SUMMARY
The prayer of the righteousA righteous person is one who is ethical and faithful to God's covenant. Righteousness in the Old Testament is an attitude of God; in the New Testament it is a gift of God through grace. In the New Testament righteousness is a relationship with God... More is powerful and effective.
ANALYSIS
Just as for SolomonThird king of Israel who was known for wisdom and building the first Temple More, the letter and its vision of God’s faithfulness begins with the exercise of prayer for God’s gift of wisdomWisdom encompasses the qualities of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The Old Testament book of Proverbs, which sometimes invokes a Woman as the personification of Wisdom, is a collection of aphorisms and moral teachings. Along with other biblical passages, it teaches, "The fear of the... More. The whole Letter of James exhorts the community in confidence that this wisdom has the ability to shape that community in practical acts of love and mercyMercy is a term used to describe leniency or compassion. God's mercy is frequently referred to or invoked in both the Old and New Testaments. More. Now, at the book’s conclusion, the importance and the power of prayer is persistently and persuasively accented as the final exhortation. If, as evidenced in God’s gifts, the purpose of the Lord is disposed to be merciful and to show compassion (James 5:11), then words–in particular the words of prayer–have power for effective action on behalf of the needs of God’s people. So one’s words should be carefully chosen. Let a “Yes” be yes and a “No” be no. If any are suffering, pray for healing. If any are happy, pray in songs of praise. If any are sick, pray in confidence that the Lord will heal. If any have done wrong, pray in confidence that God will forgive. All of this is to be exercised in the context of a community in which mutual prayer is the bond that creates, sustains, and restores that community.
