The Prayer of Faith

"Is anyone among you sick? 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. ¹⁵ And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."

James 5:14-15

It is the prayer of faith God will answer.  There is no special power in elders to pray, as if elders in the church know the secret words or a better chance because of tenure to acquire God's favour from any who are born again.  It is not the long-winded prayer of an orator which beckons the ear of God.  It is not a prayer of a professional, nor of someone whose prayers have been answered before.  There are no healing properties in oil applied to the sick which brings a miraculous cure:  it is the simple prayer of faith in God.  Prayer duration and diction do not enter into it, but a heart and mind compelled through faith.  Faith demonstrated by obedience is the key.

Do you realise God knows what you need even before you ask?  Our Heavenly Father is not like a the wicked judge in the parable Jesus told who must be pestered into action.  He is not like a man who forgets!  To think we must pray all night for God to earn the right to be heard or that we must repeat ourselves like a man before dumb idols who cannot hear is folly.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:7-8, "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."  We always ought to pray without fainting (Luke 18:1), and the indwelling Holy Spirit is critical to lead us in prayer.  Romans 8:26 tells us, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

So if God knows what we need before we even ask Him, why bother to pray at all?  Because "Ask and ye shall receive" is a principle of the kingdom.  We are not to neglect asking, and we ought to examine our motives according to God's Word:  why am I asking?  James 4:2-3 says, "You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."  We ought to be persistent in prayer, but there is no substitute for the prayer of faith.  It may be a lack of faith which causes you to harp on one string before the LORD day after day, thinking you must earn the right to be heard by speaking much.  If I believe God has heard me - prepared for my request long before I asked - I can have confidence in Him He has heard me and I will have my request as it is written in 1 John 5:14-15:  "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

No one has greater access to God because of their role in the Body of Christ or by virtue of the amount of oil used in anointing.  It is the prayer of faith according to God's will He hears and answers.  God is in control, and when we submit to His rule and trust Him, the heavens are freely opened to all who fear Him.  Hebrews 4:14-16 exhorts us, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Reading books on prayer will not teach you how to pray, nor can they impart faith to make your prayers fervent or effectual.  We need the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us.  Prayer simply ought to be done, and apart from faith in God will always be a fruitless endeavour.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 proclaims God's will for all:  "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  Boldly enter into God's throne room of grace, for in times of need you have an attentive audience with the Most High.  Paul was conscious he spoke to God thrice about the messenger of Satan in His life, knowing God had heard him clearly each time.  God may answer your prayer with "No," but what is true for Paul is true for all those who pray in faith:  "My grace is sufficient for you.  My strength is made perfect in weakness."  It is through the perceived weakness of prayer God's strength will be made manifest to all.