James part 10
The Power of Patient Prayer
Before we dig into the details of the last bit of James, we need to establish the overall message. As we’ve discussed throughout this series, the main point of James’ letter is:
True faith brings true transformation.
What we will see as we finish the letter is that transformation is a restoration. Recall how humanity found itself in this sinful state. God creates heaven and earth, and all that He made was good. It worked. It had a good design, and that design worked. He then creates humans, both male and female, and they work, too. They are to be the image bearers of God establishing order and creating a civilization that would mimic the creative acts of their Creator. Everything was good. God looked at His creation and even said, “This is very good!”
But one day, the man and woman were led into sin by Satan and their own selfish desires. Satan offered the chance for them to be gods (something he couldn’t actually deliver, but it’s Satan—he lies). Instead of running the option by their Maker, they took the fruit and ate disobeying the one rule God gave them—don’t eat the forbidden fruit.
That act of selfishness brought about disorder, sin, and death. Now humanity lives in this fallen, cursed state. God did not leave humanity to their own doom, however. He worked through history establishing Israel until the day He sends Jesus Christ to bring restoration. Christ goes to the cross paying the penalty for our sin, He resurrects abolishing the curse of death, and now “whosoever will call upon His name shall be saved.” Faith in Christ brings about the transformation that James has been describing for the last four and a half chapters.
In this last bit of chapter 5, James gives some quick fire commands which work because of the transformation Christ brings. These are acts of restoration. The overarching principle of this passage is this:
The true transformation which comes from true faith is a restoring transformation.
What do I mean by that? I mean that when Christ transforms us, He restores us to the original design God had in store for us way back in Genesis 1.
One last thing before we read 13-20. We should also keep in mind these verses come right after James has discussed being patient in light of Christ’s Return. We can analyze these verses for understanding the transformation of faith, but we also can read these as though James anticipated his audience response to “be patient.” As with people of any age, it is not hard to imagine that someone would say, “But what about our suffering? What about our sickness?” James addresses what it means to be patient for the Lord’s Return while also pointing us to the restoration that is available to us now.
Restoration through Prayer | James 5:13-20
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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.
James 5:13-20
James gives us three quick fire situations and the proper, patient response.
How can we suffer patiently? Pray about it.
How can we enjoy life patiently? Sing praises to God.
What if someone is sick? Have the elders anoint and pray for the sick person.
What do all three answers have in common? James says to be in prayer!
It reminds of Paul’s advice to the Philippians.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
Notice Paul gives the same exact advice, and for the same reason. “The Lord is at hand.” The fact of Jesus’ Return changes everything! We can rejoice always because Jesus is on His way. Let’s return to James’ list and do a bit of comparison.
First, James says if we are suffering, we should pray. I know that seems like a patronizing answer to someone’s suffering, but let’s think a bit. If you happen to be going through some suffering right now, take a deep breath and step back from the situation. Paul says in everything let your requests be known to God—pray about it. God knows you are suffering. It will not be news to Him. If you flip back to James 1, you’ll see where James has said that if we find ourselves in trials and tribulations, we can rejoice because that means God is working our faith. There is something missing in our character, temperament, or something that this suffering will help mend.
The suffering is evidence that God is at work in us.
That is worth rejoicing over! God is at work in our life. And if God is at work, then we can know that this present suffering will accomplish His purpose and His restoration of us.
Do you know another word for suffering? It’s “struggling.” Do you know when people struggle? They struggle when they are growing. No one grows in physical strength without struggling with weights and cardio. No one grows in mental strength without struggling with studying and reading. When we exercise our faith, and we find ourselves in a faith struggle, it may feel like suffering, but that is God transforming us! When we understand our struggles to be exercises in faith, then we can have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding as Paul says.
Second, James says if someone is cheerful, then they should sing praises. If life is going well, then praise God! But don’t praise Him to yourself, James says to start singing! You need to let people know that God is good! Use this cheerful time to be an encouragement to those around you who need reminding that God is good, especially if you have just spent some time suffering.
Use cheerful times to be an encouragement to the people around you.
Third, James says if someone is sick, we are to do two things. The elders should anoint the patient with oil and then pray over him. This particular verse is notorious for theological debate mainly because James doesn’t really explain himself much. We shouldn’t be too surprised since in the last two situations, his advice is summed up in a single sentence. But here, he gives a bit more, and the key to interpreting his advice lies in his overall point of his letter—true faith will bring about restoration.
Before we look further, we would do well to heed the advice of a fellow pastor who wrote,
“Faithful theology isn’t an enterprise in following feelings or intuitions, it’s a matter of submitting to Scripture, wherever it leads.”
First, let’s discuss the oil. Many commentators have stated the oil probably had some medicinal quality. I have always thought this as well. There are ceremonial laws in the Old Testament Law which point to various oils and concoctions to cure ailments. Likewise, the first century had many healers who would use similar oils and potions to cure various sicknesses. The oil may have been a form of medicine, but I don’t think that is necessarily the point of the oil.
Anointing oil was also used to mark a person for a particular task or position for God’s work. Kings were anointed because they were to serve Israel under the leadership of the Lord. Priests were anointed to serve in the Temple. Lay people could be anointed for similar purposes, though their roles were usually temporary. But also, as just mentioned, the anointing oil was also used to mark someone for healing.
Allowing the elders to anoint them in oil was an act of faith on the part of the patient.
Notice the elders had to be called upon. This person is not dealing with seasonal allergies. They are sick—possibly on their death bed. Having the elders come to the house and anoint him was the patient’s way of saying, “I don’t need rest or time to heal. I need the Lord to do a miracle!” They are humbling themselves before the Lord like James said to do back in chapter 4.
Now, this brings up the question what about those who aren’t healed after prayer? Should we just say they didn’t have enough faith? Absolutely not. God never promised us good health in exchange for godliness. In case we forget the obvious, we are appointed to live once and then we die (Heb. 9:27). Also, in 2 Timothy 4, we read how Paul himself, perhaps the most faith-filled Christian ever, had to leave Trophimus sick in Miletus. James is not denying the reality of this fallen world.
The promise of James 5:15 is that God may heal the sick now, or He may heal them at the resurrection, but either way the faithful will be raised up restored.
But most importantly, the patient’s sins will be forgiven—not because of the oil or the elders, but because of their faith. And that is the most important transformation. True faith, even the faith of someone on their death bed, will bring true transformation—the removal of sin.
Thus, James can tell everyone, confess your sins and pray for one another so that we can see that healing. That’s the kind of prayer God calls His people to pray—the prayers of confession and intercession. Those are the prayers that bring about righteousness and healing.
If we question whether or not we can pray such things, James reminds us Elijah was a man like any other man. The great prophet who was considered the archetype of a prophet was just an ordinary human. There was nothing supernatural about Elijah. His power was not really his power. It was the power of the Lord working through his prayers. It’s appropriate that James’ example of powerful prayers is when Elijah called for a drought and then later the rains. If you go back and read the story in 1 Kings 17-19, you’ll notice that a drought wasn’t Elijah’s idea. The Lord told Elijah to prophesy about the drought, and so he did. Sometimes we forget the most important part of praying—listening to God’s response.
Prayer is more about listening to God’s response than us telling God our problems.
Every once in awhile someone will ask “Why should we pray if God already knows everything?” We pray because we don’t know everything. Prayer isn’t just us talking to God. It is also us listening to God.
Last, James ends (rather abruptly) with a call to restore the wandering sinner. Ultimately, that is the restoration that we all need. We need our sins forgiven so that our souls will be saved from condemnation.
I think it is very telling that James spends five chapters expounding how Christians should live and only one verse about evangelism. No, it’s not that James wasn’t much of an evangelist. I think it is because James knew exactly what Jesus said in John 13:35.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:35
Before we start worrying about the sinner down the street, we have to make sure we are loving each other as we are called to love one another. James has just given us some sound advice for what that looks like.
Pray for those who are suffering, or as Paul says it “Bear each other’s burdens.”
Sing praises in cheerful times, or as Paul says, “Encourage one another.”
Pray for and anoint the sick, or as Paul says, “Carry one another.”
Spend some time this week rereading James and ask yourself, “how is James also describing how to love one another?” It may help to have 1 Corinthians 13 in front of you as well. “Love is patient, love is kind” and etc. When we learn to truly love one another as Jesus loves us, then people will be drawn to us. Then, and really only then, will we have the right to call ourselves disciples and point them to our Savior.
This week, as we close, I want you to think about what James has presented to us. Are any of you suffering? Spend time in prayer and listen to God’s response so that you can experience His peace. Are any of you cheerful? Then, as we sing, sing with all your heart. If any of you are sick, then call on your brothers and sisters to pray for you.
But also, if you have anything against one of your brothers or sisters in Christ, then fix that relationship. Offer forgiveness for whatever they have done, but also ask for forgiveness for whatever you have done. If one of you have wandered from the faith, then come back to Christ.
True restoration, true healing, will only happen if we confess to one another and pray for one another.
Last, if you know of someone who has not turned from their sins and turned to Christ, pray for them. Pray for an opportunity to share Jesus with them, and I promise you God will open that door. We just have to be ready when He does.