Title James 05:16-18 The praying reed
Contents James 5:16-18 / The praying reed
The French philosopher Pascal said this in ‘Pangse’. “Man is the weakest reed in the universe. But it is a thinking reed.” But there is something more important than this. Humans are fragile beings, but the fact is that we can pray. Of course, if you do not meet the true God, no matter how much you pray, it is in vain. Only Christians who have been made righteous by faith have the privilege of praying to the true God (v. 16). So we can say this. “Christians are weak human beings. But it is a prayer reed.”
James gives an example of the prophet Elijah, emphasizing prayer in the text. Along with Moses, he is a representative figure in the Old Testament. Hearing that name brings to mind a strong image of having performed so many miracles. But he too was a weak human with the same nature and passion as us (verse 17).
He, who had killed hundreds of Baal prophets on Mount Carmel, was devastated by the violence of his queen Jezebel and ran away. He crouched under the rosemary tree and finally begged God to die. This is the original appearance of Elijah, the natural man (1 Kings 19:4). He too was just a frail human who feared the world, grew weary, and fell down like us. Only while praying could he be a man of great power. Then, when he couldn't pray, he fell into his original and weak form. What is introduced in verses 17-18 of the text is the figure of Elijah praying. When he prayed earnestly, it did not rain for three and a half years, and when he prayed again, it rained. It is not that ‘nature Elijah’ is strong, but ‘Praying Elijah’ is strong.
During the Reformation era, John Knox prayed all night when Queen Mary ordered the massacre of Protestants. “God, give me Scotland! Or give me death!” Surprisingly, the order for the massacre was withdrawn, and the queen became seriously ill and died. It is said that during the last torment, the Queen cried out: “Ah, the prayer of one John Knox is scarier than a million men!”
There is a saying. “When we work, we work, but when we pray, God works.”
That's right. Although we are as fragile as a reed, we will never be broken as long as we can pray. Looking at the world is disappointing. But when we pray to God, we see hope. Christians are prayer reeds. I hope you will always be victorious through the power of prayer.