Verse 17 has "in my name" which qualifies the meaning. I already addressed this in post #10 and gave an gotquestions.org citation on the subject.
Granted, the verse do not have qualifiers. I show by way of a question that there must be qualifiers that I grant are not in the verses.
Example:
So if you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and you pray that God will tell a lie do you actually think that God will answer your prayer in the affirmative? If you interpretation is correct God must either:
1) tell a lie or
2) not grant your prayer request which according to your interpretation is a lie
..... you've force God to lie. Your interpretation has brutal repercussions IMO.
The passage raises a number of difficult interpretive questions. What kind of suffering does James have in view in verse 13? What type of sickness is in view in verse 14? Why are the prayers of the elders different from those of other believers (vv. 14–15)? What is the anointing with oil described in verse 14? Does the prayer of faith (v. 15) always restore the sick? How does sickness relate to sin (v. 15)? What type of healing is in view in verse 16? Why does James insert an illustration about rain (vv. 17–18) into the middle of a discussion of healing?
The key to answering those questions and properly interpreting the passage lies in understanding it in its context. The Bible is not a random collection of verses that may be interpreted in isolation. To properly understand any passage one must interpret it in light of the paragraphs immediately preceding and following it, the chapter or section it is in, and the book containing it. Context provides the flow of thought in which any given passage of Scripture exists. To ignore context is to sacrifice a proper interpretation; it has well been said that a text without a context is a pretext. Therefore, before attempting to interpret this challenging passage, a review of the context in which it was written is essential and helpful. John MacArthur
I won't belabor the answer. Context matters.
There is a simple hermeuneutic: When in doubt use other explicit verses to interpret implicit verses. Given the so many contrary interpretations of these verse I would definitely categorize these as IMPLICIT (confusing) verses.
Also, here is why your interpretation of that verse doesn't make sense:
1. Jesus stated that there will be people who will say to Him that they cast out demons in His name, but He will tell them that He did not know them
The verses I gave was in regard to believers prayer requests. This is irrelevant as it is in regard to unbelievers.
2. Jesus stated that satan cannot cast out demons because a house divided cannot stand
The verses I gave was in regard to believers prayer requests. This is irrelevant as it is in regard to satan.
3. If those people did cast out demons in Jesus' name, then they could have only done so through the power of God
Agreed, but not relevant. The verses I gave was in regard to believers prayer requests which is the subject we are discussing.
4. If they did cast out demons through the power of God, then that means that it is God's will to cast out demons through people whom He doesn't know
Agreed. God can use unbelievers and satan to accomplish His goals. I.E. Satan given permission to persecute Job.
5. If God's will is to cast out demons through people whom He doesn't know, then why would it not be His will to cast out demons through Christians?
On some occasions it may be God's will. You'd have to ask Him.
Aside: Technically, the WHY question does not apply to God for it suggests there is an external reason for God to do this or that. God is NOT effected by others; He is not controlled in any way.
Job 35:7,
Job 23:13, Psalm 33:15 , Acts 17:25
But to drive even deeper ... why would God answers your prayers when:
Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the
Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
God can only execute the BEST PLAN if it is HIS plan, therefore your prayers better be in accordance to His will.
Ephesians 1:9,11 He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, … 11 In Him also we have received an inheritance [a destiny—we were claimed by God as His own], having been predestined (chosen, appointed beforehand) according to the purpose of Him
who works everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His will ...
HIS WILL, NOT YOURS ... IN JESUS NAME (HIS WILL), NOT YOURS.
Systematic theology books look at the whole picture. Individual verses can be misleading.