What is the power of prayer?

Thirdly. The example of Elijah is given by James as both illustration and proof of a general principle, namely, that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). But this translation is admitted to be unsatisfactory. That a prayer which is "effectual" avails much is a truism. If it is effectual it avails completely, and it is anti-climax to say that it avails much when it is already admitted to avail perfectly. Mr. Darby's translation gives, "The fervent (or, operative) supplication of a righteous man has much power," which is closer to the original than either the Authorised or the Revised Version. Probably the essential points of the Scripture are (a) That the supplicant is a righteous man; (b) that his prayer is energetic; not a listless, apathetic, indolent performance, but the prayer of one who means it — as Paul on one occasion speaks of himself as "night and day, praying exceedingly," etc. (1 Thess. 3:10); or, as Jacob on another occasion, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me." (c) That prayer of this character has indeed much power. This is the moral which the apostle James enforces.

The apostle adds a more general admonition as to which there is no difficulty: "Confess" therefore, "your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." This still, however, needs wisdom for its application. The confession of sin itself may be looked at, as men look so much at confession to a priest, as if it were to work something merely as confession. Apart from the recognized need of confessing to another that in which we have wronged him, there may be, and no doubt are, cases where it would be good for any one burdened with the sense of wrong-doing to unburden himself, and find the help of another's prayers. The acceptance of the humiliation of it may be good in itself; but, on the other hand, there is no general rule but will have its exceptions; or, rather, there is no principle that does not need wisdom in application. Nothing will do away with the need of this.

But the apostle enlarges here upon the value of prayer. "The fervent supplication of the righteous man," he says, "availeth much." Plainly, "the righteous man" here is one who is so simply, out and out for God, so that there is nothing to hinder the confidence in Him which this supposes. Elijah is adduced as an example here, a man who stood for God when all Israel was departing from Him; but, as he notes here, a man of like passions with ourselves — notes it, evidently, for our encouragement. We are apt to make exceptions of such men to excuse ourselves, alas, even from the blessing which was theirs in consequence of what they were. His infirmities are made known to us in the very record given to us of his faith; but the man of God was in him most eminent. Thus it was for the honor of God that "he prayed fervently that it might not rain;" not to serve any end of his own apart from this; and such prayers are of the sort that have wisdom in them, and secure answers. Thus he prayed, and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months; and again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit. The power of prayer can never be separated from the character of the man who prays, although God is pitiful, and can hear any man in his extremity; that is true, but that is not the prayer that is recorded here, or the prayer of which we can really say that it has power in it.

The apostle then presents the principle in general as the course for all, namely, to open their hearts to each other, in order to maintain truth in the inner man as to oneself; and to pray for each other in order that charity should be in full exercise with regard to the faults of others; grace and truth being thus spiritually formed in the church, and a perfect union of heart among Christians, so that even their faults are an occasion for the exercise of charity (as in God towards us), and entire confidence in each other, according to that charity, such as is felt towards a restoring and pardoning God. What a beautiful picture is presented of divine principles animating men and causing them to act according to the nature of God Himself, and the influence of His love upon the heart. We may remark, that it is not confession to the elders that is spoken of. That would have been confidence in men — official confidence. God desires the operation of divine charity in all. Confession to one another shows the condition of the church, and God would have the church to be in such a state, that love should so reign in it, that they should be so near to God, as to be able to treat the transgressor according to the grace they know in Him: and that this love should be so realised, that perfect inward sincerity should be produced by the confidence and operation of grace. Official confession destroys all this — is contrary to it. How divine the wisdom which omitted confession when speaking of the elders, but which commands it as the living and voluntary impression of the heart!

This leads us also to the value of the energetic prayers of the righteous man. It is his nearness to God, the sense that he has consequently of that which God is, which (through grace and the operation of the Spirit) gives him this power. God takes account of men, and that according to the infinitude of His love. He takes account of the trust in Himself, the faith in His word, shown by one who thinks and acts according to a just appreciation of what He is. That is always faith, which makes sensible to us that which we do not see — God Himself, who acts in accordance with the revelation that He has given of Himself. Now the man who in the practical sense is righteous through grace, is near to God; as being righteous, he has not to do with God for himself with regard to sin, which would keep his heart at a distance; his heart is thus free to draw nigh to God, according to His holy nature on behalf of others; and, moved by the divine nature, which animates him and which enables him to appreciate God, he seeks, according to the activity of that nature, that his prayers may prevail with God, whether for the good of others or for the glory of God Himself in his service. And God answers, according to that same nature, by blessing this trust and responding to it, in order to manifest what He is for faith, to encourage it by sanctioning its activity, putting His seal on the man who walks by faith.

An eminent clergyman, one of the chief pillars of the New Theology, has said that prayer is entirely subjective in its bearing; that is, it cannot effect any purpose outside the soul of the one who prays and is thus only useful in putting us in a more pleasant frame of mind. The devil is well aware that a flat contradiction of the truth would stand little chance of being believed. Hence he has always sought to substitute a half-truth for the whole truth. Ever since he beguiled our first parents in Eden how notoriously successful he has been. There he suggested that by obeying him, man would become as God, knowing good and evil. That was a statement perfectly true so far as it went, but one which required the complementary statement that man would also be unable to do the good or to resist the evil. So Satan wishes to instil into the minds of Christians the half-truth that prayer is subjective, well knowing that limitation of the truth invariably results in its being given up. That prayer is subjective is blessedly true. It has a wonderful, stimulating, purifying influence on the soul of the supplicant. But it is equally true that prayer has an objective side. It fulfils the purpose of moving the Hand that controls the physical universe, that holds the spirits of men, and that moulds everything material and moral to the accomplishment of His will! Elijah was a man such 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. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain. When Elijah stood before the people on Mount Carmel, he was God's envoy and as such, spoke and acted in virtue of his high commission. But at the close of that busy memorable day when he came into the presence of the Lord, he humbled himself in the dust. The beautiful view from Carmel's summit had no place in his thoughts.

After Elijah had wrestled with God in the depth of abasement of spirit, he said to his servant, "Look towards the sea." The answer came back, "I see nothing." That help does not come at our first cry is a matter of common experience. Men do not expect the harvest immediately after sowing. That this principle should be exemplified in prayer is not agreeable to the natural mind. But it is very salutary to the spirit. If the door of God's treasure house always opened at our first knock we should feel self-contained. We should seem commanders, become arrogant and forget our dependent state. We should be in danger of idolising prayer, and think that in it we have a legal claim to the bounty of God. We must always remember that the door swings on the hinges of His mercy. Our gracious God keeps us standing awhile knocking, because long waiting is beneficial to us. Nature thus receives crushing blows; the dull heart is opened up; the ruins of self-esteem tumble down; the foundation of truth in the soul is laid deep. At length when the answer comes, how great is the joy! When at the seventh time the servant returned and said, "There arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand," what pen can portray the feelings of Elijah? The apostle James brings forward Elijah's success in prayer as an encouragement to us to persevere in fervent prayer, because of its efficacy. But who can recount all the wonderful instances in Scripture when the fervent prayers of righteous men have availed. Through prayer Moses turned away the wrath of God from Israel and with outstretched hands he prevailed over Amalek. Manoah, by intreaty, drew down a visible manifestation from God in angelic form. (Judges 13:8). Through prayer at Mizpeh, Samuel caused the thunder of terror to roll over Israel's enemies. (1 Sam. 7:9-12). Through prayer, Josiah died in peace; fifteen years were added to Hezekiah's life; the three Hebrews were preserved in the fiery furnace of Babylon; and to Daniel it was said by the angel Gabriel, "I am come because of thy words." Prayer rebuked storms, healed the sick and brought back the dead to life.

I see no difficulty in God's answering prayer connected with general laws, if we allow God to be free to act in His own world, as free as I am. Do I change general physical laws, when I go on request to visit some sick person? My will - how, I know not - acts on and by those physical laws; gravity is in my feet, or in the earth, force in my muscle, electricity in the nerves which set it in motion, yet I, in my poor way, have answered a prayer. Now I fully recognise more power in God, because He can, I need not say, not only change His laws, but, without doing so, give force to agents in them - produce gastric juice more powerfully, or more electricity into the system at His will, without introducing a single new element, or law which governs it. Laws remain the same; His will interferes to produce agency by them. He may work a miracle - raise the dead - which is by no law - has done so. But I do not speak of miracles, which take place when He changes a law, as when He makes the hatchet swim, but of when He works by law - of particular effects of His will. This may be miraculous as when a strong east wind acted on the sea, and another took away locusts, or brought quails, but He may give special activity, or quantity to agents which act by laws regularly. I am sure, at any rate, He hears and answers prayer. The very action of mind on man's frame is so wonderful, that such results may be produced, and God's own mind, as to external circumstances, that I see no difficulty at all. Laws which bind nature I admit; laws which bind God I do not. Besides many or most prayers refer to spiritual things.

The difficulties, as to prayer changing God's mind, etc., which sometimes puzzles a sincere soul, and is common with infidels, are I think a mistake.

To encourage us in prayer, the Apostle turns our thoughts to Elias to show that the “fervent supplication of the righteous man has much power” (N.Tn.). Elias was a man of like passions as ourselves. Like us he had his seasons of failure and despondency, and yet, in answer to his prayer, the rain was withheld for three years and six months. In his history we see the display of outward power under the authority of God, for Elijah said, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Here we are permitted to see the secret source of this public display of power. He prayed and God heard and answered his prayer.

It is said in connection with Elijah that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." It does not say how much. It is as large as it can be. Elijah is given as an illustration. We are carefully told that he was a man of like passions with us. After the mighty conflict and victory at Carmel we see him under the juniper tree wishing he might die! What a collapse! Why is it brought before us in that way? Just to show us that our weakness cannot hinder His power.

Very naturally Paul betook himself to prayer. It was intense prayer: he not only requested but besought. It was repeated, for he besought the Lord thrice. Yet for all that his desire was not granted. Instead of having the thorn removed he received the assurance of abundant grace; such grace that the thorn would become an asset rather than a liability, a means of blessing rather than a hindrance. The Lord answered his prayer, but not according to his thought. He gave him rather that which was better. The grace bestowed more than counterbalanced the thorn.

The One who is our shield against the enemy becomes a resource for ourselves. As we avail ourselves of this great resource — as we cast our cares upon the Lord, He fills our hearts with His peace. The effect of prayer is not necessarily to change our circumstances, but to change ourselves. In place of being distressed and distracted we are kept in peace and sustained in the trial (Phil. 4:6-7). This is blessedly seen in the experiences of the psalmist. In the midst of his trials he cries to the Lord, has the consciousness of being heard, with the result, that, though the trials continue as before, he is kept in peace; he sleeps and is sustained; he awakes to the full consciousness of the trial but can face it without fear.

Thirdly. The example of Elijah is given by James as both illustration and proof of a general principle, namely, that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (ch.5:16 AV). But this translation is admitted to be unsatisfactory. That a prayer which is "effectual" avails much is a truism. If it is effectual it avails completely, and it is anti - climax to say that it avails much when it is already admitted to avail perfectly. Mr Darby's translation gives, "The fervent (or, operative) supplication of a righteous man has much power," which is closer to the original than either the Authorized or the Revised Version. Probably the essential points of the Scripture are: (a) That the supplicant is a righteous man; (b) that his prayer is energetic; not a listless, pathetic, indolent performance, but the prayer of one who means it - as Paul on one occasion speaks of himself as "night and day, praying exceedingly," etc. (1 Thess.3:10); or as Jacob on another occasion, "I will not let You go unless You bless me." (c) That prayer of this character has indeed much power. This is the moral which the apostle James enforces.