What does the prayer of the just can much mean?
The effective prayer of the righteous can much, James 5:16
The book of Santiago says: “The effective prayer of the righteous can do much.” This verse motivates us to cry out to God because He uses our prayers to work in our lives and in other people. The context of James’ statement that the prayer of the righteous can do much is related specifically to his teaching on healing and prayer. He directly follows his instruction to confess to each other and pray for each other for healing.
The prayer of the righteous can much, a call to prayer
The effective prayer of the righteous can much, context of the verse of James
“Is anyone among you afflicted? Pray. Is anyone joyful? Sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Call the elders of the church, and pray for him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven. Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of the righteous can do much” ( James 5:13–16)
In other words, if prayer can help a brother who is sick, struggling against sin or suffering for any other reason, pray! The prayer of the righteous can do a lot, God hears the cries of his children. Then, in verse 16, James reiterates the power of prayer: “The effective prayer of the righteous can do much.”
The prayer of the righteous can do much, the prayer of faith will save the sick
James suggests that sometimes illness is the result of unconfessed sin. He is not saying that all illnesses we experience are the result of sin, but rather that some illnesses have their roots in sin. When this is the case, we must confess our sins in order for God to forgive us. Then pray, because the prayer of the righteous can do a lot.
The effective prayer of the righteous can do much. James is not giving a blanket promise of healing. Instead, he is presenting practical advice. When it is God’s will to grant healing, the “prayer of faith will save the sick” (James 5:15), because the prayer of the just can do much.
In the event that an unconfessed sin is the reason for a disease, James wants believers to begin their prayer for healing with confession and repentance, then the prayer of the righteous can do much. He knows that turning away from evil “will be medicine for your body, and refreshment for your bones” (Proverbs 3:8).
Like David, whose hidden sins sapped his strength and caused his bones to wear out (see Psalm 38:3, 7–10), our sins, if not confessed, can make us physically ill (Psalm 32:3– 5). Only after receiving the Lord’s forgiveness will our prayers for healing be heard and answered (2 Chronicles 7:14), and the prayer of the righteous can do much.
The prayer of the just can do a lot, but what is a just person?
The just person is the one who has been justified before God, the one whose sins are forgiven, of which it is said that the prayer of the just can do much. So, the one who is forgiven and in good standing with God can pray in a “useful, advantageous, powerful” way and thus receive excellent results, because the prayer of the righteous can do much.
Prayers that are powerful and effective come from righteous people, because the prayer of the righteous can do much: “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12); see also Psalm 34:15). The Lord will not listen to those who harbor sin in his heart (Psalm 66:18).
We need a living faith and obedience, because the prayer of the righteous can much
The prayer of the righteous can much, of those who seek the will of God
The prayer of the just can do a lot, a just person has a living faith that seeks to obey the Lord and His Word. Proverbs 28:9 warns: “Whoever turns his ear away from him so as not to hear the law, his prayer also is abominable.” Confession and repentance of sin are preconditions for hearing from the Lord. Only when we experience God’s forgiveness will our prayers have the power to do much. Successful prayer comes from believers who passionately desire to see God’s will come to pass in their lives, for the prayer of the righteous can do much.
The prophet Elijah, an example that the prayer of the righteous can do much
“Elías was a man subject to passions similar to ours, and he prayed fervently that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And again he prayed, and heaven gave rain, and the earth produced the fruit of it” (James 5:17–18). Like us, Elijah had human weaknesses and flaws. But he was so in tune with God’s will that he recognized when God wanted the drought to begin and when he wanted it to end. Here we can see how the prayer of the righteous can do a lot.
Elijah’s example challenges us today to seek a closer relationship with God so that we too can know, follow and pray according to His will; for the prayer of the just can do much.
When we are right with God and our prayers are in accordance with God’s will, we can trust that they will be answered (1 John 5:14–15) because the prayer of the just can do much!
The prayer of the righteous can do much. Characteristics of effective prayer?
1) The prayer of the righteous can do much, because effective prayer is done in faith.
James mentions “the prayer of faith” twice, once in James 1:5-8 and again in James 5:15. Faith is necessary for effective prayer because, as Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” It is by faith that the prayer of the righteous can do much.
Some people try to manipulate God at this point, claiming that they will receive their requests because (supposedly) they were made in faith. But the prayer of faith is not about the results of our prayers. Rather, it has to do with the simple belief that God exists, he listens to us, and that every result of prayer is in his sovereign and merciful hands.
2) The prayer of the righteous can do a lot, because effective prayer has the right motives.
James mentions another obstacle to effective prayer: wrong motives. James 4:3 says: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend on your pleasures.” Impure motives can disqualify our prayers, but the prayer of the righteous can do much when it is done according to the correct motives.
3) The prayer of the just can do a lot, because effective prayer comes from the lips of “the just”.
James does not promise that the prayer of all can obtain everything that is asked for, he specifically mentions “the prayer of the just” (emphasis mine). We must be careful on this point, because no one is perfect and God ultimately listens to us through Christ’s justice, not ours. However, our holy life does matter in prayer, as James affirms; because the prayer of the righteous can do much.
The psalmist acknowledges: “If I had looked at iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened to me” (Psalm 66:18). Other passages mention that our sin against others can be an obstacle to prayer (see 1 Peter 3:7; Matthew 5:23-24; Mark 11:25; 1 Timothy 2:8).
Our motivation to live righteously must be first to please God, not to receive what we want. (Don’t forget that our motives matter!) God is the one who decides how and when to respond; however, keep in mind that the prayer of the righteous can do much.
Hezekiah, another example that the prayer of the righteous can do much
The example of King Hezekiah in Isaiah 38 is worth mentioning. After hearing that he was going to die (verse 1), Hezekiah cried out for mercy, and supported his plea by reminding God of his justice: “O Lord, I pray that you remember now that I have walked before you in truth and with an upright heart, and that I have done what has been pleasing in your sight. And Hezekiah wept loudly” (verse 3). God answered: “I have heard your prayer, and seen your tears; behold, I add fifteen years to your days” (verse 5).
4) The prayer of the righteous can do a lot, because effective prayer has the position of “Thy will be done.”
The wrong thinking about prayer teaches that it will always result in getting what we want, sometimes with a “name it and claim it” mentality. But God’s answers are not always according to our desires or our schedule. Even our Lord Jesus Christ, the pinnacle of justice, prayed “not as I want, but as you” (Matthew 26:39). Our confidence before God is that “if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14) and that the prayer of the righteous can do much.
The prayer of the righteous can do much… There is more I could mention, but it is worth recommending what I consider to be the most useful practice for prayer: praying the Bible. It should come as no surprise that allowing God’s Word to shape our prayers is a powerful thing, because it produces what we need to pray effectively: faith, holy life and motives, and an understanding of God’s revealed will (see Romans 10). :17; John 17:17).
The prayer of the righteous can do much, but what are the results of effective prayer?
The answer is simple: The results that our Almighty God wants. Consider the example that James shares and that was mentioned earlier, the example of the prophet Elijah. According to this example from 1 Kings 17–18, effective prayer can stop the rain for more than three years! Therefore, there are no limits to how God can answer our prayers according to his sovereign will. Undoubtedly the prayer of the righteous can do a lot.
The apostle Paul wrote: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also give us all things with him?” (Romans 8:32). If we are children of God and “more than conquerors” in his eyes (Romans 8:37), why would he not answer us if we pray according to his will? The prayer of the righteous can do much.
The effective prayer changes the world, the prayer of the righteous can much
Praying effectively changes the world, because the prayer of the righteous can much
I like the story that Dr. Phil Ryken tells. As a member of a church in Scotland, Ryken observed church members thanking God for answering his prayers to help Eastern European countries escape…