James 5:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

NIV: Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

NASB: Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

CSB: Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

NLT: Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

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

NKJV: And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

This verse concludes James's thought which he began in the previous verse. James has been using the example of Elijah's prayer. Elijah was, ultimately, just a mortal man. And yet, his prayer was powerful and effective. Prayer works, but not because of the power of the one who prays. It works because God hears, and responds with all of His power and effectiveness.

The event James references is found in the book of 1 Kings, chapters 17 and 18. God stopped and started the rain in highly dramatic fashion in response to Elijah's obedient prayers. The story is definitely worth reading.

James's larger point is that people who trust God, pray in response to all of life's circumstances. We pray for ourselves. We pray for each other. We pray for healing. We pray for others to overcome their sin. God receives all of those prayers and responds to them in love and out of His great power and goodness.

James 5:13–20 closes out the letter by encouraging those who believe in God to show it. This is most readily shown by praying in response to every circumstance. We should pray for ourselves, praise God, and invite the spiritual leaders of our churches to pray for us when we are sick, or spiritually weak. Healing will follow; sins will be forgiven. We should confess sins to each other so we can pray for strength for each other to overcome sin. Prayer works; God hears and responds. If we really believe this is true, our behavior will reflect it.

What was causing fights and quarrels among the Christians to whom James was writing? They were living by the world's wisdom. This false perspective says human beings should do whatever it takes to get what they want in this life, even if it hurts other people. James says that to live that way is adultery, but God gives grace. Christians should repent and move close to God again. We should trust Him to provide, to be the Judge, and to lift us up in His time. In humility, we must acknowledge that all of our plans are dependent on Him, and He can change them at any moment.

Prior chapters in this letter focused on the relationship between beliefs and actions, and how to practically apply the concepts of Christianity. In chapter 4, James called his Christian readers to repent of their worldliness and turn back to closeness with God. Now in the last chapter of his letter, James addresses three things: He pronounces to the rich oppressors of the Christians that their judgment is coming on the day of the Lord. He urges those suffering under that oppression to remain patient, strong in their faith, as they wait for the day of the Lord. And he encourages all Christians to show their faith in God by praying in response to every circumstance.

The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers. Most scholars believe the writer was Jesus' half-brother, a son born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth. James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50. James addresses his letter to Jewish Christians scattered around the known world.

Accessed 5/5/2024 4:31:00 PM