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Faith Works - In Prayer

  • Writer: Paul Downie
    Paul Downie
  • Oct 1
  • 20 min read

James 5:13-18 NIV 

[13] Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. [17] Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 

Now we come to something which, at first glance, may seem quite of place in James. After all, until now, we have seen some blunt and uncompromising teaching on where the church had gone badly wrong. What makes this book so challenging is that the church is still making the same mistakes. 


We still need to hear the same message. 


But what we see here is a message on prayer. There’s no moral imperative. No disobedience to be tackled. No issue to straighten out. 


So why prayer? 


While many atheists still don’t understand it and, like uneducated people, deride it due to their own lack of knowledge, prayer is widely recognised as a good thing. It calms us down. It helps us see that there that is bigger than us. It has long been heralded for its psychological, emotional and spiritual benefits. 


So we could understand, then, why James would recommend it to a people who were being persecuted and had no way to get out of it other than deny their faith. 


But not all prayer is good. 


Think about it like this. Electrical appliances have a power cable. On the end of that cable is a plug. Those appliances need energy. 


Water has energy. You can see it every time you turn on a tap. 


But if you put the power cable of your refrigerator into the sink and turn on the tap, you won’t have enough energy to even power the little light. 


Electrical appliances need electrical energy. They need to be plugged into a source of electricity. 


It’s the same with prayer. It’s no use praying to a dead man or a tree or a frog. They won’t answer your prayers.  


You need to pray to One who has the power to answer your prayers, as Isaiah noted in a satirical prophecy: 


Isaiah 44:10-20 NIV 

[10] Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing? [11] People who do that will be put to shame; such craftsmen are only human beings. Let them all come together and take their stand; they will be brought down to terror and shame. [12] The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint. [13] The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in human form, human form in all its glory, that it may dwell in a shrine. [14] He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. [15] It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. [16] Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” [17] From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!” [18] They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand. [19] No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?” [20] Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” 

And the psalmist agreed: 


Psalms 115:3-8 NIV 

[3] Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. [4] But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. [5] They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. [6] They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. [7] They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. [8] Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them. 

Who you pray to really matters. Because prayers itself is not what leads to issues being resolved and prayers answered. No, it’s who you pray to that matters. 


We are about to examine one of the greatest and most powerful, yet most neglected and most misunderstood, parts of Christianity. Yet it’s a source of enormous comfort, peace and problem-solving all across the world, and has been for aeons. 


Let’s start with looking at When to Pray. 

 

When to Pray 

James 5:13-15 NIV 

[13] Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.  

I have interesting conversations with my colleagues sometimes. They are not Christians. One of them is marrying an atheist. He passed through a time when his health was not great at all. He used to ask if I could say a prayer for him in church on Sundays, because he seemed to think that God is only open for business for a couple of hours during the weekend and only if prayers originated from a church. 


That is, of course, not remotely Biblical thinking.  


It had permeated into the church, that’s for sure. There are certain branches of the church where people would not even consider carrying out a ritual or a prayer outside of a church, chapel or cathedral because it’s ‘sacred ground’. 


Which is interesting, because if that was the case, these verses would not be true: 


Jeremiah 23:24 NIV 

[24] Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/jer.23.24.NIV)


Acts 17:24 NIV 

[24] “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/act.17.24.NIV)


So, you see, the very concept that we should wait for a certain place or space or time to pray is actually theologically absurd.  


It is also absurd to believe that there is anything ‘off limits’ that you shouldn’t pray about. God knows absolutely everything about you – much more than you know about yourself (Psalm 139:1-18). Since God knows about it, you are able to pray about it. 


James encourages these first century Jewish Christians to pray about three things, the first of which is trouble. This isn’t just bring in trouble for having done something wrong. It refers to simply being afflicted or having problems or suffering. 


Look at some of the most famous verses about prayer: 


Psalms 46:1 NIV 

[1] God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.46.1.NIV)


Matthew 11:28-30 NIV 

[28]  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Psalms 55:22 NIV 

[22] Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.55.22.NIV)


1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV 

[6] Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. [7] Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/1pe.5.6-7.NIV)


Often we see people praying in church or in religious TV shows and they pray using the most incredible grammar and syntax and use language right out of Shakespeare, and it intimidates us. We think that we can’t pray because we could never pray like that. 


But those are performance prayers. They are not just for God; they are also for those who are watching. They are designed for their encouragement as well. 


Both James and Jesus told us to being our troubles and our burdens to Jesus. Peter told us to cast them – a singularly unceremonious action. In other words, what matters is not how you bring your troubles, but to whom you bring them. 


If you are so burdened that you struggle with words and even might be unable to do anything but groan and scream with the pain, that’s not a problem, provided you bring them to God in the secret place, away from prying eyes (Matthew 6:5-8). Bringing them to God and leaving them there is what matters. 


We also see should pray when we are happy. Had that ever crossed your mind? Or do you only pray when you are miserable? 


I wonder how you would like it if you had a friend who only spoke to you when they were sad so they could have a good moan, but didn’t pay you any attention when you were happy. 


Praying when we’re happy is a good thing because we are appreciate and thankful and praise God for what we have. That’s always a good thing. 


We would also pray when we are sick. The word can also refer to people who are weakened, and therefore vulnerable. We should take that sickness to two places: 1) to the Lord; 2) to the church. We should ask people to pray for us and anoint us. 


Now, this should never be seen to exclude going to the doctor and accepting medical treatment. To not do so when God has blessed us with it is the utmost of foolishness. 


However, prayer must play a part in it, because often when we are sick, we need wisdom to speed up our recovery – wisdom we receive through prayer (James 1:5-6). 


But are these the only times we should pray? 


Certainly not! 


1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV 

[16] Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Romans 12:12 NIV 

[12] Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/rom.12.12.NIV)


Ephesians 6:18 NIV 

[18] And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.6.18.NIV)


Colossians 4:2 NIV 

[2] Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/col.4.2.NIV)


Philippians 4:6-7 NIV 

[6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/php.4.6-7.NIV)


People queue for hours to meet with so-called stars who have little discernable power or ability to deserve their adulation. We have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Almighty God. 


Why would we not use it? 


Especially as prayer is the gateway through which we enter into His peace. 


But James doesn’t just tell us when to pray – all the time – he also tells us How to Pray. 

 

How to Pray 

James 5:15-16 NIV 

[15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 

There are people who make a lot of money on providing you with tips on prayer: how to pray, how to get what you want when you pray, etc. They often charge for these events.  


It’s a scam. 


Everything we need about prayer is available for free in the Bible. 


If you really want to know how best to pray, use Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:5-15. I previously posted a blog series on these verses which you might find helpful. 


What James added to this is two very valuable observations. 


Firstly, that prayer should be offered in faith. 


Prayer is not like an emergency call number. We don’t just turn to it when we have nothing else. And neither do we run through a list of gods in a pantheon as if it was some form of spiritual black book and we were looking for a date for the evening until eventually one of them helps us out. 


No, faith implies a relationship. It implies that you trust someone enough to entrust them with something very precious and personal: your issues, foibles, sins, weakness, vulnerability, doubt and fears. In essence, you are trusting this person with your inner thoughts and feelings that you might even be keeping from your mates, your spouse or your children.  


If your prayers were ever hacked, think about how much deeply personal data could be leaked. It’s a good job there are no hackers in the Kingdom of Heaven. 


So when you pray, you are actually making yourself highly vulnerable to someone you cannot see or touch. Surely that will require an incredible amount of faith and trust.

 

Real prayer requires faith. 


When Jesus experienced some disdain from the people where both He and James had grown up, Mark made this observation: 


Mark 6:5-6 NIV 

[5] He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. [6] He was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.  

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.6.5-6.NIV)


It wasn’t that their lack of faith on Jesus somehow limited His power, it was more that their lack of trust in Him meant that they would not come to Him, and if they did, them they would so for the wrong reasons. 


We also see this in Hebrews: 


Hebrews 11:6 NIV 

[6] And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.11.6.NIV)


This is true here too. We need to seek the Healer, not just the healing. 


James also linked faith with healing.  


However, later on we will look in detail at exactly what is said here, as it is open to big misinterpretation. 


James also said that our prayers should be prayed in integrity. That is, we are honest about who we are and what we have done. After all, God made us and knows us better than we know ourselves (Psalm 139:1-18). He has numbered the very hairs on our head, even if for some of us that number is constantly decreasing (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7). He knows even our secret sins that no-one else knows about (Psalm 90:8). 


There is absolutely no point whatsoever in trying to trick him or lie to Him or pretend that these things aren’t true, because He knows. 


But James also mentioned another area of integrity that might trouble us. He said that we should confess our sins to each other. 


Some might say that we should confess these things to a priest. But that is not what James said. He said we should confess them to each other – by implication what is referred to here is to a peer, to someone who also confesses their sins to you. That cannot be a priest. 


Some have suggested that we should make ourselves accountable to others and be prepared to confess to them the sins that constantly trip us up. For some people, and particularly those either in spiritual leadership or recovering from an addiction, this is very helpful.  


I think there could also be another meaning, derived from Jesus’ teaching here: 


Matthew 5:23-24 NIV 

[23]  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, [24] leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 

We ought to be humble enough to confess to our brothers and sisters when we have wronged them and seek their forgiveness. 

 

Yet in my almost forty-five years as a Christian, I have only seen this happen once, in early October 1994. I haven’t seen it before or since. 


Yet the Bible is plain that relationship difficulties can and do hinder our relationship with God (1 John 4:20-21). 


We also see that should be in righteousness: in fact, we should be righteous. 


But what do we mean by ‘righteous’? 


Primarily, a righteous person is someone who keeps God’s laws and obeys Him. We know that God’s laws are summed up in the command to love God, our neighbour and ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Therefore righteous people are not cold, narrow-minded religionists, but warm people who love and seek the best for others. 


And their prayer life springs out of that heart of love. 


Now, before we move on, we must correct a few misconceptions. 


On reading this study, you might see that prayer should be in faith, in integrity and in righteousness and you might be intimidated into thinking that your prayers are not like that, so it’s better not to pray. 


But that would be wrong. 


If you look in the mirror and your hair is out of place, do you smash the mirror or fix the hair? 


If we see that our prayer life is not all it should be then we can confess our sins (in integrity), repent (in righteousness) and believe that God will help us (in faith). 


But there is a further misconception that might put us off. It’s in these verses in particular: 


James 5:14-16 NIV 

[14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 

This year alone in my wife’s village there were four deaths of people she knew – one of them was her own father. People were praying for him, and for the others, I’m sure.  


So why did they die? 


Was it because the faith of the people praying was not enough? 


I’ve heard that argument.  


It’s wrong. Just plain wrong. 


To understand these verses properly, we need to understand the Greek word that is translated as ‘get well’. It actually means ‘get up’. It was used whenever anyone arose to do something, or got out of bed after being sick (e.g. Matthew 9:6; Mark 5:41 and many others) or came to prominence (e.g. Matthew 24:24). 


However, it was also used when talking about the resurrection of the dead (e.g. John 5:21, 1 Corinthians 15:52). 


So, you see, the reality is that every sick person will get well: some this side of eternity; some of the other. We should pray for them. Absolutely. Being sick is no fun at all.  


But if God decides to take them into eternity, it isn’t because our prayers were not sufficient.


We do not earn healing through the fervency or frequency of our prayers. To believe so is absurd. 


God always answers this prayer. He always brings healing. 


Just not always how we would like it to be. 


But then, He is Sovereign. Part of praying in faith is trusting that He is also good. 


And yes, the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. But they are not like a fairy godmother. They are not there to grant us three wishes. We should have thought that ‘I’d like to get married’ or ‘I need a job’ or ‘I could do with a new Ferrari’ and then seek out a righteous person to pray for it on our behalf. 


That’s not how prayer works. 


A person is righteous because their will is aligned with God’s and they seek to obey Him. So no, they will not be able to give you whatever you want. 


We have seen, therefore how to pray: that it requires faith, integrity and righteousness, and that it is deeply and intrinsically linked to the goodness and the sovereignty of God. 


But maybe we are still intimidated. Maybe we think prayer is still beyond us.  


James again has the answer as we look at What Happens When We Pray. 

 

What Happens When We Pray 

James 5:17-18 NIV 

[17] Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 

Secular people misunderstand prayer. That shouldn’t surprise us – they misunderstand many spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:14). 


But prayer in particular is very badly misrepresented. 


Some see it as something that can calm us, like a form of meditation. It does, but it isn’t.

 

Some see it as a replacement for action to resolve our problems. Or isn’t. 


Some see it as a form of wishing on a star. It isn’t. 


Some see it as something mystical and exclusive, to which they can aspire but never reach. It isn’t. 


And what James described from Jewish history proves that it is none of these things. 


It is something far superior. 


James talked of firstly something ordinary. Believe it or not, that ordinary thing was the prophet Elijah. He was, as the Greek says, a man with our nature. He was like us. He has hopes. He had fears. He had problems. There were some things he got spectacularly right. There are other things he got spectacularly wrong. 


And there us something that is a major encouragement to this mental health obsessed generation: right after his biggest triumph, Elijah was depressed and almost gave up everything (1 Kings 19:1-18). 


Yet James held this man, this troubled man, as an example of answered prayer. 


Why? Because he was someone special? Well, most people don’t get the opportunity to participate with Moses in the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:1-10; Luke 9:28-36).  


But the reason why James held him up as an example of answered prayer was not because of this. No, it was because He had a connection with the Divine. 


He prayed. 


He prayed that it would not rain, and it didn’t – for three and a half years (1 Kings 17:1). He prayed again and it rained (1 Kings 18:41-46). It wasn’t Elijah who did this, it was God. 


And that’s James’ point. It’s not the size of our faith that matters, but the God in whom we put our faith. As Jesus said: 


Matthew 17:19-20 NIV 

[19] Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” [20] He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  

Luke 17:6 NIV 

[6] He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.17.6.NIV)


Jesus’ illustrations are, of course,  little fantastical. He doesn’t expect us to uproot trees and mountains. That is not His point. 


What He is saying is that our faith when we pray to God makes the difference because we are believing in Almighty God. 


I have often used these verses from Revelation when I talk about prayer because they are so very powerful: 


Revelation 8:3-5 NIV 

[3] Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. [4] The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. [5] Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. 

(Read the full passage at: https://bible.com/bible/111/rev.8.3-5.NIV)


Our prayers bring the thunder because the Lord in whom we have faith is mighty. 


That is why we pray. 

 

Conclusion 

James 5:13-18 NIV 

[13] Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. [17] Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. [18] Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 

Have you ever had a close friend that you never speak to, or that you only speak to so you can complain about something, or only call when you have an emergency? 


If that was the case, could you really call yourself a friend to them? 


The answer should be quite obvious. 


If we want really want to grow in our faith and be close to God, we must pray. It is impossible to do either of these things without it. 


Since we have said that James is a book of works or actions that are evidence that we have faith and that it is alive, prayer has to be one of them. People of faith pray; people of no faith do not – they just panic. 


Prayer is fundamental for every Christian. It is as necessary for our relationship with God as conversation is for our relationship with people.  


It is also a very basic essential for our mental and spiritual health. Paul states that prayer is the means by which we receive peace from God, even while in the middle of difficult situations (Philippians 4:4-7). Without prayer, we struggle and sink. 


And so it is absolutely appropriate that James should tell the persecuted Christians in the early church to pray – and not just about their suffering, but about all things. 


As saw earlier, Paul echoed James’ thinking: 


1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV 

[16] Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

James told us when to pray, how to pray and what happens when we pray. We need to get away from our caricatures of what real prayer is, when we characterise it as something for old people, or only for those who perform it in public, or a ‘break glass in emergency’ type action of last resort. 


It is none of those. 


I remember there used to be bumper stickers with ‘Prayer changes things’ on them. And it does. I have seen many answered prayers. But the first thing it changes is the heart of the person doing the praying. After all, there is nothing more life-altering than being able to bring our cares to Almighty God and having Him intervene on our behalf, or having Him help us by pointing out that things need to change. 


Faith-filled Christians pray, because they are unafraid to trust God with every single aspect of their lives. 


Tell me, Christian: do you pray? 


Prayer 

Lord Jesus, I am challenged by these thoughts. Teach me to pray. I don’t feel like I’m any good at it, but I know that’s not what you want. You just want me to pray. Help me to overcome my reticence and to have a stronger prayer life with You, I pray. Amen. 


Questions for Contemplation 

  • Do you pray to God? What do you pray about? How often? 

  • What part of this meditation did you find most encouraging or most challenging? 

  • How will you strengthen your prayer life? 

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