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Confidence to Approach the Throne

In a single verse in the Book of Hebrews we have a strong word of encouragement for every praying child of God: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Heb. 4:16; read also vv. 14–15).

To gain a proper understanding of this fantastic assurance, we must look first at the word “then,” which links the promise to the preceding truth: Christ is the believer’s great high priest. Jesus the Son of God is in heaven (v. 14) with the Father.

Yet there is something very personal and tender about this Mediator seated at the right hand of the Father (see Acts 2:33; Rom. 8:34). He can “sympathize with our weaknesses” because He was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (v. 15). Though He was without sin, in His earthly life He felt the reality of testing and temptation. He is sympathetic toward “our weaknesses”: weaknesses of health, weaknesses of temperament, weaknesses of commitment, weaknesses of service. He knows the precise force of every evil temptation that may test us.

Therefore, He loves and protects us as “the apple of his eye” (Zech. 2:8).¹ Because Jesus is God’s own Son, because He is at the Father’s right hand in heaven, because He is uniquely qualified to empathize with our weaknesses—we are able to approach the throne of grace with confidence.

We ought to come with confidence into the divine presence for two reasons: (1) to receive mercy and (2) to find grace to help us in our time of need.

Our first need is for mercy, since every one of us is by nature and deed a sinner. Sin always has a deserved and certain judgment—death. Yet “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). We must first “receive mercy” from the only One qualified to dispense it, the One who voluntarily died in our place. Then we can come with confidence, without fear of rejection or reprisal, and receive it freely at His hand.

Having received mercy, and with it the privilege of coming with confidence into His presence, we are offered a second privilege: to plead for grace at the very throne of grace and find it as our help “in the time of our need.” All of human existence is a “time of need”; yet grace continues to be available and abundant. God’s grace was sufficient for Paul (see 2 Cor. 12:9). It is sufficient also for each believer today.

Criteria for Coming to God

Prayer is the soul coming to God. But spoken words, addressed to Deity, do not automatically receive a hearing and a response. There are criteria that God requires of those who come to Him, who truly have His ear and access to His compassionate heart. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

“Not everyone has faith” (2 Thess. 3:2). Yet only persons of faith can please God. Faith is an absolute prerequisite of all fruitful praying. It is essential, however, that faith be clearly understood, lest it be confused with some lesser and inadequate virtue. “Faith,” says Hebrews 11:1, “is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Other translations add clarity to the definition. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (RSV). “Faith means that we have full confidence in the things we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see” (Phillips). True faith presupposes an object upon which it stands. The Christian faith is fixed upon the Word of God and upon the God of the Word; it is this faith that pleases God. The praying person must believe that the God of the Bible exists and is truly all the Bible represents Him to be: the great “I AM” (Exod. 3:14). The believer who prays effectively must live constantly in the conviction this “I am” is the infinite, eternal, self-existent, ever-present, faithful God by whose energy, bounty, and providence all other beings exist.

Believing that God can do anything, however, is not enough. “Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:19). Faith that effects change must comprehend not only the existence of a divine Supreme Being, but it must also perceive God’s intense interest in His creatures, even to the extent of rewarding “those who earnestly seek him.” He desires children who deeply long for His presence. “Earnestly seek” (Gk. ekzēteō) means “to seek out or after,” “to search for,” “to desire to get.” The faith that brings pleasure to God and gains His attention is that faith which motivates its possessor to move toward God, to search Him out for the purpose of fulfilling His divine will, to investigate His nature in order to comprehend His fullness, and to desire His superintendence of all of life’s affairs.

Prayer for Wisdom in Trials

The truly humble person is painfully conscious of human limitations, especially in the face of trials and tests. As such a believer moves into the spiritual realm, the limitations of human wisdom are even more conspicuous. Knowing that all of life for the believer is spiritual warfare and that human, or natural, weapons will not pull down the strongholds that must be destroyed (2 Cor. 10:4), one is keenly aware of the need for help from a supernatural source:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does (James 1:5–8).

The preceding verses of James 1 identify “testing” as the subject under consideration. The Greek peirasmos (v. 2) includes the trials, tests, and temptations, divinely permitted or sent, which come upon God’s children. The justification for asking for God’s wisdom is that we might understand and use the trials and tests to the advantage of our spiritual development. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. A person may know a great deal, and yet not be wise. Wisdom chooses the best ends, and the best means of reaching those ends. It is not simply doing the right things, but doing the right things at the right time. The truly wise regard the glory of God as the purpose of life and make their actions and words means to that end.

Knowing how to use trials and tests so that they produce the greatest degree of Christian perfection requires more than the natural faculty of good judgment. This perfecting process results as supernatural wisdom reveals to the suffering believer the divine intent, the relationship between the process and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. Such wisdom is available, but on request: “He should ask God.” There is no other source. Neither the counselors of the world nor the mental acumen of the believer is capable of it. But for “the only wise God” (1 Tim. 1:17, KJV; cf. Rom. 16:27), it is the reality and expression of His nature. The receiving of such wisdom, however, is conditional: “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt” (v. 6). “Doubt” (Gk. diakrinō) means “to be at odds with oneself,” “waver.” It suggests not so much a weakness of faith as a lack of faith. The wavering, or doubting, receive nothing from the Lord (v. 7). A double-minded person (v. 8) is “of two souls … one for earth, and another for heaven.… He will not give up earth, and he is loath to let heaven go.”² Such an individual does not gain access to God’s wisdom “because he … is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). But the one of fixed faith finds heaven’s response and by the infusion of God’s wisdom is able to gain advantage from even the worst of life’s offerings. Joseph is a good example. With the wisdom of God plainly evident, he was able to announce after years of the most severe trials and tests, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Gen. 50:20).

Prayer that Warrants Response

Any thoughtful study on prayer must confront the reality of unanswered prayer. What person has not had a prayer “refused,” or at least answered differently than was asked? Even so great a prayer warrior as Elijah did not always obtain the answers he desired (see 1 Kings 19:4–8). It is fortunate that God in His great wisdom and love for His people does not always answer according to their requests, for to do so would be to their hurt or destruction. James uncovers an elementary reason for unanswered prayer.

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.… Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:3, 7–10).

“You ask with wrong motives.” “Wrong motives” (Gk. kakōs) means “badly,” “wrongly,” “wickedly.” We ask wrongly when we pray for anything outside the will of God. Neither will God answer prayers motivated by selfish desires, “that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” He will not listen to the prayer of persons seeking position, pleasure, honor, power, or riches. “Pleasures” (Gk. hēdonē) speaks of gratification of natural or sinful desires, of sensual delights. To pray for that which pleases our own sensual desires is contrary to God’s will and could lead to spiritual disaster.

The remaining instructions (vv. 7–10) give guidelines for praying rightly (not amiss) and, consequently, warranting God’s response.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.” A wholehearted yes to God is a prerequisite to all effective praying. Early in the prayer pattern Jesus taught, His disciples were to say, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). It is always appropriate to give expression to that prayer, since His will is always a person’s highest good. However, it should not be used as a cover for a lack of faith.

“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Submission to God always precedes successfully resisting the devil. As powerful as Satan is—and it is a mistake to underestimate his power (see Eph. 6:12)—God will not allow him to overcome the believer who, having submitted to God, continually resists the evil one in the name of Jesus and through the merit of His shed blood.

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” What a blessed and encouraging promise! God promises to come near to all who turn from sin, calling on Him in true repentance. With Him come His presence, His grace, His love, and His blessings. There must be effort on a person’s part to invite action on God’s part. We are free agents and must choose to initiate the action if we desire God to come near to us. At the same time, God is not passive, for He is the initiator, the One who seeks out His creation (see Gen. 3:8–9): “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil. 2:13).

“Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” All sincere seekers after God, intending to draw near to Him, are confronted with their own evil ways and must deal with them directly. The psalmist perceived this when he wrote, “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Ps. 24:3–4). Jesus reminded His disciples of the need for perpetual cleansing from daily defilement (see John 13:2–14). “Purify your hearts, you double-minded” parallels the previous statement. A complete break from sin is absolutely essential if our prayers are to receive a divine response. Those who seek God’s approbation and blessing cannot maintain allegiance to two worlds. Double-mindedness invites damnation. It must be repented of until the heart is pure, having a single-minded desire to serve God. Paul further admonishes us to do our part by crucifying the flesh, the old sinful nature (Gal. 6:2–4). We must flee from sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:18); hate what is evil; cling to what is good (Rom. 12:9). Yet we cannot do it all ourselves. It takes the blood of Jesus to bring the full cleansing we need (1 John 1:7). The believer who desires to approach God must take seriously John’s admonition, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

“Grieve, mourn and wail.” “Grieve” (Gk. talaipōreō) means “to be wretched,” “to realize one’s misery.” “Mourn” (Gk. pentheō) means “to be sad,” “to have sorrow for sin.” “Wail” (Gk. klaiō) means “to sob,” “to wail aloud,” “to lament as over the dead.” The apostle’s burden is to see genuine heart-grief and wholehearted repentance. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Ps. 51:17). How very needful is such contrition in the church of our day!

“Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.” The theme is still repentance and sincere contrition. There is a definite echo of Matthew 5:4 (“Blessed are those who mourn”) and Luke 6:25 (“Woe to you who laugh now for you will mourn and weep”).

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” There is hope. No matter how bad the situation may appear, if one follows the instructions for a pure relationship with God, answered prayer will bring victory.

The prescription is appropriate for all people, everywhere, at any time. Each of the seven guidelines is a vital facet of prayer, leading to the desired end: He will lift you up. These instructions fit like a letter in an envelope. The first instruction, “Submit to God,” is balanced by the seventh, “Humble yourselves before the Lord.” Inserted in that envelope are four related instructions and promises. “Resist the devil” and “Come near to God.” Then the promises: “The devil will flee” and “God will come near.” But resisting the devil and coming to God must always honor the submission–humility envelope. Likewise, washing the hands (putting away outward sins) must be balanced by a purified heart (inner attitudes), still in the submission–humility envelope. Finally, there is a joy in submitting and humbling oneself before God. It is the joy of knowing sins have been forgiven and that one is in right relationship with God. Humility and repentance bring joy as we submit to God in everything.

Powerful, Effective Prayer

The Book of James contains much practical advice on how to pray. The instructions on prayer for healing are especially meaningful to Pentecostals; we believe that God still heals. For those who do not, this passage is merely historic, applying only to the first-century believers. In point of fact, anyone may take the promises of God for the healing of sickness, illness, and affliction as God’s commitment to do today what He has done in the past—if only one meets His requirements.

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess yours sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. 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 (James 5:13–18).

Prayer for healings of various kinds is undeniably taught in Scripture. However, little attention is given to specific teaching on obtaining healing. It is possible that more healings would be witnessed if more attention were paid to the scriptural injunction: “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.” “In trouble” (Gk. kakopatheō means “to suffer misfortune,” “to bear hardships patiently.” In light of the succeeding verse, “Is any one of you sick …,” the use of kakopatheō seems not to include physical malady or disease, but is instead an allusion to sufferings outside the body. The believer so affected is instructed to pray for his own misfortune; God may remove the hardship or provide grace to bear it. Of course, other believers are encouraged to undergird the suffering one: “Carry each other’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). But the sufferer should himself touch God in behalf of his need. C. Jerdan describes well the meaning and intent of the instruction:

The believer must not allow his trials to exasperate him. Instead of swearing over them, he should pray over them. That is a graceless heart which, when under the rod, challenges God’s sovereignty, or impugns his justice, or distrusts his goodness, or arraigns his wisdom. The child of God prays always, because he loves prayer; and especially when under trial, because then he has special need of it.… Even to tell God of our trials helps to alleviate them. Prayer brings the soul near to him who bears upon his loving heart the burden of his people’s sorrows.³

Good health and contentment with circumstances are reasons for a happy disposition. “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” Into the life of every believer will come times to pray in affliction and times to sing praise. We should neglect neither. But, since it seems to be human nature to be quicker to express complaint than gratitude, we should give special attention to praise. The Book of Psalms is full of exhortations to sing praise (Pss. 32:11; 33:1–3; 81:1–2; 89:1; 92:1–4; 98:4–6; 100:1; 101:1; 144:9; 149:1, 5; 150:6, for example). We need to praise Him for His wonderful works, the heavens that declare the glory of God, the beautiful sunsets, the glories of nature, and above all, the blessings of salvation. Nor should we forget the everyday blessings, such as faithful friends, a good meal, the completing of a task, and so many other things that too often we take for granted.

“Is any one of you sick?” (v. 14). “Sick” (Gk. astheneō) means literally “without strength,” “weak,” “powerless.” It may include the thought of being diseased, unhealthy, infirm, disabled, feeble, or, in some contexts, timid, spiritually weak, or morally weak. Whereas the believer in trouble is himself to pray, the sick person is instructed to “call [invite, call on] the elders of the church to pray over him.” The sick person obviously needs the prayer support of others, for in such a time of weakness, often both physical and spiritual, he may be unable to exercise the faith necessary for obtaining the healing.

The elders (Gk. presbyteroi), whom the sick person was to call and be visited by at home (or in the hospital), were individuals raised up and qualified by the Holy Spirit for ministry and teaching in a local church. The Greek can include going to the elders, though that is not the primary meaning. Sometimes the title represented an appointed office; in other instances, elders were other leaders esteemed for their maturity, spiritual experience, and evident demonstration of the gifts of the Spirit. There was usually more than one in a local church (note the plural), so the term need not be limited to the senior pastor, although one would normally think first of the primary spiritual leader in time of need.

The instructions for these praying elders are brief and uncomplicated: Let them “pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” Interestingly, one manuscript reads, “… anoint him with oil in The Name.”⁴ The use of “the name” shows this anointing with oil was certainly not done with any expectation that the oil would bring the healing, but rather that the oil was a symbol of the Spirit by whom healing would be administered.

If he has sinned, he will be forgiven” (v. 15). The question arises, by what means or process are the sins forgiven? There is a suggestion that the sickness for which deliverance is requested might be related in some way to a sin practiced or committed. James 5:16 is closely connected with v. 15. The conjunction “therefore” (Gk. oun), found in many great manuscripts, implies that the sins would be forgiven if the preceding directions were followed. Accepting this, we understand that the sins committed are forgiven through the process of the sick confessing their sins (departures from the way of righteousness, either unintentional or willful) to those who pray for them (not necessarily one who has the office of elder). The healthy, in turn, are to confess any sins to the sick lest there be any hindrance to their prayers; then they are to pray for one another so that the sick may be healed and restored. Though mental and spiritual illnesses can be included, the word “healed” clearly has its primary meaning of being cured of physical ailments.

The use of present imperatives indicates that confessing to one another and praying for one another is to be the continuous practice of believers, thus keeping an atmosphere where people will be more readily healed.

Disposing of the sin does not automatically result from confession, although confession is the required initial step. “He who conceals his sins does not prosper” (Prov. 28:13). If the sin continues even after it is confessed, the sick one may need more than forgiveness. Deliverance may be needed. Therefore, “powerful and effective” prayer (James 5:16) is required.

The confession described here is that of Christians to one another, not to a priest. If persons have injured one another, they must confess and ask forgiveness of those against whom they have sinned. Sins of a public nature should be publicly confessed, so that all the injured may be involved in the forgiveness. At times it is advisable to confess our sins to a praying and prudent minister or friend who may help us plead for God’s mercy and pardon.

James, of course, is not advocating our telling in detail every word or action we are conscious is wrong. His point is that when confession is necessary for our reconciliation with others or for gaining a free and quiet conscience, we must be ready to obey the injunction.

To illustrate the results of powerful and effective prayer, and to encourage the elders called to pray for a sick person, James recalls Elijah, one of the most effective men of prayer in the Bible (see chapter 5). And because the natural tendency may be to place such people on a pedestal, considering them a superior breed, impossible of imitation, James makes it clear that Elijah was human “just like us.” He was not free from the burden of his humanity: He too wrestled with the weakness of the flesh; he too experienced human frailty and its consequences. But he prayed, and God heard him. Therefore, we, like Elijah, ought to pray for the need at hand with utmost confidence that Elijah’s God will heed our earnest cry for help.

Hindrances to Prayer

Human relationships play a meaningful role in effective praying. Improper or impaired relationships can short-circuit the divine connection and prevent answers to prayers. Peter specifically addresses relationships in the home: “Husbands, … be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Pet. 3:7).

Peter mentions three areas in which husbands must honor their wives if they want their prayers to be effective. First, they must “be considerate.” They should behave toward their wives with full knowledge of what God expects of them. They should understand the purpose for which marriage was instituted: that husband and wife might be one flesh, or fellowship, both physically and spiritually. They should treat their wives with full knowledge of what Scripture defines as a proper relationship between two believers: showing kindness, love, unselfishness; honoring one another above self; displaying the fruit of the Spirit.

Second, husbands must “treat them with respect as the weaker partner.” “Weaker” probably has the meaning of “less prominent” (as in 1 Cor. 12:22–23) and does not have the primary reference to the woman’s physical strength. Scientists would not agree that she is weaker physically, at least in regard to her stamina and her ability to endure pain. But she was the less prominent member of the team in the Jewish and Greco-Roman culture of the first century. Even today when the wife is not as dependent on the husband and social conditions have changed, this is still often true. What Peter expects here is that the husband will not make arbitrary decisions nor will he fail to give consideration to his wife’s opinions and desires. Rather, he should give her special recognition, honor, and respect, recognizing how much he depends on her. Husbands should show understanding also by not taking offense at minor failings and by putting the welfare of their wives before their own. In this way, husbands will love their wives “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25).

Finally, husbands must “treat them … as heirs” with them “of the gracious gift of life.” The believing wife is a full-fledged member of the family of God. In Christ there is neither male nor female (Gal. 3:28). Spiritually the husband and wife are equals. They share salvation, spiritual life, and all God’s gifts on the same basis—by grace through faith. Neither one merits anything more than the other in the sight of God. Thus the husband should show consideration by encouraging the wife to exercise faith and claim spiritual gifts, ministries, and blessings. In the family, the gender differences are still there, of course, but they should be the ground for loving consideration, mutual respect, and sincere appreciation. If the husband acts with authoritarianism, if he bullies, threatens, or shows an arrogant, domineering spirit toward his wife, he does violence to the oneness of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), robs the work of Christ of its true meaning, and becomes a hindrance to answered prayer.

Not practicing these principles in the home will hinder a man’s prayers. “Hinder” (Gk. egkoptō) is derived from words meaning “to cut down or out,” “to cut off.” In the New Testament it means to “check,” “hinder,” or “block.”

The primary reference here is to the husband’s prayers; as a corollary, however, the wife’s prayers as well are hindered or blocked by conflict, abuse, or lack of love on her part.

As companions in their spiritual pilgrimage, a husband and wife should do all they possibly can to encourage and assist each other. They should together guard against domestic disagreements and confrontations that extend indefinitely (see Eph. 4:26). Both need to be alert so that nothing that might occur will detract from private prayer, family prayer, and especially prayer for each other (cf. 1 Cor. 7:5). When family relationships are right and edifying, prayer by the spiritual leader in the home, as well as by all members, will be effective.

Peter addresses yet another hindrance to prayer: Pride. It is doubtful that any hindrance ranks higher. Pride is the enemy of all prayer. It puts a person ahead of God. It clouds one’s vision; it perverts one’s values. It promotes division; it attracts divine displeasure—for God opposes the proud.

Instead of pride, humility is meant to be the clothing of sincere believers.

Young men, … be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:5–7).

Humility is vital to prayer; it dare not be overlooked. True humility is more than saying words. It is a gentleness reflected when the younger submits to the mature and believers generally submit to one another. It is an outward garment that announces an inner virtue. In New Testament times, slaves tied on a white cloth or apron over their clothing so all would know they were slaves.⁵ Believers who wear the fabric of humility announce emphatically, “We are servants of Jesus Christ,” following Him in the spirit of the servanthood he portrayed when He washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:4–5).

Humility is so foreign to self-exalting human nature that one must strive constantly to maintain this Christlike trait. Pride champions independence and self-sufficiency, unwilling to recognize a need for God’s intervention in personal affairs. In the younger and inexperienced, pride encourages insubordination and rebellion; in leaders, it encourages despotism. But humility, springing from self-denial (Mark 8:34), acknowledges total dependence on God, no matter what one’s station in life.

One good way of humbling oneself is given in verse 7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The proud, self-sufficient person never asks for help from anyone, not even God. Therefore, the very act of casting one’s anxiety upon God expresses dependence, a need of God’s help. The ultimate in submission and humility is the total relinquishing of life’s perplexities, problems, and burdens to Him who truly cares and can turn them to our advantage and spiritual growth.

“Anxiety” (Gk. merimna) speaks of worry or undue concern. Anxiety pulls our thoughts and emotions in several directions at once, resulting in undue worry, uneasiness, apprehension, tension, and distress. It shows a lack of trust in God, and often results from ambitious pursuit of temporal, material things, worldly power, or status.

So we humble ourselves by going to God in prayer, throwing upon Him the whole burden of our anxiety, worry, sorrow, and perplexities. And with good reason—because He cares for us. “Cares” as a verb used impersonally (Gk. melei) means “to have a genuine concern that is pleased to do something in a loving way.” It matters to God about you. Hence we understand that the anxieties that burden us matter to Him, even to the extent that when we bring them to Him He either joins with us in carrying them or bears them on His own (see Matt. 8:17; 11:28–30).

Another hindrance to prayer, obviously, is sin. Without exception, all effective praying by believers is governed by fellowship and relationship, first with God and then with fellow believers. Sin, wickedness, evil, is the archenemy of this fellowship and must necessarily be dealt with appropriately.

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:6–9).

“Fellowship” (Gk. koinōnia) means “participation,” “partnership,” “sharing in common.” Inherent in the word is the idea of being woven together, as strands of a cord. Having such a relationship with the Lord depends on the believer’s walking “in the light.”

The contrast here is a walk in darkness versus a walk in the light. The sinner walks in darkness. For him there can be no fellowship with God since there is no compatibility between darkness and light, between sin and the God who is Light. Walking in the light requires total obedience to the will of God as revealed in the Bible. It results in fellowship with God himself. Yet no one is sinlessly perfect (v. 8), for we contend endlessly with a fallen nature and commit sin through ignorance and human weakness, if not deliberately. If we sin while trying to walk in the light, “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (v. 8). There is also a remedy if a believer sins willfully: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (v. 9).

Confession of sin is mandatory if the believer is to continue in unbroken fellowship “with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (v. 3). And that fellowship is absolutely essential if a believer is to pray with the assurance of having audience with the Creator.

Assurance that a Prayer Has Been Heard

The believer’s confidence in receiving answers to prayer is predicated upon his assurance that he is heard; his assurance that he is heard springs from his knowledge that he is asking in the right way—according to God’s will. Therefore, our discovery of the will of God is a first step to effective prayer.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that (1 John 5:14–16).

Every person who prays can know with the utmost confidence that whenever prayer is offered according to the divine will, audience before the mercy seat is assured. Asking is the believer’s prerogative. Sometimes there is no receiving simply because there is no asking (James 4:2; see also Matt. 7:7). On the other hand, the asking is heard only if it is compatible with the good pleasure of the Hearer. There is an asking which is from wrong motives (see James 4:3).

Yet after asking, and asking with right motives, we must be concerned about finding God’s will in relation to our praying. How is it discovered? Of primary importance is the question, Does the prayer conform to clear commands of Scripture? It is foolish to pray for anything that is forbidden by God’s Word. For example, to pray for God’s approval on the marriage of a believer to an unbeliever would be to pray contrary to God’s will (see 2 Cor. 6:14). On the other hand, we can be assured we are praying in His will when we ask to be filled with His Holy Spirit (see Luke 11:13). Primarily, the will of God is set forth in His Word (1 Thess. 4:3; 5:18; 1 Pet. 2:15; 4:19). When that will is unclear, for example, concerning a particular circumstance or situation, it is certainly in order to pray, “Your will be done.”

A believer’s asking should not fail to include any member of the Body who may commit a sin “that does not lead to death.” Admittedly, the passage may be variously interpreted, particularly in light of the next statement, “There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.” Many interpreters identify the “sin that leads to death” with the sin “against the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 12:32). Others feel the reference is to sin which may be punishable by temporal death (such as murder) or to any sin which God chooses to punish by death.

The position of A. Plummer seems to come nearest to the right interpretation for the “sin that leads to death.”

The prayer of one human being can never cancel another’s free will. If God’s will does not override man’s will, neither can a fellow-man’s prayer. When a human will has been firmly and persistently set in opposition to the Divine will, our intercession will be of no avail. And this seems to be the meaning of “sin unto death;” willful and obstinate rejection of God’s grace and persistence in unrepented sin.⁶

Although such may be the case at rare times, it is far more likely that when we earnestly entreat for the sinning brother, God, who is full of mercy and compassion, will “give him life.” (See also James 5:20.)

Personal Edification through Prayer

It is most fitting that our study of prayer in the Epistles should leave us with this note: “You, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” (Jude 20–21). The instruction is quite simple and basic: Build yourselves up. Instead of listening to ungodly men who had given themselves over to evil desires (v. 19), believers were encouraged to build up themselves, as well as each other, in the most holy faith (that is, in the revelation handed down by Christ and the apostles [v. 20]). Today, such development requires consistent study of God’s Word as we seek to know the truth and teachings of Scripture. This is a privilege of, as well as an assignment for, every believer.

The present participles in the Greek of verse 20 act as imperatives and call for continuous action that is parallel. That is, while building ourselves up in (and by means of) the holy faith, we should make it our practice to “pray in the Holy Spirit.” The Word and the Spirit are both necessary. As we pray by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, He inspires our hearts, illuminates our minds, and energizes us to be able to stand against the enemy of our souls and the false teachers who would tear down our faith (cf. Rom. 8:26–27; Eph. 6:18). In all likelihood, this is a direct reference to praying in the language given by the Spirit, in another tongue (cf. 1 Cor. 14:15, 18). However, it must certainly include all prayer springing from the life and power of the Holy Spirit.

Throughout the examples of prayer in Acts and in the teachings on prayer in the Epistles, the Holy Spirit plays a prominent role. His presence is either implied or mentioned directly as energizing the praying of the Spirit-filled believer. The pattern remains the same today. This divine Paraclete, or Helper, given to assist all believers after Jesus returned to the right hand of the Father, is the key force in a dynamic and effective prayer life. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire, but invite Him to revolutionize your life through inspired praying.