Powerful, Effective Prayer

September 28th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Perhaps what James means in v. 16 is that Christians ought never allow themselves to backslide to the point that they actually need to call church elders for prayer. If Christians would simply “confess…sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed,” they could avoid calling the elders to pray over them and restore them to a healthy fellowship with Christ. After all, if sins are “confessed” through regular accountability with other believers, and if they pray for one another, they need only to pray daily to be healed of their various weaknesses. It is only after one drifts away from their faith through long periods of time out of fellowship with God that they need to call the elders to restore them to spiritual vitality.

Although the term James uses for “healed” (iaomai) in v. 16 can speak of physical healing (Matt. 8:8, 13; 15:28; Mark 5:29; Luke 5:17; 6:18, 19; 7:7; 8:47; 9:2, 11, 42; 14:4; 17:15; 22:51; John 4:47; 5:13; 12:40; Acts 9:34; 10:38; 28:8), it is also used for spiritual renewal in the NT (cf. Matt. 13:15 John 12:40; Acts 28:27; Heb. 12:12-13; 1 Pet. 2:24). Being apart from Christ does not mean the loss of salvation but loss of fellowship. So James uses “healed” specifically to refer to God’s pardon for sin, restoring the repentant Christian to fellowship with Christ.

The means through which God’s healing is accomplished is evident in the passage: through prayer. It is the prayer of “a righteous man” that is “effective” and “can accomplish much.” First, the “righteous man” is one that is declared righteous by God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22). This is he or she who professes faith in Christ and whose faith is backed by fruitful works (cf. Jas. 2:14-26), not ongoing sinful living. After all, the “weak” believer in v. 14 is a righteous man through faith in Christ, but since he is not growing in his faith through obedience to Christ, he has become weak and is in need of righteous men to help him, namely the church elders.

Second, the means of healing for the weakened Christian takes an “effective” (Gr. energeō) prayer—one that is in accordance with God’s will. It is always God’s will that His people be restored to fellowship with Him, but it is not always God’s will that physically ill people be restored to health or even live. Effective prayers are therefore only “effective” when they are prayed “in the name of the Lord” (v. 14; cf. John 14:14)—for His purposes and glory.

Third, the effective prayer of a righteous man can “accomplish” (Gr. ischuō), a term that means “be strong.” The addition of “much” (Gr. polus) means “great strength.” Hence, “The prayer of a genuine, born-again Christian in fellowship with Christ has great strength.” Note that although James instructs the spiritually weak to call for the elders of the church, this is only because church elders are expected to be above-reproach men in fellowship with Christ. The truth is, any “righteous man” or woman can pray with great strength. As long as God’s people remain in fellowship with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through obedience, confession, and repentance, they will never fall into the kind of sickness that James describes in 5:14-16.

Food For Thought
Perhaps you’ve become entrenched in a sinful lifestyle over time? You didn’t plan for it, but it happened. Now you’re living in a state of depression and anxiety. Maybe you fell into looking at filth, seeking wanton pleasures, using lewd language, flirting with people not your spouse, or drinking too much. Your life is a mess, and you know it. If so, count today as a gift from our merciful Lord! After all, He is giving you the opportunity to seek Him—again perhaps. Simply confess your sins, admit that you are powerless in and of yourself, and humble yourself before Christ in prayer—again. If need be, call a righteous man or woman for help. You’ll be healed.