Every Christian should know of and be confident in the power of prayer.  God’s people, including some of the most famous biblical characters, have always prayed to God sincerely and regularly.  Great lessons for life can be gleaned by simply reading the many recorded prayers of Paul.

James closes his epistle with some important points about prayer, emphasizing especially the power of it.

James 5:13 (ESV)
¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray…

Life is full of suffering and difficult moments.  When we suffer in life, the first thing we should do is pray.  It is the natural instinct of sincere faith to trust in God in times of need or distress.  The only question is do we have the kind of faith we should have—the kind that leads us to God when we need help.  Faith is the only fuel that will move prayers along and get them to God.  There is nothing more useless than a faithless prayer.

James 1:5–7 (ESV)
⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.

Congregationally, when members get sick, who should they call?  James tells us.  “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him… (James 5:14).  Why should the elders be called?    First, because they have the responsibility to watch over and shepherd the flock.  That is why the sick are told to call for the elders, not the preacher!!!  But also because when it comes to prayer, faith and faithfulness matter, and the elders should lead the way in both of those categories.

Why is James making such a big deal about praying?  It is because he was very much aware of the power of it.  He knew it worked.  He went on to say, “…the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up…” ( James 5:15).

This is not a guarantee that every sick person who is prayed for will be healed, it is simply a general rule that is true more times than not.  We must remember that built into proper faith is an understanding that God knows what is best for us and will respond to our prayers accordingly.  Nevertheless, each time we pray, we must do so with the full confidence that God will give us what we are praying for, the only exception being if it is not in our best interest, or in the best interest of the one for whom we are praying.

To really drive home the point of the powerful nature of prayer, James gives us a wonderful example—the example of Elijah.

James 5:17–18 (ESV)
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.

While Elijah was in many ways a great man, he was just a man, no different than you or me.  His prayer was so powerful that it stopped the rain from falling for three and a half years.  Are our prayers as powerful as Elijah’s?  If not, James’ illustration is kind of useless, isn’t it?

Let us not doubt the efficacy of prayer.  Let’s not limit ourselves by doubting that God will hear and respond to our petitions.  James said that “the prayer of a righteous person has great power… (ver. 16).  Do you believe this to be true?  If so, act like it and pray as often as possible.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.