Suffering and Prayer in the Messianic Community of Jas 5:13a

Abstract

Jas 5:13a encourages anyone within the community who suffers to pray. The text does not, however, specify whether the prayer is for the elimination of suffering or for the grace to endure it. The aim of this work, therefore, is to identify the purpose of the prayer proposed in v. 13a. The method employed is an analysis of v. 13a in its immediate context of Jas 5:13-18. The study reveals that the phrase “prayer of faith” in v. 15a offers significant clues as to the purpose of the prayer in v. 13a. The prayer of faith is a renewal of one's commitment to God and their trust in God. The invitation to pray in v. 13a is therefore a request to reaffirm that commitment to God in time of trials. The conclusion is that James is calling on Christians who suffer to reiterate their commitment to God despite their trials, and to pray for the grace to courageously endure their challenges.