Praying With Faith Pt 2

I’ve shared this story before, but it is fitting with our passage today. Shortly before my husband and I were to return to the States after living in Dubai, I was told I had cervical cancer. The doctor said I could wait for surgery and be tested again in three months. Since we were a month away from moving back home, we decided to wait. We prayed. Friends and family prayed. When I was tested again three months later, there was no sign of the cancer.

Those three months of waiting were a time of training. God was training my heart to trust Him fully. He was training me to rest in who He is, to take comfort in His sovereignty and goodness no matter what the outcome. God answered our prayers for healing that time, but He used the time of training to prepare me for the numerous chronic pain, health conditions, and other cancer occurrences that were coming – conditions that for the most part, the doctors haven’t known what they are or for which there is no cure. But I am still resting (most days) in God’s sovereignty and goodness, and the truth that even if there isn’t healing in this life, everlasting healing is coming! God’s will is best.

We are almost to the end of our journey through James. Today’s passage (vs 15-18) can be confusing, and it has been understood in a variety of ways, but we will work through them together. Let’s read starting with our verses from last week as James continues to encourage us in times of suffering to pray with faith.

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 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. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.[1]

James 5:13-18

Last week we learned that those that are suffering should pray. Those that are cheerful should sing praise to God. Those that are sick should ask the elders of the church to pray for them. The focus in all three circumstances is to go to God in prayer and praise and ask others to go to God with you. In verse 15, James explains the kind of prayer he means.

“And the prayer of faith” – James is not speaking of a specific prayer (i.e., the Lord’s Prayer). It is not how often one prays, the quality of the prayer (the perfect use of words), or the passion in prayer that makes it powerful. It is faith. Douglas Moo gives a helpful understanding of the prayer of faith. “This faith, while certainly including the notion of confidence in God’s ability to answer, also involves absolute confidence in the perfection of God’s will. A true prayer of faith, then, always includes within it a tacit acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty in all matters; that it is God’s will that must be done.” [2]

Did you catch Moo’s challenge? The prayer of faith acknowledges “that it is God’s will that must be done.” When I initially faced the cancer diagnosis, I didn’t consider God’s will in it or His sovereignty over it. I pleaded my will. I knew that He had all power to heal, so I prayed with confidence in God’s ability to heal me, but I didn’t pray for God’s will. I didn’t trust His sovereignty. If you remember back to chapter 1, James gave us a glimpse of God’s will in suffering: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (vs 2-4, emphasis added).

We will come back to the prayer of faith, but let’s examine a few of the other words in the first part of verse 15.

“will save” – “is the Greek verb sōzō. It can mean “save” in the sense of saving the soul or in the sense of physical deliverance (e.g., Matt. 9:21–22; Mark 6:56; Luke 17:19)… The word (in both English and Greek) can mean “save eternally,” from condemnation, or “save temporally,” from illness or loss.[3] Although often used in the New Testament for spiritually saving from death to life, James’ use of other terms indicate a temporal , physical saving.

“sick” – is the Greek word kamanō which is different from the word used in verse 14 (astheneō). Kamanō has a stronger meaning than astheneō. It is to wear out; it is a weariness or exhaustion which can be a result of physical illness. Some take sick in a strictly spiritual sense, but there seems to be more evidence for it being physical. The word for healed (vs 16) indicates a physical healing. And raise up is used to depict a renewed physical strength (Matthew 9:6; Mark 1:31; Acts 3:7).

Raise up is also used in the New Testament for the resurrection of the dead which can be connected to eternal healing. This brings us back to the prayer of faith. Praying with faith does not guarantee that God will heal in this life. Some wrongly interpret verse 15 to mean that if you have enough faith, then you will be healed. If you are not healed, then you don’t have enough faith, but this thinking ignores the rest of Scripture. Paul and Timothy were both men of faith, yet neither of them were healed from their illnesses (1 Corinthians 15:15; 1 Timothy 5:23). Jesus worked some miracles as a result of a person’s faith, but He also healed out of His compassion as well as healing unbelievers that they and others might believe.

God doesn’t owe us healing. This is why the prayer of faith is expectant, trusts God, but also acknowledges that God’s will must be done whether that results in a temporal healing or an eternal healing when our bodies are glorified.

Sometimes the prayer of faith will be a dual cry: “I believe; help my unbelief.” That is okay. God meets us in our weakness when we seek Him expectantly, trusting His sovereignty and will.

A final but important note on the first half of verse 15: it is God who raises up. Yes, God works through our prayers, but it is ultimately God who heals, saves, and raises up.

The second half of verse 15 along with verse 16 can ruffle feathers: “And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sin to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

James ties sin to sickness. Stay with me. In James and Jesus’ time, there was a tendency to go the extreme of attributing all disabilities or long-term illness as the result of sin. “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:1-3). Jesus makes it clear that not all illness is the result of sin. We also see this in the account of Job. Job was afflicted, yet he was blameless and upright. God allowed Satan to afflict Job that God would be glorified and Job would grow in his understanding of God.

In contrast, today, we tend to go the opposite extreme. It’s taboo to examine whether sin has contributed to an illness, but Scripture attests to the truth of sin and illness being linked (Luke 5:20; John 5:14;1 Corinthians 11:30; Acts 12; Proverbs 3:28-38; 13:13-23). David clearly states the connection: “1Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah. 5I 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. Selah” (Psalm 32:1-5).

We should not assume like Job’s friends or the disciples that illness is the result of sin. At the same time, we should heed James’ urging to consider the possibility. James wrote “If he has committed sins” (emphasis added). James didn’t say there was absolutely sin to be confessed. The one who is sick should be humble and ask God to reveal if there is any sin to be confessed. God promises forgiveness for the repentant (vs 15; 1 John 1:9).

James next says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” Especially because this is the only place in Scripture it is commanded to confess sins to each other, it needs to be taken within the context of the whole of Scripture. We confess our sin to God. We confess our sin privately to the one we offended, and we confess publicly the sins that were committed in public (For example: if I yell at the youth group in anger, I should confess to the group). Are there sins we need to confess that may be hindering healing? Sin can also hinder our prayer.

Confession opens the door to forgiveness and restoration. Confession can also help others uphold us, restore us, and bear our burdens (Galatians 6:1-2).

Confess is in the imperative. It is habitual. We should regularly examine our hearts.

“pray for one another” – the elders pray for the sick (vs 14), but the church body is also to pray. We are all called to pray for each other. This doesn’t mean only praying for another at home on our own. It means praying with the person as well.

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” Douglas Moo defines the righteous person as one who is “wholeheartedly committed to God and sincerely seeking to do his will.” This definition reflects the heart of the prayer of faith that acknowledges God’s will must be done.

“has great power as it is working” – some understand this as a passive participle and others as a middle participle (see Douglas Moo’s commentary if you want the full scoop). The middle participle is most likely, “with the meaning ‘prayer is very powerful in its working, or in its effect’.”[4] In a way we can’t fully understand, God works through our prayers, but it is by God’s grace and power alone that prayer is effective.

James next gives an illustration of praying with faith. “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” (vs 17-18). Elijah was righteous and faithful, a prophet and close to God, but James chose to describe him as “a man with a nature like ours.” Elijah wasn’t perfect. He was weak like us. He struggled with fear of man and trusting God, but we see God’s power at work through Elijah’s prayers.

The example of Elijah may be a picture of a life restored like the rain resulting in fruit again or it may be simply a familiar illustration.

We can learn from James that it is a joy to pray for others in the body. We pray for sorrows and joys. We weep with those who weep, and we rejoice with those who rejoice. We can confess to others knowing there is forgiveness. We pray with faith that is expectant, trusts God’s sovereignty, and seeks God’s will above our own. Expectant prayer is evidence of genuine faith. James is beginning to conclude his letter with the theme he has woven throughout.

Reflection:

1.     Has your previous understanding of this passage changed? How? What has challenged your thinking?

2.     Daniel Doriani suggested three reasons why we are reluctant to pray for healing: 1) It is unscientific or seems naïve, 2) pride and fear of man, and 3) disappointment if our prayer isn’t answered the way we want. Have any of these reasons kept you from praying with faith for healing? Which one(s)? Why are these not valid reasons?

3.     As you think about the prayer of faith, do you pray expectantly? Do you pray remembering that God is sovereign? Do you pray acknowledging that God’s will must be done? Give an example.

4.     Who has prayed with you? How did it encourage you to hear their prayer aloud? How have you been encouraged hearing someone in a group pray and speak truth over another?

I have a playlist of songs that remind me of truth in times of suffering, for days when the chronic health issues are becoming wearisome. There is one song in particular that came to mind by MercyMe called “Even If” that my brother sent to me when I was going through surgery for melanoma. Here is part of the lyrics that fit with our study today:

They say it only takes a little faithTo move a mountainWell good thingA little faith is all I have, right nowBut God, when You chooseTo leave mountains unmovableOh give me the strength to be able to singIt is well with my soul

I know You're able and I know You canSave through the fire with Your mighty handBut even if You don'tMy hope is You aloneI know the sorrow, and I know the hurtWould all go away if You'd just say the wordBut even if You don'tMy hope is You alone

You've been faithful, You've been goodAll of my daysJesus, I will cling to YouCome what may'Cause I know You're ableI know You can

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 5:13–18.

[2] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 187.

[3] Daniel M. Doriani, James, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007), 195.

[4] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 193.