And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. James 5:15 (NKJV)
Thank God the Scripture hasn’t said that the long and loud prayer, the prayer of an apostle, prophet or bishop, the prayer of one who’s been very long in salvation, or the prayer of one who has done many and great things for God, or the prayer of mourning, crying and begging God, or the prayer reinforced with fasting and a financial seed, or the prayer with a vow – bargaining with God, or the prayer of multiplied millions, but rather the prayer of Faith.
The prayer that saves or heals the sick, the prayer by which the Lord raises up the sick, the prayer by which sins committed are forgiven is the prayer of Faith. The prayer that works, the prayer that brings results is the prayer of Faith. It’s the prayer of trust in God.
It is the prayer in the Name of the Lord.
James 5:14 (NKJV) Is anyone among you sick? 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.
The major point here in this verse is not that it’s the elders of the Church praying and that they are using anointing oil but rather they are doing it in the Name of the Lord. This means confident trust in the Lord. It is relying on and using His very own ability that is invested in His Name.
In Acts chapter 3 the Apostles Peter and John prayed for or commanded a man born lame to rise up and walk. Acts 3:1-6.
They took him by the right hand, lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. Acts 3:7, 8 (NKJV).
And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Acts 3:9-10 (NKJV)
Peter seeing the amazement of the people responded that it wasn’t his or John’s own power or godliness that had made this man walk. Acts 3:12
But rather it was Jesus’ Name. It was faith in Jesus’ Name.
Acts 3:16 (NKJV) And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which [comes] through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
The Faith in the name of Jesus is the Faith in the Lord Himself. It works, it brings desired results. It’s the confidence that He is able to do what we ask way far beyond our asking or thinking.
So every time you pray do so not depending on what you can do but rather depending on the Lord’s ability.