The Prayer of Faith (James 5:13-20 ESV)
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.[a]17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
The foundation of the Church is built on the cornerstone, Jesus Christ. Upon Him, layer by layer, come the faithful and righteous prayers of the saints. From Old Testament prophets praying in faith, to New Testament apostles immersed in prayer, to the church in 2025 crying out for God’s kingdom to come.
Prayer is essential in the Christian life. It brings us under the authority of God and establishes our hearts in His will. When a believer devotes themselves to a life of prayer, things change. Prayer not only mends, it restores, heals, and carries great power. The most powerful force in the world is not the nuclear bomb but the church devoted to prayer.
What is even more incredible is the privilege we now have to access God directly through prayer because of Jesus. Old Testament saints did not enjoy that kind of access. There was a veil, a barrier, and only the high priest could enter God's presence on a specific day and for a specific purpose. But now the veil has been torn. Through the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, we are invited to approach the throne of grace with confidence and faith.
When we choose not to devote ourselves to prayer, we inevitably devote ourselves to pride. Pride says, “I don’t need forgiveness. I can fix my problems on my own.” But that path leads to emptiness, restlessness, and spiritual dullness.
Our prayer this Sunday is that Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church would be a church marked by prayer. A people who recognize our need, our brokenness, and our call to confess and seek the Lord. Prayer is the pathway to healing, wholeness, and revival.
With love in Christ,
Pastor Blake
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.[a]17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
The foundation of the Church is built on the cornerstone, Jesus Christ. Upon Him, layer by layer, come the faithful and righteous prayers of the saints. From Old Testament prophets praying in faith, to New Testament apostles immersed in prayer, to the church in 2025 crying out for God’s kingdom to come.
Prayer is essential in the Christian life. It brings us under the authority of God and establishes our hearts in His will. When a believer devotes themselves to a life of prayer, things change. Prayer not only mends, it restores, heals, and carries great power. The most powerful force in the world is not the nuclear bomb but the church devoted to prayer.
What is even more incredible is the privilege we now have to access God directly through prayer because of Jesus. Old Testament saints did not enjoy that kind of access. There was a veil, a barrier, and only the high priest could enter God's presence on a specific day and for a specific purpose. But now the veil has been torn. Through the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, we are invited to approach the throne of grace with confidence and faith.
When we choose not to devote ourselves to prayer, we inevitably devote ourselves to pride. Pride says, “I don’t need forgiveness. I can fix my problems on my own.” But that path leads to emptiness, restlessness, and spiritual dullness.
Our prayer this Sunday is that Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church would be a church marked by prayer. A people who recognize our need, our brokenness, and our call to confess and seek the Lord. Prayer is the pathway to healing, wholeness, and revival.
With love in Christ,
Pastor Blake
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