James 5: 16 says in the old KJV where I first memorized it: Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
The ESV puts it this way: 16 Therefore, 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.
And NASB says it this way: Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
The word translated effectual fervent or effective comes from the Greek word energeo meaning 1) to be operative, be at work, put forth power; a) to work for one, aid one; 2) to effect; 3) to display one's activity, show one's self operative.
Honestly, I wrestled with this verse and the conditions that seemed present in the KJV on answered prayer. First of all, it seemed like it had to be fervent; I couldn't figure out what fervent meant. I knew the English word has the idea of 1 : very hot : glowing; 2 : exhibiting or marked by great intensity of feeling, so it seemed like the prayer had to be passionate about the prayer, but I was not sure what that looked like. Did it require sweat, tears, long periods of time, depth of sincerity? Somehow all of that seemed like the work of the person determined whether God would answer the prayer.
Then I looked at the rest of the verse, the idea of a righteous man. That Greek word translated righteous man is the Greek word dikaios meaning 1) righteous, observing divine laws; a) in a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God; 1) of those who seem to themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves in their virtues, whether real or imagined; 2) innocent, faultless, guiltless; 3) used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no rectification in the heart or life; a) only Christ truly; 4) approved of or acceptable of God; b) in a narrower sense, rendering to each his due and that in a judicial sense, passing just judgment on others, whether expressed in words or shown by the manner of dealing with them.
As I waded through all of that, it occurred to me that the only way one is righteous is through Christ. In Romans 4: 3 - 6, Paul writes about righteousness by faith: For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness...But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also decribeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.
The point is the verse tells us that the believer (one who is righteous through Christ's work on the cross, not his own work) who prays accomplishes much; his work is not in vain.
The word translated in the English avails or great power or accomplishes much is ischyo meaning to be strong; a) to be strong in body, to be robust, to be in sound health; 2) to have power; a) to have power as shown by extraordinary deeds; 1) to exert, wield power, to have strength to overcome; b) to be a force, avail; c) to be serviceable; d) to be able, can.
The bottom line is that prayer works; it has power. It is not magic, a guarentee to get our way, what we want, a way to blackmail God, sort of like If he said it works, and I pray, I will get what I ask for; after all, God must keep his promises.
No, prayer has power because the praying changes us, if we allow it. It brings us into community with God. As we leave ourselves and our will and desires behind, as we are still in his presence, seeking the face and will of God, we are changed. Our cares are left behind. Our anxieties are dropped along the way. Our fears are absorbed by his love. We grow stronger and confident in the love of God as we commune with him, allowing the Spirit of God to remind us who loves us - God loves us. And God knows not only what our needs are but how to meet them in the way that is most beneficent for us, and for all the needs of those we love.
We cannot make those we love conform to the image of God by our prayers: that comes only personally as any individual desires God. But we can pray that God will move in their lives that they recognize him and listen to him and respond to him. Then by faith, we must acknowledge that God has given us a will and though he accepts all who come to him, he does not force anyone to come to him. John 3:16. There is no guarentee we will get exactly what we ask for, no matter how many times we ask it. God, in his love for us, knows what we need, and in his love, will not grant what will ultimately harm us.
So, I guess that is a lot of words to say that prayer works; it accomplishes much. However, answered prayer does not depend on our fervency, our works; it depends on our relationship with the Father - how real and personal that is. Or at least that is the conclusion I am coming to this morning.
No comments:
Post a Comment