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THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29
James 5:16

Psalm 145:18-21

 

“The LORD is nigh unto all them
that call upon him,

to all that call upon him in truth.”

 

THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER
 
The Greek word for “effectual” includes the possible focus upon the energy or force involved. It refers to the empowered prayer of the righteous man that has much spiritual or supernatural power. It is not the prayers (or the one who prays) that effected the powerful result, but it is God who answers our prayers. The word “availeth” describes the prayer and the praying man as the recipient of the powerful response of God Almighty.
 
Confess one to another: James commands mutual confession and mutual prayer. He associates the confession with the cleansing of the one who prays and who is prayed for. “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me” (Ps 66:16-20). God can help us by hearing our brethren’s prayers only because they have confessed their sins.
 
Pray for one another: They are both stimulated to pray. The purpose of the mutual prayer that James calls for is that believers may be healed. Laomai (healed) does not necessarily refer to physical healing only. The word symbolises how God withheld His forgiveness of Israel’s sins (Matt 13:15). Paul also used it metaphorically to speak of spiritual restoration (Heb 12:12-13), while Peter used it to describe the healing from sin that Christ on the cross had purchased for believers (1 Pet 2:24). James uses it to refer to God’s forgiveness, making the repentant believer spiritually whole again.
 
Again, we can continue to reflect upon David’s penitential psalm when he repented of his sins. He was mindful of the restoration of the whole city of Zion that God had entrusted to him. Read Psalm 51:14-19.
 
THOUGHT: Do I confess my sins?
PRAYER: Father, let the Holy Spirit convict me of my sins and grant me the heart to confess them before Thee.

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