The Power of Praying for One Another

James 5:13-17
“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? 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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 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. 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.”

Introduction: Is there really POWER in prayer? Have you prayed for anybody today? Finish this statement: When we pray for one another there is ____? James, the half-brother of Jesus, gives us (believers), (3) instructions for praying for each other:

1. When should we PRAY? (James 5:13, 14)
” Is there any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you: 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.”
• When we face Adversity
“Afflicted” – kak-op-ath-eh-o, which means to suffer – endure – evils (hardships, troubles)
• When we are sick
“Sick” – as-then-eh-o, which means to be weak, feeble, to be without strength.

2. How should we PRAY? (James 5:15, 16)
” And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he hath committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
• God answers PRAYER
• The PRAYER of faith

3. Whose PRAYERS have GREAT strength? (James 5:16)
“Confess your faults one to another, that ye may be healed: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
• “Effectual fervent” – en-erg-eh-o, which means to be operative, be at work, put forth power
• “Availeth” – is-khoo-o, which means to be strong, to have power, strength to overcome

Conclusion: Would you agree? The PRAYER of faith brings both mental and physical healing….according to the WORD of God and the WILL of God. Faith is cultivated by a need, planted by a promise, and harvested by the Lord of the Harvest- Jesus Christ. Do you know anybody that needs PRAYER?

Let’s PRAY.
Love y’all,
Dr. Randy Reese