Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5:16 KJV
God hears and answers the earnest prayers of a righteous person.
Psalm 34:15 says, “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.”
So what exactly does James 5:16b mean?
The…
- Effectual – effective
- Fervent – impassioned and intense
- Prayer – petition to God
- (of a) Righteous man – from one who’s morally right
- Availeth much. – will greatly benefit.
Do your prayers measure up to this criteria?
Psalm 145:18 says, “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”
Our righteousness in Christ gives us power in prayer. Confessing your faults to another believer requires humility, and before prayer is confession. If we choose to maintain our pride, we forfeit Christ’s righteousness in our lives.
I Peter 5:5 says, “…Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”
If God resists the proud, He certainly doesn’t hear or respond to their prayers. Therefore, to be righteous, you must humble yourself before God and that starts with confessing your faults to one another.
Psalm 10:17 says, “LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear.”
To “be subject one to another” means to be accountable. And when you pray for one another, God will hear your prayer of faith and heal the sick.
James 5:14-15 says, “Is any sick among you? 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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
Then verse 16 concludes, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”