Is 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. (15) And 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. (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. (17) Elijah 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. (18) Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. James 5:14-18 ESV
As he concludes this practical passage on healing for the believer, James broadens his scope. He concludes verse 16 with this powerful statement: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” The Amplified Bible says it this way: “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” Now that’s a mouthful!
He then likens the prayer of the righteous person to the prayers of Elijah, the prototype of Old Testament prophets. Because of the idolatry of King Ahab, Elijah prayed that there would be no rain. Sure enough, the rain stopped for more than three years. (1 Kings 17:1-7) At the end of that time, Elijah had a major confrontation with Ahab’s pet prophets of Baal, then prayed that the rains would begin again. They did. (1 Kings 18)
Elijah was a human being, just like us. His prayers were powerful, but they didn’t come from his personal perfection. Elijah received a word from God regarding both the cessation and the return of the rain. He was certain: it was God’s will.
Because of Jesus Christ, we have been declared righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). Now we can pray when we know the will of God and expect Him to answer us. When it comes to healing of disease and forgiveness of sin, we know the will of God. Remember Psalm 103:2-3, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.”
So why at the end of a teaching on healing and forgiveness, did James suddenly start talking about praying for rain? Go back up the page and read where the discussion of rain began.
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8
James’s Jewish audience was well-acquainted with the link between rain and the coming of the Lord. Hosea said it, “He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth. (Hosea 6:3). David said the Lord will come like rain that makes grass sprout from the earth. (2 Samuel 23:4) The psalmist made it clear in his prayer for the kings to follow David: “May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!” (Psalms 72:6-7)
James is telling us that the Lord is waiting for the latter rain, that big shower that comes just before the harvest to push the crop to completion. When the fruit of the earth, the harvest of souls, is brought to the barn, then the farmer will come for His crop. Part of our job is to pray for the rain, the outpouring of the Spirit that drives the final harvest. If Elijah could do it, so can we. How about we get together and start praying!
Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field. Zechariah 10:1
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