Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16
After his army had suffered a loss on the battlefield, Frederick the Great wrote to the Prussian Senate, ‘I have just lost a battle, and it is my fault’. He made no excuses. He blamed nobody else. He disregarded any circumstances and accepted full responsibility for the loss. His willingness to admit he was wrong is undoubtedly one of the reasons for his greatness. Willingness to admit when we are wrong is also an essential element to healthy relationships among Christians. Our text declares that it is part of that which produces healing among the Lord’s people.
The words ‘I am wrong’ have been said to be the three most difficult words to utter in the English language. Our pride is so strong that even when we apologize, we recite the circumstances that caused us to say or do the wrong thing. But when we put our personal pride in the proper place, we can say ‘I am wrong’ without all the excuses and addendums. It is this type of confession that touches the heart of the person to whom we confess our faults. This is one of the situations where we cannot look to the Lord Jesus as our example, because He was never wrong; He could commit no faults against others. And yet, those who came to Him with full and sincere confession of their sins and their faults were treated graciously and warmly.
The second element to healing among us is praying for each other. That means taking each and every member of the Assembly’s fellowship before the Throne of Grace. It’s not easy to pray for everybody, especially for those we aren’t particularly happy with just now. If we hold a grudge, we usually withhold prayer. But if we pray for somebody, it’s hard to retain a grudge against them. And that is why praying for each other is a crucial element to healing among us. Praying for each other also helps us to take an interest in each other.
The last part of our text, the part about the power of prayer, is recited frequently when we are praying for the salvation of our loved ones or those around us. It is also recited when we are dealing with major problems and tragic situations. And it certainly applies to those situations. But the context of this declaration about the power of prayer is in the context of Christians praying for each other. This shows the importance that God places on the healing of our relationships. If our heart is right before God, and if our prayers are fervent and effectual, we will see God work to produce harmony and love in His Assembly.
Nothing hinders the work of God so much as rifts and disagreements among His people. Let us confess our faults and pray that God will heal us. – Jim MacIntosh