The Power of Prayer and Faith

by Ted Burleson

Prayer and faith are each a component in James’s recommendation for his readers. His admonition for believers to ask God for wisdom is his first reference to prayer (James 1:5). We must pray without doubt, or else our instability would mark our disbelief in the power of Almighty God. Regular prayer is counter-cultural but was very beneficial for ancient Christians as it still is for believers today.

In James 4:1–10, James teaches that God has many blessings that belong to Christians who will ask for them. We miss some benefits, because we never request them. We must pray according to God’s will and with proper motives. Wrong motives will result in the refusal of God’s blessings that are requested. James is not suggesting a way to manipulate God; instead, he recommends a disciplined practice that honors God and blesses believers.

Because God is the Father of Christians, we must have a personal relationship aided by a conversation with Him through prayer. We hinder our relationship with God if we conform to the standards of the world. James’s counter-cultural message is that instead of trying to please both parties in a dispute (worldly wisdom and heavenly wisdom), the Christian is to forsake the human model of success and depend upon God, aided by an active prayer life.

The counter-cultural message of James regarding prayer applies to contemporary society as much as ancient society. Worldly wisdom encourages us to “fit in,” while heavenly wisdom demands that we “stick out.”

Prayer rests the weary (James 5:13–20). The church elders are to represent the whole church and pray fervently for the sick while anointing them with oil. Prayer is that which heals. Prayer can improve not only the physical health of the ill but also the sin-sick by praying for forgiveness of sins. James encourages confession of sins to other Christians. Prayer for healing should follow this confession.

Prayer is counter-cultural in that secular culture sometimes scoffs at the power of prayer. When faced with trouble, depend on prayer to God to accompany the efforts of those who seek to heal us by conventional means. We should still call for the elders to pray for those in sickness, whether physical or spiritual.