The Prayer of Great Power

It was November 13, 1971 (I'm dating myself a little bit). It was the day God first spoke to me and called me, saying, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). It was the day God called me, a sinner, out of the world and into the light of His glory. It was the day the Lord changed me from a sinner into a sinner saved by grace.

I was 17 and a senior in high school. Throughout that weekend, beginning Friday evening and continuing all day Saturday and on through Sunday morning, a series of revival meetings were being held at my church. The Holy Spirit was on the move and many people of all ages were being saved.

For a small farming community, we had a large church with a large youth group. The youth met separately in the youth hall. Saturday night about 120 junior and senior high youth had gathered for the meeting, many out of curiosity as to what was happening. There had been much excitement and talk about what the Lord was doing. It turned into the most unusual worship service I ever experienced.

It all started rather innocently. Guitars were played and we sang several familiar choruses. The service was led by some college students who came in from other towns, along with some of their junior and senior high youth. Several of them gave testimonies as to how they came to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. They encouraged us to do the same. What influenced me most was the testimony of a friend and classmate.

Following the testimonies, the leader simply said that he was going to sit down and wait on God. He said we could play the guitars or sing or pray or testify—however the Lord led. He also said the altar at the front was open, should anyone want to pray and receive Christ.

So there we all sat, silent at first. But then someone began to play silently on the guitar. Then a few people began to sing softly. Some were praying. And then... it happened!

It was in some ways like the day of Pentecost in the upper room in Acts chapter 2. There were no “tongues as of fire” resting on anyone (Acts 2:3, NASB), and no one spoke in other languages or anything like that, but the power of the Spirit came upon us. Starting in the front and quickly moving to the back of the room, picking up speed as it went, the Spirit moved through us and over us like “a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house” (Acts 2:2).

First, a young eighth grader went to the altar to pray. Then another went forward; then yet another. Soon several youth were down at the altar praying. I just sat there quietly for a time. Then the Lord spoke to my heart and my mind as clearly as if He spoken aloud. “Come; come to me,” He seemed to say. God was calling me, a sinner, to Himself. I rose from my seat and went to the altar where all I could say was, “Lord, Lord.” But one thing was clear. I had given my life to Jesus that night, receiving Him as my Lord and Savior. I was now a sinner saved by grace.

I had a good friend in high school who was there the night I experienced that most unusual worship service and gave my life to Christ. He witnessed firsthand the salvation of so many young people that night, yet he did not respond to the call of God on his life. As he did after each service that weekend, he simply said nothing and walked out. He went to have a cigarette. He wanted to get away from it all.

That is how it was for a long time. He came to youth meetings at church, but left quickly, often long before the meeting had ended. We kept inviting him to Christian events and he kept coming, but he also kept leaving quickly. He never responded to the gospel, though God kept bringing His message to him.

That continued throughout our senior year and on into college. We attended the same small college, but lived in separate dorms. He played football and his future was promising, until he threw it all away. He got caught up in the drug scene and moved in with a girl, but never married. It wasn’t long before he dropped out of school and left it all behind. I would run into him from time to time and encourage him to come with me to Campus Crusade for Christ, but he never came. Other people witnessed to him as well when they saw him, but he never responded. Eventually, I lost all contact with him.

Jump forward about four years. I was in my first year of seminary when the Lord laid my friend's name on my heart. I prayed for him; I prayed that he might come to know Jesus that day. I wrote his name in the margin of my Bible in Matthew 22, a parable where the king gave a marriage feast for his son (v. 2), but the invited guests refused to come (vs. 3-5). “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests” (vs. 8-10). I continued to pray for my friend every day.

Three months later I attended a Francis Schaeffer seminar at a nearby church. It was a last minute decision to attend and there was nowhere to sit. As I was looking for a seat, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and there he was! My long lost friend, who I had prayed for! The last person I ever expected to run into that night. The pack of cigarettes rolled up in his sleeve—gone! Instead there was a Bible under his arm and a smile on his face unlike any I had ever seen on him before.

Following the service, we went out for a soft drink and a chance to catch up. He told me how he ran into Christians all the time and how he tried to avoid them. He had married, and his wife came to know Christ about three months before, at about the time I claimed my friend for Jesus, maybe even that very day! She in turn introduced him to her pastor, who led him to Christ as well! Such is the “effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man” (James 5:16b).

In James 5:13-18, several commands are followed by four promises and an example. The commands are primarily given in answer to a series of questions. A rhetorical question is asked and a directive is given by James as to how you ought to respond.

First question: “Is anyone among you suffering?” (v. 13a). The assumed answer is, yes. The directive from James by way of command: “Let him pray” (v. 13b). When you are suffering in any way, the Lord wants you to pray and bring the matter before His throne. All of us suffer hardship in some way or another. The key is in how you handle suffering. Do you let it win and get you down, or do you take it to God and seek His help? God is the one who can get you through it. He is there for you, if you will but turn to Him.

Next question: “Is anyone cheerful?” (v. 13c). Again, the assumed answer is, yes. And the directive by command: “Let him sing psalms” (v. 13d). When there is joy in your heart, let it come out! Sing psalms and joyful songs. God put the joy in your heart, so give Him praise.

Third question: “Is anyone among you sick?” (v. 14a). The command: “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” (v. 14b). This verse contains an interesting use of words in the original New Testament Greek. “Sick” literally means “to be weak” (W. E. Vine, M.A., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Unabridged Edition, MacDonald Publishing Company, McLean, Virginia, public domain, 1050). In this context, it refers not so much to an illness, but to physical injury or weakness, or even spiritual weakness, caused by the suffering of verse 13.

“Suffering” (v. 13a) refers to physical or spiritual injury or weakness from persecution. Literally it means “to be weak” or “to lack strength” (Ibid, 320). So, when you are weak or injured, “call for the elders of the church” (v. 14a) and they will pray for you and anoint you with oil “in the name of the Lord” (v. 14b). The Lord will take it from there. He has His best for you. He will meet your need. 

One last command: “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another” (v. 16a). One of the best things you can do for each other is to pray for one another. Share your prayer needs with your friends and spend time each day praying for each other, that the Lord Jesus will meet your needs and restore your faith and heal your body and spirit.

First promise: “And the prayer of faith will save the sick” (v. 15a). “Save” is the usual word for salvation, but in this context it refers more to our “being delivered from danger or suffering” (Ibid, 1003). The idea is that the elders’ prayers will deliver you from spiritual weakness and restore you to spiritual wholeness.

The next promise is closely related: “and the Lord will raise him up” (v. 15b). In answer to the prayers of godly men, the elders, God will raise you up when you are weak and He will restore your strength.

The Lord also promises forgiveness: “And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (v. 15c).  Spiritual defeat often is the result of sin. Confess your sins and He will forgive you and you will “be healed” (v. 16a).

The central promise is also the key thought of this passage: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (v. 16b). When you walk with the Lord by faith, your prayers are powerful. The Lord accomplishes His will and His purposes in our lives through our prayers. Something you can do is pray. Be a prayer warrior for Christ.

The example: “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 heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (vs. 17-18). Elijah is your example. He was a man just like us. He walked with the Lord and his prayers were answered. Walk with the Lord and God will answer your prayers, as He did for Elijah. Just trust Him and pray. Amen.