Yes. Ordinary Christians can pray powerful prayers, because the power comes from the God who listens, not from the person praying. In James 5:13-18, James tells believers to pray when they’re suffering, sing praise when they’re cheerful, and call the elders when they’re sick. Then he widens the circle, telling all believers to confess sins and pray for one another. He points to Elijah, a human being just like us, whose earnest prayers changed the weather.
Setting the Scene in James 5:13-18
In the previous lesson (James 4:13-5:6), James warned wealthy landowners who exploited the poor. Right after that, he encouraged his suffering readers to be patient until the Lord’s coming, like a farmer waiting for rain (James 5:7-11). Now, as he nears the end of his letter, James turns to the most practical resource for people under pressure: prayer.
Several New Testament letters end with a call to prayer. Paul often asked churches to pray for him (Romans 15:30; Colossians 4:3), and he urged believers to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But James gives more detail about prayer at the end of his letter than any other New Testament writer. It fits the man. According to the second-century writer Hegesippus, quoted by the church historian Eusebius, James spent so much time kneeling in prayer that his knees became hard like a camel’s. He was nicknamed “Camel Knees.”
Prayer in Every Season
James starts with the highs and lows of everyday life.
James 5:13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
The word for “in trouble” describes suffering hardship of any kind. James opened his letter by telling his readers to expect trials (James 1:1-12), and here he tells them what to do with them: pray. He doesn’t say exactly what to pray. We might ask God to remove the trouble, give us strength to endure it, teach us through it, or use it to spread the gospel, as Paul did from prison. What matters isn’t polished vocabulary. It’s bringing the trouble to God.
At the other end of the spectrum is the person who is “happy.” The Greek verb, euthymeō, describes a cheerful state of mind more than happy circumstances. The only other places it appears in the New Testament are Acts 27:22 and 25, where Paul urges terrified sailors to keep up their courage during a violent storm. James says that kind of person should sing praise. The verb psallō originally meant playing a stringed instrument and came to mean singing praise. Praise is prayer too. Some people only talk to God when life falls apart. James wants us to connect with God in the highs and the lows.
Paul gives a similar picture of prayer in every circumstance.
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Whether we’re anxious or overjoyed, God wants to hear from us. And his peace meets us there.
Call the Elders
Then James addresses a third situation.
James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
Elders were the shepherds of the local church. In the New Testament, the titles elder, overseer, and pastor all describe the same basic role (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:1-2). James tells the sick person to call for them, which suggests the person was too ill to come to the gathering. So the elders went to the bedside and prayed over them. Caring for the vulnerable has always been part of the shepherd’s job.
The anointing with oil has been understood in different ways. Olive oil was a common medicine in the ancient world, used for wounds and sickness (Isaiah 1:6; Luke 10:34), so some see it as practical care offered alongside prayer. Others see it as a symbol of God’s presence and blessing, much like when Jesus’ disciples anointed the sick with oil (Mark 6:13). The Roman Catholic Church developed this passage into a sacrament, the anointing of the sick, while most Protestant churches treat it as a practice, not a sacrament. Many churches still anoint the sick with oil today, not because the oil has power, but because it points to the Lord who does.
James says the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. The word for “make well,” sōzō, can mean either physical healing or salvation, and James may intend both. The Lord “will raise them up.” Notice that it’s the Lord who heals, not the elders. And James connects sickness and sin carefully: “if they have sinned.” Not every illness is caused by sin (John 9:1-3), but sometimes sin and sickness are connected.
Confess and Pray for Each Other
At this point, it might sound like prayer for healing is a job for professionals. But James immediately widens the circle.
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
The word “therefore” ties this verse to what came before. James’s logic lands on regular believers. Any follower of Jesus can confess sins to another believer and pray for healing. There’s no curtain between ordinary Christians and God, no priestly class with a special line to heaven. This doesn’t take away from the role of elders, who should lead the way in praying for the sick. But they aren’t the only ones who can pray with authority.
Confession matters, too. Secrets have a way of weighing on our bodies and souls (Psalm 32:3-5). When we confess to a trusted believer, we bring sin into the light, and healing can begin. The promise is that the prayer of a righteous person is “powerful and effective.” A righteous person isn’t a perfect person. It’s someone who is right with God and walking humbly with him. The power isn’t in the person. It’s in the God who hears.
Elijah, a Person Like Us
James closes with an example from Israel’s history.
James 5:17-18 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. 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.
Elijah might seem like a spiritual superhero. He called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel and was carried to heaven in a whirlwind. But James says he was “a human being, even as we are.” The Greek word, homoiopathēs, means having the same nature and feelings. This is the same Elijah who later ran for his life, exhausted and depressed, and asked God to let him die (1 Kings 19:3-4). His power in prayer didn’t come from being superhuman. It came from God.
The story is told in 1 Kings 17–18. The drought lasted three and a half years, as Jesus also said (Luke 4:25). Then Elijah bent down on Mount Carmel and prayed for rain until a small cloud appeared, followed by a downpour. For a topical overview of prayer, see What Does the Bible Say About the Power of Prayer?
What This Means for Us
Prayer is available to you right now, in whatever season you’re in. If you’re suffering, pray. If you’re celebrating, sing. If you’re sick, ask your church leaders to pray with you. And if you’re carrying a secret, find a trusted Christian and confess it. God isn’t hidden behind a paywall or a velvet rope.
Prayer also isn’t meant to be a solo activity. James pictures a community where believers know each other well enough to confess sins and pray for one another. If you don’t have people like that, a small group is a great place to start.
The Takeaway
Can ordinary Christians pray powerful prayers? Absolutely. James calls us to pray in suffering, praise in joy, and call the elders in sickness. Then he invites every believer to confess sins and pray for one another. Like Elijah, we’re ordinary people, but our prayers are powerful because the God who hears them is.
