James 5:16-18
1. Verse 16 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.
Confess faults.
A. God works only in answer to prayer (at least in these things).
1. Prayer is not only for what we can get for ourselves, but what we can get for our friends (compare to James 4:1-11).
2. Involves more than material things, but spiritual maturity.
B. Confess our faults - Our greatest downfall.
1. We try to hide our faults from ourselves, from our friends, and from God.
a. This is why so many people get offended at the preaching of the Word.
b. Sin is called sin, and their sin is exposed, not to others, but to their own eyes.
2. Great revivals don't come because of great singing or preaching, but when people confess they have failed God and need Him to do the work. May God help us to stop trusting ourselves.
3. Be careful who you confess to.
a. Many people will "store" your confession to use against you later.
b. Confess only to those who will also confess to you, and who will pray with you and for you.
c. Those with the Spirit of God giving evidence.
C. Verse 16 - This word "pray" is a wish.
1. Compare to verse 15 (prayer of faith) - the heartache of one is transferred to another and both pray that God will heal.
2. True faith and prayer will evidence itself in our works.
a. When we pray for someone, we will also be a daily help to them in overcoming their sins.
b. This will also help us to overcome our sins.
c. We will show compassion and love for them like Christ instructed (Matt. 22:37-40).
d. We will fulfill "The Golden Rule", (Matt. 7:12), bearing fruit unto God (not just leaves for ourselves, Matt. 21:19), others will see our good works and glorify God (Matt. 5:16).
D. Healed - to be made whole.
1. The problem today is that many people don't know they need healed.
2. If we would begin to read God's Holy Word, we would see our sins and the need to confess to ourselves, to others, and to God. God would send great revival. Not to the world, perhaps, but to our hearts.
2. Verse 16b-18 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. {18} And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
An example of true prayer and its answer.
A. Conditions we should meet.
1. Effectual fervent - one Greek word which means "to be mighty in" - thus to be mighty in prayer.
2. A righteous man.
a. Not a perfect man, for there is none perfect except God.
b. Not a good man, for there is none good except God.
c. A saved man.
d. A man who puts forth an effort of faith to obey God.
3. Results - availeth much.
B. Elijah (Elias) - An example to follow. (The story is given in I Kings 17-18).
1. Elijah - It's important to note that Elijah was a man like us.
a. Many times we feel the people in the Bible are different from us, but they aren't.
b. Passion doesn't mean lust or wickedness, but the feelings of humans.
2. Prayed earnestly - prayed with a prayer.
3. God answered that prayer.
4. prayed again - I Kings 18:44 tells of the intensity of that 7-fold prayer and Elijah's total trust and dependence on God.
1. Luke 18:1-8 – The parable of the unjust judge.
2. Luke 11:1-13 – Rest assured, God will give good results, if we continue to ask, knock, and seek.
3. Daniel prayed and God moved pagan kings to be at peace for him. Darius when Daniel was in the lion’s den; when the three presidents were against him.
4. Luke 18:9-14 – Compare the prayer of the publican and the sinner.
5. Matthew 15:29 – The Gentile woman wanting Jesus to heal her daughter. She was willing to eat the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.