How Much Faith Do You Need to Pray?

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

We all know prayer is one of the most important tools we have as Christians.  In this last chapter of James, he gives some specific instruction regarding prayer in the church.  It is important for us to talk about what he says, and importantly what he does not say. 

1. Go to the elders of the church to have then pray over them.  We can all pray, as we all have the gift of the Holy Spirit, but James specifically calls on the elders to pray for the sick.  There were certain qualifications for elders in the church including, showing evidence of spiritual maturity and faith.  Therefore, they would be natural candidates to pray for those who are sick.  But they do not have special power, as every believer has power for prayer through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Someone who has a spiritual gift of healing, or has been trained in prayer would also be fine candidates for this situation.  

2.  Anoint them in the name of the Lord.  The word "anoint" means to cover.  Anointing with oil was a symbol of the Holy Spirit.  We anoint people with oil when they are baptized, and often before someone dies, or are near death.  Priests in the Old Testament were anointed for service in the temple. And of course, Jesus was called, "the Anointed One".  The word is always associated with holy work of God.  Note God is the One who empowers the healing. The healing is in the "name of the Lord". His name is the authority and power in which we pray.

3. The prayer offered in faith will heal make the sick person well. If they have sinned they will be forgiven.  Since we know that every prayer does not result in instant healing, we need to think about how to interpret this verse.  Importantly, we know healing happens in ways other than just physical.  There is emotional and spiritual healing.  Our emotions are sometimes sick or toxic.  Our soul may be troubled and sick as a result of our sin.  This is also why the author connects the prayer with the forgiveness of sin.  This would relate to "spiritual healing".  

Note the damage that can be done with a misinterpretation of this passage. First one might say that someone's sin caused a physical illness. We all sin all the time and are in constant need of forgiveness, which Jesus provided once and for all on the cross. Another really bad interpretation is someone might not have had enough faith and that is why a person wasn't healed. One could see the damage this teaching could have a person's relationship with God. 

Bottom line prayer is one of the great gifts God has given to each of his children. We are to call on God in prayer, praise and thanksgiving.  In another verse James says, "We have not because we ask not." James 4:2 I have seen many people healed through prayer: emotionally, spiritually, and yes physically. Though sometimes a person's situation might not change, we are always changed by prayer. We are changed by the love of another believer empathizing with us and praying for and with us.  And as we pray together in the church community, where two are three are gathered in His name, He is always with us!  He will not leave us or forsake us.