Book of James

Lesson Eleven
James 5:13-20

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

14 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:

This verse may seem out of place among other verses that talk about confessing sins. However, it is a biblical fact that sin causes sickness. Not all sickness is because of sin in your life, but all sickness is due to the fact we live in a sin cursed world. Thus submitting yourself to God, being prayed over and anointed shall, as verse 15 tells us, "save the sick". And, the sins that caused the sickness will be forgiven

15 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.

16 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.

The word "confess" means to acknowledge. It does not mean to list all your sins by name. "Confess your faults one to another" is admitting to each other you are a sinner in need of a Saviour. It does no good to go around and start naming sins to everyone. This can give place to satan and stir up far more problems then it ever could solve. But, when you agree with God that you are a sinner, and you openly confess this to others, this allows the Holy Spirit room to move in your life and bring about the cleansing each of us need.

17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

This is not saying that you can have sins forgiven by leading people to Christ. This is talking about the sins of those who are saved. Their multitude of sins are forgiven.