Teach Us To PrayНамуна

Learning From James: Praying With Faith

Generally, we are wary of connecting faith too strongly with healing. Rightly so. I’ve seen people who are believing for a miracle become deeply disillusioned with God when it doesn’t happen. I’ve seen dying people blamed for their lack of faith for complete healing. It’s downright dangerous saying that God’s powerful answers to prayer are dependent on our faith. This strong connection between our faith and God’s healing work can lead to hypocrisy and guilt and disappointment. So you would think that Scripture would shy away from connecting faith and healing. Not so. James links them together in this passage. See what you think James is teaching about faith-filled prayer. 

Reading: James 5:13-18

Like everyone else in Scripture, James emphasizes the importance of prayer. “You’ve got a problem? Then pray about it” (5:13). In the previous chapter (4:2), James says that Christians spend so much time working and fighting for what they want when they should be asking God. So the context here is one of constant prayer. Not the occasional prayer for a miracle when nothing else seems to work and we’re desperate. Faith-filled prayer is a lifestyle. We’re constantly talking to God. Praising him when things go well and asking him what to do when we confront uncertainties (5:13). Only calling in the heavy artillery (elders) when we’re making no headway (5:14). It’s in this daily rhythm of prayer that deep faith in God is nourished.

But what actually is this “prayer of faith” (5:15)? Some people think that faith is believing without any doubt that God will do what we ask. That’s way off the mark. Trying to manipulate God into doing what we want through our actions is called “sympathetic magic.” It’s the basis of pagan spirituality – bending the will of the gods by your actions. This is the opposite of faith. 

Faith is hearing and believing God and holding on to God’s revelation and promises no matter what the circumstances. So faith always starts with God speaking not our hoping. Elijah is a great example as James points out (5:17-18). God told him when it would rain and when it wouldn’t rain. No prophet of God would call these shots by himself. But then, having heard God, he prayed and prophesied in faith, whether he could see the rain clouds or not. And the results were miraculous and earth-shattering. 

The third ingredient of faith-filled, powerful prayer according to James is rightness with God (5:16). There is no way that you will know what God wants if you’re distant from him. He usually speaks in quiet whispers so if there is a lot of sin static in the way, you just can’t distinguish God’s voice. Prayer becomes a leap in the dark without any certainty of what God wants. Confession and repentance restore our relationship with God and open our hearts and minds to God’s promises and desires. The result is faith-filled prayer.

So that’s the secret to praying with faith. First, we pray and praise all the time so we become used to speaking with God and sharing his life. Second, we listen carefully to what God is saying and don’t presume that he wants what we want. Sometimes of course we’re not sure so we pray anyway. That’s fine. God still hears us and may well answer. But it is not the prayer of faith that James is talking about here. Third, we stay right with God so we are close to his heart and his voice is clear and our prayers are heard. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (5:16). Please note: this type of praying is for ordinary people (5:17) not spiritual giants. 

Prayer Practice

Listen to what God is laying on your heart right now and pray with faith. If you don’t hear God say anything, take a promise from Scripture and stand on it in prayer.