Month: October 2020

In my last post I said Elijah cried out to the Lord for miracles, while Jesus just commanded.

But a passage in James 5 stands in clear contrast to the rest of the New Testament. Since it’s all the word of God, it’s all true. Apparent contradictions conceal deeper truths. What’s going on?

Here’s James 5:13-18

 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

This seems clear enough! However, in the rest of the New Testament, neither Jesus nor the disciples prayed for the sick. Jesus rebuked a fever; told the paralytic to pick up his mat; commanded Lazarus to come out. Peter told Aeneas to get up; Paul commanded a cripple to stand. They didn’t pray.

In the Old Testament, people DID pray for healing. Moses interceded for his sister Miriam’s leprosy. Elijah cried to the Lord for the widow’s dead son (see my last post.) That all changed.

Jesus launches the kingdom of God

Jesus preached it, lived it, demonstrated it, and then transferred it to us. He gave us the same Holy Spirit (John 20:22) and the keys (authority) of the kingdom (Matthew 16:19). The rules are different: under the old covenant, the promises came through obedience; under the new—by faith. We get what we believe.

James uses the example of Elijah because he believed, but Elijah didn’t have our kingdom privileges.

Are you righteous?

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. That seems to disqualify me! But righteousness isn’t what we DO. It’s what we HAVE. It’s a gift from God, received by faith. Jesus became sin to give us the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). If we believe that, we are righteous. Therefore our prayers are powerful!

So what is this prayer offered by faith? It isn’t intercession! Stay with me.

Fig Tree Faith

Jesus said, Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24). Note the three tenses—ask is present; have received is past; will be yours is future.

If we ask with faith, it’s a done deal in heaven. The answer is on its way. This seems to mean intercession, but does it?

Jesus had just cursed the fig tree. It died overnight, and the disciples were astonished. “Rabbi, look!”

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him” (Mark 11:22-23).

These are the key verses, which verse 24 is referring to.

1. Our faith is in God, not what we say, or pray. It must be his will. We trust him to carry it out. We cannot.
2. We say it TO the mountain, not pray it ABOUT the mountain.
3. Go, throw yourself is a command, using kingdom authority.
4. Does not doubt—no ifs or buts.
5. Believes—not hopes. Hope knows God can. Faith knows he will.

Therefore the prayer offered in faith is a command. Of course, intercession isn’t wrong! But in the context of ministry such as James 5, we rebuke fevers, command demons to leave, forgive sins, and raise the sick person with kingdom authority.

(for more, see my books Authority, and Who’s in Charge Around Here?)

The widow of Zarephath’s son had died.

“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He (1) took him from her arms, (2) carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and (3) laid him on his bed.
 Then he (4) cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?”
 Then he (5) stretched himself out on the boy three times and (6) cried to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived (1 Kings 17:19-22).

Jairus’s daughter had died.

[Jesus] went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around. (Mark 5:40-42)

Israel needed rain.

Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea” . . . the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, [and] a heavy rain came on. 1 Kings 18:42-45

A storm swamped the disciples’ boat.

 [Jesus] got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mark 4:39

Elijah had to pray eight times for the rain to come. Jesus just said, “Quiet! Be still!” Three times Elijah stretched himself on the dead boy, twice pleading with the Lord. Jesus just said, “Get up!”

Jesus demonstrates kingdom authority

Jesus didn’t plead with the Lord. He didn’t bow down. He didn’t even pray. He just commanded, and the world obeyed.

Then he passed that kingdom authority to us: I have given you authority . . . to overcome all the power of the enemy. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples . . . teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (see Luke 10:19; Matthew 28:18-20).

Who do you follow? Do you copy Jesus? Or Elijah?

Then what is the prayer of faith in James 5? See my next blog.