We Pray for One Another

Sunday School Lesson                                          

Lesson: James 5:13-18                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “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 5:16).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  When Christians come together to pray, our thoughts are often on those who are sick and suffering different trials.  However, there’s one thing that we must remember when we pray for one another.  While physical needs are real and important, spiritual needs are far more important.   The Lord Jesus made this very clear when He said “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (see Matthew 16:26).  In this week’s lesson, the Apostle James makes it clear that some sicknesses are related to sin and must be dealt with as a sin issue.  In addition, he gives us important instructions about praying for one another and illustrates the power of fervent, faithful prayer.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  The epistle of James was written by James, the brother of Jesus (see Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3: Galatians 1:19).  However, he didn’t promote this relationship in his writings, but simply referred to himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (see James 1:1).  As head of the first Christian church at Jerusalem, James was a man of great authority (see Acts 12:17; 15:13-29; 21:17-18).  He was evidently converted by the risen Lord (see I Corinthians15:7).  James writes to the “twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (see James 1:1), referring to the Christian Jews dispersed throughout the Roman Empire.  He began chapter 5 from which our lesson comes, by condemning the sins of the unbelieving rich (see James 5:1-6).  Then in verses 7-12, James addresses the needs of believers who were suffering at the hands of the rich.  He urged them to be patient and steadfast as they await Christ’s return, cautioning them against venting frustration through grudges or oaths.  But how can they maintain this steadfastness in the midst of suffering for their faith?  They would need the strength that God gives in response to prayer.  Therefore, James’ final words which make up our lesson text focus on prayer, this essential element of Christian life.  This is where our lesson begins.      
III. PRAYER IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES (James 5:13).   James begins our lesson by bringing up circumstances or occasions on which prayer is needed.  He writes in our first verse “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”  The word “afflicted” literally means “suffering what is bad.”  It can include any kind of distress and hardship we face in life.  For James’ readers, “afflicted” seems to point to the persecutions they were experiencing (see James 1:3).  We know it doesn’t refer to sickness, because James mentions sickness as a separate item in the next verse.  James’ instructions to those who were “afflicted” or suffering was “let him pray.”  This command is in the present tense meaning that prayer should be a regular practice or a lifstyle.  Prayer is always the proper response to trials and difficulties.  Our common desire when we pray is to ask God to end our troubles, but James also wrote that trials are ultimately for our benefit (see James 1:2-4).  James also had instructions for those who were “merry” meaning “cheerful” or “in good spirits.”  To those who were “merry” James said “let him sing psalms.”  We should know that prayer is for the good times in life as well as the bad times.  It may seem strange that being merry should be an occasion for prayer, but it’s just as important to voice praise to God as it is to beg Him for help in our trials (see Ephesians 5:19-20).  The phrase “sing psalms” is also in the present tense meaning that the merry or cheerful person should constantly sing songs of praise whenever he or she realizes God’s blessings on his or her life.  However, this does not rule out also singing praises while suffering, as Paul and Silas did in prison (see Acts 16:25).  Praise anywhere can change our perspective.  The word “psalms” could refer to the Book of psalms since it was completed by New Testament times.  However, it can also refer to any hymns of praise.  It should be noted here that the Psalms are prayers too.  Psalm 117 is a great example.
IV. PRAYER FOR THE SICK (James 5:14-15)      
A. Prayer for physical illness (James 5:14). 
1. (vs. 14).  In this verse James writes “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.”  James posed the question to his readers “Is any sick among you?”  The word “sick” here can also mean “weak” and can refer to any kind of weakness.  However, the context has the idea of an illness.  In this case it probably refers to an illness that incapacitated the person so much that James said “let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him.”  If the illness was so that the person couldn’t go to the elders for prayer, they were to send for them. James said that the elders’ duty in the situation he presented was to pray over the sick person while “anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”  The “oil” here is probably olive oil which was widely used in that time.  The elders were to anoint the sick “in the name of the Lord” meaning under Christ’s authority, and trusting in His great power.  It was also understood that their prayer was offered in Christ’s name. 

2. (vs. 15).  In this verse James says that the result of the elders’ actions was “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.”  It should be noted that the oil was not the instrument God used to heal.  It was “the prayer of faith.”  This refers primarily to the elder’s prayer, but it does not leave out any prayer made by the sick person himself.  The word “save” here refers to physical healing, not spiritual salvation.  The term can be used of any type of deliverance.  James then said that through the instrument of prayer, “the Lord shall raise him up” or bring the sick person back to health.  God is the healer who honors the faith of those who pray.  However, there’s no indication of the time lapse between the prayer and the healing.  The sovereign Lord determines the right time. James went on to say about the sick person “and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”  This phrase seems to indicate that the calling of the elders is not just for the prayer of healing, but also to give the sick person an opportunity to confess his or her sins.  Sins won’t be forgiven just because others pray for a person; the person himself must confess his sins and ask for forgiveness (see I John 1:9).  This does not suggest that personal sin causes all illness.  The sickness we suffer isn’t always the result of some sin we have committed.  Jesus made this clear when He told the disciples that the man born blind was not in that condition because of his parent’s’ sin or his own (see John 9:1-3).  However, we must recognize that Scripture teaches that God sometimes brings sickness upon His wayward children in order to get their attention and bring them to repentance.  We see this in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth.  Because many abused the Lord’s Supper, many had become weak and sick, and some had even died (see I Corinthians 11:29-30).  While we shouldn’t assume that a believer’s sickness may be due to their sin, we should allow for the possibility that their sickness may be due to their sin and that confession is what is most needed.  Those who suffer physically should use that occasion to examine themselves to see whether the suffering may be linked to sin.  If the Spirit convicts of sin, this should lead to confession and cleansing.  On the other hand, the situation that James described does not mean that all healing comes as a result of prayer by elders or the confession of sin.  This is simply the method of addressing illness that is the result of sin.  We must not lose sight of the Lord’s priority which is on the spiritual needs of people. 

V. PRAYER FOR ONE ANOTHER (James 5:16).  Here James exhorts his readers to “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.”  The word “faults” means sins.  We are to confess our sins to “one another.”   In addition, we are to “pray one for another.”  Both words “confess” and “pray” are in the Greek present tense meaning that we should continuously or habitually confess and pray whenever a need arises.  The word “confess” implies a full and honest acknowledgment of guilt and “faults” (sins) indicates that it’s our individual sins that we are to confess.  The place of the confession should fit the need.  In other words, if the whole congregation has been wronged, a public confession may be in order.  But a sin against an individual brother or sister should be confessed in private to that person only.  Confession should lead to mutual prayer and not to gossip or broken ties.  Public airing of private matters raises unnecessary questions, and in the end does more harm than good.  The command to “pray for one another” implies that we have enough concern for those who sin to intercede for them.  In repeating the phrase “one another,” James indicated that the confession and prayer should be reciprocal or for each other, because not one of us is exempt from sin or the need for prayer.  James said that the purpose for confession and prayer was so that those involved “may be healed.”  The healing that results from such confession and prayer may be either spiritual or physical.  Sin affects the whole range of feelings and thoughts, decisions, and relationships.  Confession and prayer allow God to set things right.  The last part of this verse says “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  James’ declaration here literally reads “Able to do much is the supplication (prayer) of a righteous man in its working.”   Simply put, prayer is a powerful exercise when offered by “a righteous man” or a godly person.   A person who is properly related to God and living to please Him is honored when he prays.  The prayer is able to accomplish much because the person’s mind is in tune with God’s.  The word “effectual” means “in its working” and can be taken in more than one way.  It can mean “when the prayer is energized”---that is by the Holy Spirit.  It could also mean “when it is operating” emphasizing the continual energy the righteous or good man exerts in making his petition.  Of course, both of these are true.  The productiveness of prayer is due to both the leading of the Holy Spirit and to the perseverance of the one who prays.
VI. PRAYER ILLUSTRATED (James 5:17-18)
A. An example of effectual fervent prayer (James 5:17).  To illustrate his statement that a righteous man’s prayer is effective, James uses Elijah as an historical example.  In this verse He said “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”  But if any of his readers thought that Elijah was superior to any of them, James first declared that “Elias (Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as we are.”  The term “passions” can be understood as feelings.  Elijah was fully human and had the same kinds of experiences and weaknesses as we do.  Elijah was not perfect, but God did great things because of his prayers.  James singled out two instances: the beginning and the ending of the drought in Israel in the days of Ahab (see I Kings chapters 17&18).  First, Elijah “prayed earnestly that it might not rain.”  The Greek translation says literally “In prayer, he prayed.”  The repetition of the word shows the intensity with which he prayed.  The Old Testament does not specifically mention this prayer, but it’s implied in I Kings 17:1, where Elijah swore by the Lord’s name that it wouldn’t rain.  Elijah’s words “As the Lord God liveth, before whom I stand” indicates that the authority of the Lord stood behind the decree he was making to king Ahab.  Because he was a godly man, Elijah was distressed by Israel’s apostasy or turning away from the Lord.  So he prayed that God’s judgment would fall to awaken the nation to the seriousness of their sin.  His prayer thus preceded his confident decree of the coming drought.  The Lord honored his prayer and James says “and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”  In other words, the Lord withheld rain on earth for three and a half years in response to Elijah’s prayer.      
B. The results of effectual fervent prayer (James 5:18).  Still speaking of Elijah, James in our final verse says “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”  The second instance of Elijah’s praying was his asking that the drought be ended.  This is implied in the phrase “And he prayed again.”  He did this after he had defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (see I Kings 18:42-45).  Elijah’s bowing down with his head between his knees reveals the earnestness of his prayer.  He had believed God’s promise to send rain (see I Kings 18:1), announced it to Ahab (see verse 41), and then prayed until it was fulfilled (see I Kings 18:42-45).  The phrase “and the earth brought forth her fruit” means that God had restored the normal cycle of nature in response to prayer.  Note:  The power of prayer is proved in Elijah’s success.  This can be encouraging to us when we consider that Elijah was a man with the same feelings we have.  He was a good man, but he had his faults just as we do.  However, in prayer we must not look to the good of man, but to the grace of God.  If we will copy Elijah, it should be in that he prayed earnestly, or as the original language says, “in prayer he prayed.”  It‘s not enough to say a prayer, but we must pray in prayer meaning we must pray earnestly.
                         
VII. Conclusion.  Our lesson this week has presented prayer as a powerful and necessary part of our experience together as Christians.  It’s our means of communicating with God in times of need and in times of rejoicing.  Those who are sick or weak should call on the elders to minister to them.  We should pray in confidence, remembering the example of Elijah, a mere mortal like the rest of us, who released God’s power in prayer.  The example of Elijah demonstrates the power of a godly man’s prayer.  When such prayer is combined with confession of sin, there are wonderful results.  For those who are suffering under God’s discipline, much hardship is avoided, there is forgiveness of sin, and there is healing.  The Bible gives us every reason to pray and to pray fervently for one another.