Effective Fervent Prayer

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | William Stewart | Odessa, Ontario

There are several occasions in Scripture where Old Testament people and events are used to provide lessons about faith in the New Testament. For example, the circumstances in Elijah’s life as recorded in 1 Kings 17-18 are the backdrop for a great lesson prayer in James 5.

In 1 Kings 17:1, Elijah foretold a drought which would come. However, James tells us he prayed for the drought (James 5:17). Why would he pray for a drought? It was a punishment upon the people of Israel for their sins (1 Kings 16:33; Deuteronomy 28:22, 24). It should have persuaded them to repent. Three and a half years later, we read of Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. God was faithful, giving his prophet victory over the false prophets of Baal. As a result, the people’s hearts turned back to the Lord (1 Kings 18:37-40). Thus, it was time for Elijah to pray for the rains to return. Notice from 1 Kings 18…

The Proclamation of Faith (1 Kings 18:41)
Elijah believed that it would rain. The prophet expected God would bring an end to the drought because of the LORD’s victory that day and the turning of Israel’s heart back to the LORD. He knew God promised restoration of blessings to the land if Israel returned to God (Deuteronomy 4:29-31; 30:1-5). Even though Israel had departed from the LORD and the curses pronounced against them were engaged (Deuteronomy 28), Elijah believed God’s promise and proclaimed it publicly.

The Prayer of Faith (1 Kings 18:42-44)
Believing and declaring that God would restore the rain, Elijah then ascended to the top of Mount Carmel, “bowing down on the ground, and put his face between his knees.” He prayed. As he had formerly prayed in earnest for the drought to come, now he petitioned God for the drought to end.

“Go up now, look toward the sea,” Elijah commanded his servant. “Nothing,” came the reply. Six times, the servant was sent to look toward the sea, and six times the servant reported there was nothing. There was no physical evidence available for Elijah to lay his expectation upon – the skies were blue and cloudless. However, his faith was secure in the promise of God.

“Go again,” Elijah commanded, a seventh time. The servant came back, excited, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” How many are ready to declare a heavy rain, having seen a single cloud in the sky, a cloud small enough that it can be hidden behind your hand? Elijah was, and he did. He urged Ahab, “prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you!”

That small cloud was evidence enough for him to declare God had answered his prayer – it was going to rain!

The Power of Faith (1 Kings 18:45-46)
Elijah believed it would come to pass. He prayed that it would come to pass, and at the sight of one tiny cloud, he knew it had come to pass before a single drop of rain fell. “Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain.”

Elijah’s prayer was answered! But why? Was it because he was a man through whom the Lord performed miracles? No. Was it because he was a prophet, and thus knew about future events? No. How is it that this man of God prayed for rain, and it rained? Hear the words of James:

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (5:17-18)

There was no special power or ability in Elijah’s possession affecting the rain on that day. James reveals it was because he was a righteous man who prayed for God to bring forth rain according to the promise of God. If we pray in faith and according to God’s will (1 John 5:14-15), we will see the fulfillment of prayer as Elijah did.

In James 5, the writer used Elijah’s prayer of faith as a springboard to look at various situations in the Christian’s life, such as times of suffering, sickness, and the confession of sins. Notice a few thoughts on each of these.

Prayer is a Help in Times of Suffering
There are numerous examples in Scripture of individuals who, in difficult circumstances, turned to God in prayer. Paul and Silas were singing and praying at midnight in the inner prison at Philippi (Acts 16:25). Jesus, agonizing about the trial which was ahead for Him “…prayed more earnestly” (Luke 22:44). The prophet Jonah “…cried out to the LORD…” from the belly of a great fish (Jonah 2:2). On many occasions, the Psalmist found solace by bringing his trials before the God of heaven (Psalm 18:6; 50:15; 118:5). If we are suffering, we ought to bring our cares to the Lord, for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). When we’ve laid our burdens before Him, we can experience “…the peace of God which surpasses all understanding…” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Prayer is a Help in Times of Sickness
What sickness does James have in mind here? Is he speaking about physical ailments or spiritual troubles? Certainly, either could be under consideration. If we are suffering physical infirmities, we ought to bring such before the Lord. He has the power to heal the body and can affect our bodily health for good. If we are physically ill, then we ought to petition God’s favour. However, it seems more likely the thought on the mind of the inspired writer was spiritual illness. In calling for the elders, one is calling for those who are charged with shepherding the flock (Acts 20:28). James seems to have the spiritually weak in mind because he tells his readers to call for the elders, the mention of possible sin, and the need to confess sin, and pray for one another.

If we are spiritually weak, we need to enlist the help of those who are spiritual to build us up (Galatians 6:1). The Hebrew writer encouraged us to “…make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:13).

Prayer of Faith Will Save the Sick
Again, the application in verse 15 could be either physical or spiritual. Still, given the context, spiritual sickness seems to be the intent. If we are aware of one who struggles in the faith, we should be praying for that person. “The prayer of faith will save the sick.” Cain asked the Lord, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The answer is yes. In the household of faith, we are our brother and sister’s keeper. Thus, when one is struggling or perhaps even turned from the faith, we should seek to turn them back (James 5:19-20).

1 John 5:16 says, “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and he will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.” If one has given in to temptation, if one has stumbled in the faith, we need to pray for that one. Both James and John tell us our prayers can affect the spiritual well-being of others.

Confess Your Trespasses … And Pray For One Another
This instruction demands that there be great trust and confidence with our brethren. Many may shy away from sharing their struggles, fearful that such could be publicized. Or wanting to maintain a certain stature in the eyes of others, one might be ashamed to reveal their inner conflicts. James’ intent is to enlist the help of others to strengthen us in the faith and prepare us for eternity. Confessing to one another is not about finding new topics for gossip. It is not about discovering information to blackmail another via gossip. The purpose of the command is to help one another overcome sin. We see an example in Acts 19:18, where we read, “…many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.” They did not hide their faults but confessed them. They sought the help of their brethren. Notice the result:

“Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (Acts 19:19-20).

May we see the great power of prayer, and learn to be effective and fervent in prayer so that God may accomplish great things in us and through our petitions.

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July 2020 | GROW magazine