Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. (Amp)
James 5:16
The Bible says Jesus was anointed with both the Holy Spirit and with power(Acts 10:38)
meaning there is a difference between the two. That is, it is one thing to have the Holy Spirit and another to have power. By power, we mean supernatural ability to heal the sick, cast out demons and do the things Jesus did. Being full of the Holy Spirit is quite passive because you just need to be prayed for but recieving power is relatively active. For this reason, many believers have the Holy Spirit but not power. How then can we have power also?
In Jesus' life, it is seen in Luke 4:1 that He was filled with the Holy Spirit but after the 40days fasting and prayer, he was also filled with power(Luke 4:14).
In today's verse also, James brings to our knowledge that it is the effective prayer of a righteous man that makes power available. These two therefore confirm that the source of tapping into divine power is prayer especially when augmented by fasting.
LIFE APPLICATION
If you want to walk in power as Jesus and the early apostles did, then you must be dedicated to prayer.
PRAYER
Lord I receive the grace to tarry in prayer continually.
