Spiritual War and Effectual Prayer

Kathy—Spiritual war requires effectual prayer.  Before James 5:16 talks about effectual prayer and its powerful results, it first says: “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.”  In the previous verse 15, it said the prayer of faith heals the sick. Verse 16 says prayer after confession of your faults heals.  Evidently, verse 15 is healing of the body and verse 16 is healing of the heart (soul).  Verse 16 goes on to say: “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (NASB) “Very strong is a righteous petition, being made effective.” (LITV) That tells us that effectual prayer that gets powerful results is prayer from a healed heart able to pray from a right motive and perspective.