Points from Previous Teachings on Faith.
- There is more to faith than working miracles, but the focus of this study is faith for working miracles
- Simply believing is not all that is required for working miracles
- Simply believing is not what Jesus meant by moving mountains with faith, believing is not all there is to making things happen by faith.
- In Hebrews 11, the heroes of faith were listed and there was no one who accomplished what they were commended for by just believing. There was always more to it than just believing.
- One’s connection to God determines what kind or intensity of miracles he can work.
An Analysis of the Prayer of Faith in James 5
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
[Jam 5:14-20]
- Is any Sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church[Jam 5:14]. This is the beginning of faith. Rather than the sick person believing in his healing, he should call for the elders. This is the beginning of faith.
- And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. [Jam 5:15]. The sick person in question must have been bed ridden for him to have called for the elders. This shows that not all illnesses require calling for the elders, only when the illness is severe and the afflicted cannot get up that the elders should be called.
- The prayer of faith is not the prayer of faith of the sick man but the prayer of faith by the sick man. Not anyone can say the prayer of faith and have miracles happen.
- Let him call for the elders of the Church[Jam 5:14]. The prayer of faith works through the authority of the elders. This shows authority to heal by the elders. Not just anyone can heal, it is the elders who are representing
God who can do it. There must be a connection to the head. The elders are appointed by the Pastor.
- … If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.[Jam 5:15]. If one has sinned and is afflicted, only the Apostles, the Pastors or Church as a whole (if the Church was the one that inflicted the punishment in the first place) that can forgive sins. This further shows that authority is required for the prayer of faith to have result.
- … The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.[Jam 5:16]. This teaches that elders must be righteous. Righteousness is a requirement for the prayer of faith.
- Righteousness is doing righteous deeds [1Jn 3:7] as laid out in the scriptures [Mat 5].
- Righteousness is to be visible to men and not just to God and to be appreciated [Mat 5:16].
- Jesus teaches that we should forgive if our brothers repent and ask for forgiveness [Luk 17:3-4]. We in turn should not expect forgiveness from God until we repent and ask for forgiveness.
- Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.[Jam 5:17-18]. The
prayer of faith is fervent and continuous. Elijah’s fervent prayer was not a one-time prayer. He prayed 7 times – asking his servant to check to see if the symptoms of the earth’s illness were completely gone (i.e., to see if
the rain was coming). [1Kgs 18:41-45].
- Faith is prayerful.
- Faith is knowing God’s ways [Heb 3:10-12]
- Faith is knowing what to do to get God’s glory/blessing/grace [Lev 9:6]
- Moses and Aaron blessed the people after coming out of the tabernacle and God’s glory appeared to the people. If They had just gone home after exiting the tabernacle, would the glory have come down [Lev 9:23]