The Prayer of Faith

Faith That Works

The Epistle of James

James 5:13-20

Epistle · Wisdom Literature

DiscussionApr 3, 2026

PublishedApr 3, 2026

Last UpdatedJul 2, 2026

The Prayer of Faith

¹³Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ¹⁴Is 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. ¹⁵And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. ¹⁷Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

¹⁹My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, ²⁰let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

— JAMES 5:13–20

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Visit the permission site for details.

Main Points

In every season — suffering, sickness, or cheer — the response is the same: bring it to God.
The prayer of faith is not mystical; it is specific, persistent, and expectant — and it works.
Confession of sin to one another is not optional vulnerability — it is the mechanism for healing.
Elijah was a man with the same nature as mine; his prayers moved heaven, and so can mine.
Restoring a wandering brother is not someone else's job — it may be the most important thing I do this year.

The Prayer of Faith

— JAMES 5:13–14

Three conditions, three responses — James leaves nothing outside the reach of prayer and praise.

Suffering: the command is to pray — not to fix, not to explain, not to escape, but to bring it to God first.

Cheerfulness: sing praise — joy has a Godward response too; it isn't meant to be self-directed.

Sickness: call the elders — James invokes the community; healing is not a private transaction but a communal act.

Anointing with oil signifies consecration, God's presence, and the seriousness of the moment.

God works through His people to bring restoration — the elders are not the source but the instrument.

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

— PSALM 34:1

In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

What do I turn to first when I'm suffering — God, or my own problem-solving?

When things are going well, what gets my first expression of gratitude and joy?

Am I open to letting others intercede on my behalf — or does asking for help still feel like weakness?

Pray immediately; do not wait. Joy is worship — praise Him in every season. Let others help; the humility of inviting prayer invites God's power. Take a moment right now: if you're struggling, pray. If you're steady, praise. Don't leave this room without one Godward response to where you actually are.

¹⁵And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

— JAMES 5:15–16

"The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick" — this is active, expectant prayer, not passive or doubtful.

Physical and spiritual healing are linked — the Lord's restoration is holistic.

"Confess your sins to one another" — the community command, not the solo command.

God breaks chains through confession; brothers help distribute the weight of what's been carried alone.

"The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working" — efficacy is connected to righteousness, which flows from right standing with God through Christ.

Communal prayer multiplies impact in a way that solitary prayer cannot.

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Do I rely on God's power through communal prayer — or do I mostly manage my spiritual life alone?

Do I confess my actual sins to trusted brothers, or do I confess only the sanitized version?

Do I pray for the men in this room with expectation — believing it actually matters?

Confession ignites healing. Confess honestly to a trusted brother — let your sin be seen. Pray with faith, expecting God to work. Trust that communal prayer multiplies what you cannot produce alone. Don't leave tonight without confessing something real to one man.

¹⁷Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. ¹⁸Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

— JAMES 5:17–18

"A man with a nature like ours" — James deliberately removes the excuse that Elijah was special in ways we aren't.

Elijah prayed fervently: the prayer was intense, consistent, and sustained.

He prayed for no rain and heaven complied for three and a half years.

He prayed again, and heaven gave rain — the same man, the same God, a new request, the same result.

The power is in God responding to persistent, faithful prayer — not in the spiritual résumé of the person praying.

Elijah declares to Ahab that there will be no rain except by his word — the beginning of what James describes.

Elijah Predicts a Drought

17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

— 1 KINGS 17:1

If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain "Move" and it will move — ordinary faith, extraordinary results.

²⁰He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

— MATTHEW 17:20

Do I actually believe my prayers make a real difference in real outcomes?

Am I bold when I pray — or timid, hedging, treating prayer more as a religious duty than a genuine conversation?

How long am I willing to persist in prayer without seeing results before I conclude it isn't working?

Persist in prayer even when results are delayed. Remember that an ordinary man like you can impact heaven through faith. Trust God's timing and stay faithful in the waiting. Commit right now to praying consistently for one specific need — and keep praying until you see mountains move.

— JAMES 5:19–20

"Wanders from the truth" — this is not doctrinal disagreement; it is a genuine departure from the way of Christ.

Romans 14 addresses differences of personal conviction. James 5 addresses departure from truth. They are not the same.

The responsibility belongs to the community — the "someone" who brings him back is any believer willing to go.

Going after a wanderer requires: prayer first, humility about my own temptations, and a spirit of gentleness.

Galatians 6:1 gives the posture: restoration in gentleness, keeping watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

"Saves his soul from death" — the stakes could not be higher; this is eternal.

"Covers a multitude of sins" — restoration brings mercy and forgiveness to the wanderer; the restorer participates in that covering.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.

Bear One Another’s Burdens

6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ²Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

— GALATIANS 6:1–2

Those who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.

If someone in my life is drifting, do I notice — or do I "mind my own business"?

Do I avoid hard conversations with wandering brothers because it costs me something — discomfort, the risk of conflict?

Do I genuinely care about the eternal condition of the men around me?

Do you know someone who has wandered off the narrow path? Not someone you disagree with — someone who has genuinely departed from the truth. Reach out this week. Pray before you go. Go in gentleness. The soul you might save is worth every bit of the discomfort.

Heat Check

Truth meets action. How does the Word shape the way I am living. Forge real change in me through obedience, accountability and daily application.

Where Am I Currently Avoiding Action — Prayer, Confession, or the Pursuit of My Brothers?

I bring every situation to God — whether I'm struggling or steady — not as a last resort but as the first move.

I confess sin openly to trusted brothers instead of hiding it, managing it, or confessing only enough to feel relieved.

I refuse isolation; I lean into Godly brotherhood when I am weak rather than going quiet.

I pray with expectation and consistency — not passively or out of obligation but with the fervor of a man who believes it works.

I pursue brothers who are drifting instead of telling myself it's not my place.

I take responsibility for both myself and the people God has placed around me.

Observation / Conviction → Heart Change → Action

Closing Thoughts

Help me refine every spark of insight and conviction into a singular, solid truth before I move.

Is there a brother in my life right now who has wandered — and I've been telling myself someone else will go after him, or it's not my business, or I don't want to create conflict? His soul is the question. What am I going to do?

Identify the one area in my life where I am most tempted to avoid prayer, confession, or pursuit of truth. Address it before this week ends. Not plan to. Address it.

Name one man in my life who has drifted from the truth. Commit to reaching out to him this week. Tell one person close to me what I'm going to do and ask him to hold me accountable.

Prayer

First step is always prayer. I can not do this on my own. LORD, my GOD…Lead the way.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this day. Thank you for this bible study. Thank you for the men you have placed in my life. Let us stand firm in the faith. Let us be bold. Strengthen our shoulders so that we can carry the load you intended. Let us go after not only the one who wanders but also the one who is still lost. Let us remember that because God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31); as well as anyone who is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:38-41). Let us make peace and love one another as you have loved us.

In Jesus name, Amen.

The Forge 2717

The Prayer of Faith

Main Points

Observations

Cross References

Heart Level

Sharpening Moment

Heat Check

Closing Thoughts

Prayer

Proverbs 27:17