ANSWERS FOR COMMON PROBLEMS
JAMES 5:13-16
JAMES 5:13-16 NKJ
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
James, according to historians, was a pastor. He lived with the people and saw them experience everyday problems and persecution.
So, in typical James just the facts fashion, he offers straightforward answers to some of the problems of life. And we see that James believed in the power of God. It was way too early in church history to have developed a religion without power. The early church was strong in their belief that God was big and did big things.
Anyone suffering? Here's your answer - let him pray. Could you share a bit more, James? Nope, pray. God is bigger than suffering, and prayer is a connection with Him so pray.
Anyone happy? Sing psalms. James did not feel the need to elaborate.
How about sick? Anyone sick? Call for the elders, typically the older leaders in the church, and have them pray. The elders would anoint or put oil on the sick in the name of the Lord. Now catch this marvelous answer. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. But what if he had sinned? Yep, got that covered too; his sins will be forgiven. Talk about a one-stop spiritual shop, healed and forgiven.
Then he advocates for being genuine with fellow believers. Confess when you have done wrong and pray for one another that you may be healed. No game playing or posturing, just honesty and prayer, and healing.
James believed in prayer, and his words were inspired of the Lord. A heartfelt, energized prayer from a believer is powerful. In just these four verses, James covered a lot of territory.
APPLICATION:
I think we make things too complicated at times. I appreciate James' brevity and simplicity.
There are bonafide answers when we pray. Relief from suffering, healing, forgiveness, and the promise that anyone belonging to Christ has the potential for prayer that causes change.
So look at these powerful verses and make a choice to put some of these answers into your life. Prayer would be a great place to start.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Father. You have equipped me to pray effectively. Show me how I can make progress in this area. And thank You for making healing available for Your children.