsh actions. Then we want to casually drop our needs before the Lord without thought of more important matters. James reminds us first things first. Deal with your spiritual lives, and then bring your petitions before the Lord.

 

This is true for elders as well. If the elders are asked to join in prayer for someone who is sick in the church, they must first prepare their own hearts to enter into prayer. The examination of the person being prayed for is also a call to personal righteousness on the part of the sick person. Bodily health is certainly secondary to spiritual wholeness. The church is then called upon to pray; which is in itself a call to heart-searching and yieldedness before the Lord. As John Blanchard has expressed it, "We cannot expect to live defectively and pray effectively" [Truth for Life, 485].

 

We struggle at the thought of being "righteous enough" to pray. We condemn ourselves for lack of spirituality. For this reason, James has included an illustration from the pages of the Old Testament that will help us understand something of what he is explaining.

 

III. Illustration for the church

 

Illustrations are visible pictures that help us to understand spiritual truths. The best illustrations of New Testament truth are found in the Old Testament. We are told that things that happened to the brethren before us happened for our good and instruction (I Cor. 10:6, 11). We learn much through reading about the lives of Old Testament characters and stories that help us understand both the working of the Lord and the weakness of our own natures.

 

Elijah was a popular figure from Israel's past. He was often talked about and admired from afar. James wants us to understand about effective prayer by looking at Elijah.

 

1. Human frailty

 

"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." Notice the phrase, "a man with a nature like ours." That is what James wants us to see. We think of Elijah on Mount Carmel, commanding the widow's oil jar and flour bowl to keep producing, and his departure in a fiery whirlwind. Elijah is "other-worldly" to us! What an incredible person he must have been! But James tells us that he "was a man with a nature like ours."

 

The word for "nature" (homoiopathes) means "like feelings, similar feelings, similar circumstances, or experiencing the same nature as someone else." But is that true for the man who prayed on Mount Carmel and saw fire fall from heaven, consuming the sacrifice and altar? That is the implication of James. Elijah was like us. He was not a superman or a man who knew nothing of the strains of his humanity. Alec Motyer has brought together the essence of what James means:

He [Elijah] could rise to the heights of faith and commitment (I Ki. 18:36-38) and fall into the depths of despair and depression (I Ki. 19:4). He could be brave and resolute sometimes (I Ki. 18:17-19) and then fly for his life at a whiff of danger (I Ki. 19:3). He could be selfless in his concern for others (I Ki. 17:19-24) and then filled with self-pity (I Ki. 19:10). In other words, he was 'an ordinary person', but he was right with God-or to put things in the sort of terminology we find in James' letter, his faith was active in his works, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness (Jas. 2:22-23) [205].

 

Does that help you as you think about prayer? The stress James sets forth is that you do not have to be an otherworldly person to have prayer answered. The saints we admire from the past were greatly used by God, but the Word also reveals their flaws. They were sin-flawed as we are. They struggled with sin as we do. They encountered trials and difficulties just like us, sometimes reacting in the wrong way, just like us. Was Elijah a great man? Yes, but only as he believed and trusted in the great God. He was an ordinary person, "but he was right with God," as Motyer explained. This is the meaning of "a righteous man" that James sets before us. Are you right with God? Then you fit the description James gives for a righteous man.

 

2. Effect of prayer

 

James explains that prayer by a righteous man is effective. The word "can accomplish" simply means that prayer produces. It is not that the greatness of the man praying makes prayer work. Rather the superlative nature that is inherent with prayer as it is undergirded by the greatness and generosity of God causes prayer to "accomplish much." James wants us to understand that "prayer works." He recounts the story of Elijah: "he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit." We turn to the record in First Kings of Elijah announcing to King Ahab that it would not rain except by his prophetic word. A drought and famine followed those words and the prayer behind it for three and a half years. After establishing before the nation of Israel by the test of fire on Mount Carmel that the Lord alone is God, Elijah fell upon his knees with his face between them, pleading for God to bring rain. His servant was sent to look upon the sea. The first time, there was nothing in the sky but blue. Again he was sent and there was nothing. Seven times he went back and on the last time, he saw a cloud the size of a man's hand. Elijah announced to King Ahab that it was going to rain and that he had best head back home. After years of drought, the rain fell as the Lord answered Elijah's prayer. Elijah believed God.

 

We hesitate to pray, thinking that it will do no good, but James calls our attention once again to the means God has established for doing his good work among us-prayer. Do you believe this? We are so accustomed to neglecting prayer that it is hard for us to think of its power through God among us. John Blanchard is helpful at this point:

'Prayer has divided seas, rolled up flowing rivers, made flinty rocks gush into fountains, quenched flames of fire, muzzled lions, disarmed vipers and poisons, marshaled the stars against the wicked, stopped the course of the moon, arrested the sun in its rapid race, burst open iron gates, released souls from eternity, conquered the strongest devils, commanded legions of angels down from heaven. Prayer has bridled and chained the raging passions of man and routed and destroyed vast armies of proud, daring, blustering atheists. Prayer has brought one man from the bottom of the sea and carried another in a chariot of fire to heaven. What has prayer not done?'

Prayer works! Or, to put it more accurately, God works through prayer. It is one of the means of grace he uses to bring about his sovereign purposes in the world [385-386].

 

Conclusion

 

Are you right with God? That is what James means by being a righteous man. Perhaps there are sins you need to confess to the Lord or maybe some sins against someone that you need to confess to them personally. Confession is an outward sign of repentance. It is an honest evaluation of heart and life, submitting oneself to the Lord anew.

 

Will you accept the command to pray for one another? This passage challenges us as busy, pre-occupied people, to establish the inviolable practice of praying for one another. Walk with the Lord; pray with effectiveness. That is the responsibility and joy before us.

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