Faithful Praying

 

Have we heard too often the injunction that we should always consider the context of a verse before making biblical conclusions upon which we hang our doctrine? James 5.15 is an explicit example of this practical need.
 

Looking at this verse by itself, we see three future tenses that are absolute. Within this verse, the word “shall” is a helper to emphasize the ultimate and inescapable fulfillment of the “prayer of faith.”
 

Detractors have used this verse as a proof text that the Bible could not possibly be accurate because not everyone for whom fervent prayer is offered finds healing. Certainly, they say, within the great host of prayer warriors there must be at least one who is praying in complete faith – yet, the sufferer leaves this world because of the illness from which they have suffered.
 

Some of the Household of Faith would suggest that the one who is suffering does not have enough faith to invoke the blessing of God on their lives. As a result of their lack of faith, they perish. Carefully noting the context will reveal that the faith was not on the part of the sufferer, but by reason of those offering the prayer. We should not forget the case of the palsied man who was carried by four of his friends. They let him down through the roof in order to get their companion to Jesus. During the entire narrative, nothing was mentioned of the invalid’s faith. True faith was exhibited through the actions of the bearers.
 

So then, maybe there is simply not enough faith on the part of those praying. Failure of that sort can be shot so full of holes that it bears little or no consideration. Remember Lazarus? His two sisters and the whole town had been praying for his healing. Mary and Martha were so full of faith that their home was the place to which Jesus retired when He desired a place to relax. Yet, all of their faith-filled prayers did not heal. Jesus, did however, intervene by giving a real-life illustration showing that He is the resurrection and the life.
 

Many would suggest that, for the suffering, death is the final answer. For the believer (the one covered by faith) death relieves all pain and suffering as it ushers that spiritual family member into the presence of the Great Physician. This view takes a great stretch in nearly every direction: grammatical, linguistic, hermeneutical, and expositional.
 

The context of these promises rides on the reputation of our Lord. James prefaces these statements with “…in the name of the Lord.”
 

Some years ago a well-meaning believer rebuked me because I didn’t end all of my prayers by saying, “In Jesus’ name.” I was accustomed to, and still often do, end my prayers with “For Jesus’ sake.” She informed me that God would not hear my prayers and He certainly would not answer them because I wasn’t praying properly. (John 15.16; 16.23, 24) It seems that she got the words right but missed the intended message.
 

Praying “in the name of the Lord” indicates that the one praying is putting the reputation of the Lord on the prayers – invoking God’s will to be done. In other words, the one praying is asking God to accomplish “the Lord’s will.” We often pray and say, “If it be Your will.” If it is, indeed, God’s will the sick will be healed, the lame will walk, and the sinner will be forgiven. As we pray according to God’s will, we are certain that His answers are on the way.