James 5:13-16 gives us God’s answer to faithful prayer.
It also instructs us regarding the right approach to praying about sickness.
Today, we will use our favorite, the S.O.A.P. Bible study to unpack these two verses and see what gems can be found within.
Scripture – James 5:13-16
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:13-16 KJV
Observation of James 5:13-16
James provides invaluable insight in chapter 5 about praying for the sick.
He makes it clear in verse 13 that the appropriate response to sickness is prayer.
This should be the default for every believer.
We must be quick to pray for ourselves when sickness and any form of tribulation arises in our lives.
There is no better option than to lay our burdens at the feet of Jesus.
Worship ought to be incorporated into everything we do.
Note that that the parallel James makes with: ‘Is any merry? let him sing psalms’ is very important.
He is impressing upon us that worship is not something that is to be compartmentalized.
It is applicable in every scenario; so whether we are downtrodden, or experiencing immense joy, praise is what is required.
Praying For Others
In verse 14, James presents a second context of prayer.
Whereas it is essential for us to habitually pray for ourselves, it is also prudent for us to seek prayer from other members of the body.
We must make it the norm to keep each other prayed up.
James tells us to have the sick amongst us call for prayer from ‘the elders of the church’.
Elders are to ‘pray over’ such a person; indicating that the sickness referenced here is one likely that leads to being bedridden.
Therefore, when a person’s infirmity renders them too weak to join in corporate worship, leaders must avail themselves to his/her physical location.
This ought to fall under the reasonable service of church – providing the comfort of physical, emotional and spiritual support.
Anointing With Oil
James mentions an act of consecration in these cases as well.
He may have been refencing the oil here as medicinal application as it was common in the Old Testament to use oil for healing illnesses.
Still, we can find an even broader interpretation.
The very practice of ‘anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord’ communicates tenderness and compassion.
It is a beautiful representation of the love of Christ and puts a seal of faith on this kind of intentional prayer.
We believe it points to the transcendent nature of prayer as well – calling on the healing force of God and not the mere human elders present to carry out the act.
Their duty here is primarily to pray with faith.
Healing and the Prayer of Faith
In verse 15, James tells us: ‘And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.’
This has led many to believe that healing is predicated solely on the level of faith held by the one in need of healing.
In analyzing this verse however, there seems to be a deeper meaning.
While praying faithless prayers will definitely not produce healing, praying the prayer of faith does not explicitly guarantee healing.
You see, praying faithfully is up to us.
The result never is.
The outcome of all prayers rests in the sovereignty of our Lord.
He alone determines who, how and when healing is granted.
James clues us in to a bigger concern when he tells us that sins will be forgiven.
So while we know that God cares about our physical state, He is much more invested in our spiritual health.
Some bible scholars also believe that when James wrote that ‘the Lord shall raise him up’, he was speaking to the ultimate resurrection.
Whether you believe this to be so or not, we can all shake hands on the point of our forgiveness being paramount for our Lord.
It follows then that James in these verses is encouraging us to pray faith-filled prayers for healing, understanding that spiritual healing takes precedence.
Confessing Our Faults
Again, James encourages us to keep praying for others in verse 16.
He tells us to ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.’
Do you notice that it is our faults we need to confess to each other?
In other words, the state of our spiritual walk and our perceived shortcomings?
This is what James tells us is leads to healing; which strengthens the interpretation of this healing being more than a physical one.
Confessing to each other is a powerful way to keep us accountable and to diminish the strength of our sin.
We can of course opt to pray in isolation but when we take James’ advice here, we alert the enemy that he can no longer wield that sin against us.
The very act of confessing it to other believers is a telltale sign of maturity, conviction by the Holy Spirit and the intentional pursuit of freedom.
A confessed sin therefore is catalyst for spiritual healing.
Pray Fervent Prayers
Then still in James 5:16, he tells us that ‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.’
Quite simply, prayer is effective when prayed fervently in faith and by a person who is in right standing with the Lord.
A righteous man consistently seeks after the Lord and is resolute in abiding under the shadow of the Almighty.
Now, it is not the length of a prayer or the eloquence of the words that makes it fervent.
A fervent prayer relies upon faith for it to have power.
Rehearsed, ritualistic prayers prayed with a lukewarm attitude will yield nothing.
Hebrews 11:6 tells how essential of an ingredient faith truly is in these cases.
Suffice it to say then that sans faith, our prayers do not make it to the inbox of our Lord, much less make it to His ear.
Faith is the bedrock of our christian walk. It is the currency we need as believers yet we always need to pray for more of it.
While we need more faith for just about every prayer request, healing continues to be that thing for which we need copious amounts of it…or maybe, just a mustard seed’s worth right?
Praying fervently then is our call.
We cannot afford not to pray fervent prayers.
Application of James 5:13-16
So what do these verses mean for our lives?
How should we approach praying about sickness?
We must hone in on the several pieces of sage advice that James offers in these scriptures.
Prayer is always relevant. It is always appropriate.
Prayer must be our first response and not our last resort.
In sickness, we pray and encourage prayer.
In celebration, still we pray.
We are to pray thoughtful, intentional, faith-filled prayers.
We are to confess our sins so we can crush them.
And still we must continue to pray.
We must find people who are on fire for God and with them we pray.
We must make a commitment to being in right standing with God and we must take up the mantle to pray fervent, effectual prayers because the world needs us to.
Prayer
Abba Father, I praise You today because You are righteous and true. I pray today that You will empower me to be a bold prayer warrior in Your spiritual army. Holy Spirit, reveal to me any flaws that linger and mold me because You are the Potter and I am the clay. Grant me zeal to pray fervent prayers and convict me to avail myself to pray for the sick and for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank You Lord Jesus that You are the true Healing Balm of Gilead. Heal us and sanctify us I pray. Glory and honor be to Your name. Amen