And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well, the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
James 5:15
James tells us that prayer is the key to every situation. In trouble? Pray. Happy, sing praises (which are just prayers set to music). Sick, call the elders and let them pray over you. Does it mean you’ll always get the answer you want? Of course not. Our will has to be aligned with his. The answer may be ”no” for a reason we’d probably not even understand. Or the timing may not line up with God’s timing.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and affective.
James 5:16
This scripture reminds me of the women that I attend Bible study with. After our study time, we always share prayer concerns and then pray over them. I have been amazed to see the answers we’ve received to some of those prayers. We often have others request us to pray for situations or people. They do that because they see how God works through this little group of women who pray with unwavering faith.
But, we must each do our share. Prayer is the responsibility of every believer. James talks about Elijah praying that it wouldn’t rain. This went on for 3 and a half years. Then he prayed for rain and it rained causing the crops to grow. James 5:17-18
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this; Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
James 5:19-20
James parting words encourage us to pray to help someone who has fallen from the faith. Prayer is the hope for every sinner. If it weren’t for a God who loves us and wants what is best for us, what would our lives be like? I can’t imagine that there would be any hope for a future of any kind except misery. Especially during our dark times of trouble when we feel like the world is against us and nothing is going right. God is still there. He’s waiting for you to reach out to him. He wants to comfort you and give you hope for a better tomorrow.
This study of James has opened my eyes to the wisdom of the brother of Jesus who wanted the new Christians to remember the laws. He encouraged them and warned them when they were doing wrong. I find it to still be good advice to Christians today.
Thanks for joining me in this study. Look for more studies in the future. As always, I welcome your comments and/or questions.
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 