I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      In the latter part of James 5:16, James wrote, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

                                                             1.      This statement is made in a context of instructions to Christians who are sick.

a.       A sick Christian is instructed first to "call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (Jas. 5:14-15).

b.       The instructions are then expanded to include the prayers of "one another” (Jas. 5:16).  In other words, fellow Christians are to pray for one another to be healed.

                                                             2.      The assurance of these instructions is the effectiveness of a righteous man’s prayers.

B.      Let us consider James 5:16 and answer a few questions to understand the full application of the passage.

II.      WHAT IS AN EFFECTIVE PRAYER?

A.      Prayer is communication with God.

                                                             1.      There are several categories of prayer.

a.       Praise is an expression of approval and value (Rev. 4:11).

b.       Thanksgiving is the expression of a heart that is grateful for God’s blessings (1Thess. 5:17-18).

c.        Petitions are requests for specific things (Matt. 6:11).

d.       Supplications are requests for God to supply our needs (Phil. 4:6-7).

e.        Intercessions are requests made on behalf of others (1Tim. 2:1).

                                                             2.      The specific kind of prayer in the context of James 5:16 is an intercession, but the message of this passage can be applied to all types of prayer.

B.      An effective prayer is one that works and is powerful in its purpose.

                                                             1.      The word "effective” (Greek energeō) means "to be operative, be at work, put forth power.”

                                                             2.      The effectiveness of prayer is determined by its purpose, its conformity to God’s will, and the faith of the one who offers the prayer.

a.       James said that those who "ask with wrong motives” do not receive (Jas. 4:1-3).  Their prayers are ineffective because their purposes are wrong.

b.       John assures us that "if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us,” and "if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1John 5:14-15).  Thus, our prayers are effective when we ask according to God’s will as revealed in His word.

c.        James also said that prayers should be offered in faith and without doubt (Jas. 1:5-6).  Our prayers will be ineffective if we doubt, but they will be effective if we believe that God will do all He has promised.

d.       Jesus once taught His disciples a lesson about effective prayer when they asked Him how He had caused a fig tree to whither.  Notice Matthew 21:21-22:

And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.  And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

                                                             3.      In all of this, let us remember that the power (effectiveness) of prayer comes from God and not the person who prays.  The person who prays can only hinder the power, not enhance it.

III.   WHO IS A RIGHTEOUS MAN?

A.      The "righteous man” of James 5:16 is not a flawless and sinless man.

                                                             1.      No man is flawless and sinless, and thus Paul said, "It is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one’” (Rom. 3:10; Paul referred to Psalm 14:3 and 55:3).

                                                             2.      Those who have become unrighteous because of sin have created a barrier that hinders their prayers and makes them ineffective (Ps. 66:18; Prov. 28:9; Isa. 59:2; 1Pet. 3:12).  Sadly, this has affected all of us, for "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

                                                             3.      If righteousness was based strictly on perfect adherence to God’s will, then there would be no righteous men to offer effective prayers.  Thankfully, there is another path to righteousness.

B.      Instead, the "righteous man” is one who has been made righteous through faith in Christ.

                                                             1.      The law of God is that "the righteous will live by faith” (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38).  Just as Abraham was justified (made righteous) by faith in God, so also we may justified by faith in Christ (see Rom. 4:1-5:2; Gal. 3:6-29).

                                                             2.      Consider the example of Paul, who was the chief of sinners (1Tim. 1:15) but was made righteous through faith in Christ.  He described his righteousness in Philippians 3:9, saying that he did not have "a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”

                                                             3.      The righteousness that comes through faith in Christ gives us bold access to God through prayer in the name of Jesus.

a.       Because Jesus is our High Priest and Intercessor in heaven, we may "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

b.       Jesus has said, "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).  This is Christ’s promise for an effective prayer.

C.      In James 5:17-18, Elijah is given as an example of a righteous man offering effective prayer.

                                                             1.      This text calls on us to relate to Elijah, for he "was a man with a nature like ours.”  He was not supernatural or angelic, but rather he was flesh and blood as we are.

                                                             2.      Nevertheless, his prayers were so effective that they led to a drought of three and a half years (1Ki. 17:1).  His further prayers led to the end of that drought (1Ki. 18:1, 41-46).

IV.    WHAT CAN SUCH A PRAYER ACCOMPLISH?

A.      From the context of James 5:14-16, it is evident that the effective prayer of a righteous man can bring healing to the sick, which falls in the category of temporal blessings.

                                                             1.      In the early church when spiritual gifts existed, healing was imparted by prayer, anointing of oil (Mark 6:13), and laying on of hands (Acts 9:12, 17).  Now that spiritual gifts have ceased (1Cor. 13:8-12), prayer is still effective for healing by the providential power of God.

                                                             2.      In addition to health, prayer can be effective to impart the temporal blessings of food, clothing, shelter, safety, prosperity, etc. (Matt. 6:11; Acts 12:5; 1Tim. 4:4-5; 3John 2).

B.      This context also shows that prayer can lead to forgiveness, which is in the category of spiritual blessings.

                                                             1.      The Bible does not teach a "sinner’s prayer” as a means of forgiveness for an unrepentant sinner, but it does instruct penitent Christians to confess their sins in prayer to God as part of their petition for forgiveness through the blood of Christ (Acts 8:22-24; 1John 1:7, 9).

                                                             2.      In addition to forgiveness, prayer can be effective for other spiritual blessings, such as saving us from temptation, leading us to righteousness, opening doors of opportunity to serve the Lord, spreading God’s word, and imparting wisdom (Matt. 6:12-13; Rom. 10:1; 2Cor. 13:7, 9; Eph. 6:19; 2Thess. 3:1; Jas. 1:5-6).

C.      Most importantly, prayer accomplishes the will of God.

                                                             1.      God wants His children to pray (Phil. 4:6-7; 1Thess. 5:16-18).  It is our high privilege to speak to our heavenly Father in fulfillment of His will.

                                                             2.      Moreover, prayer is a means of accomplishing God’s will here on earth (Matt. 6:10; 1Tim. 2:1-4, 8).  As we noticed before, when we pray according to God’s will, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him (1John 5:14-15).  In other words, His will gets done.

V.      CONCLUSION

A.      This lesson has answered some questions to help explain the full application of James’ message, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  However, let us at last be direct and clear about its application.

                                                             1.      If you want to accomplish much, then you must pray.  The most ineffective prayer is the one that is never offered.  Do not neglect your prayers.

                                                             2.      If you want your prayer to be effective, then you must be righteous.  The only righteousness you can have comes by faithful obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Get right with God, or else your prayers will be ineffective.

B.      Prayer is a divine blessing.  The effective prayer of a righteous man is a powerful blessing that accomplishes much.  Moreover, many effective prayers by many righteous men can change the world.  Let us get busy praying, and then let us watch what great things the Lord will do.