Opening Prayer
Gracious God, the psalmist describes you as the One who answers prayer. Thank you for not only listening, but for answering when I come to you.
Read JAMES 5:13–20
The Prayer of Faith
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
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Meditate
Let’s come to God today recognizing that he is God and that our only response to him is to acknowledge his greatness and our humanness.
Think Further
Our final passage focuses on the topic of prayer, particularly prayer in times of sickness. The problem of sickness is an omnipresent reality and James is clear that the only approach to be taken is to pray and, where necessary, to call others to pray. These prayers, offered in faith, says James, will lead to healing (v. 15) as will the confession of sin (v. 16). James supports this teaching with the example of Elijah who ‘prayed earnestly’ (v. 17), highlighting persistence in prayer.
This seems straightforward, but we know it is not quite as simple. I am sure we can all recite examples in which James’ instructions have been followed but the person being prayed for has not received that healing. Great sensitivity, therefore, needs to be exercised in applying this passage. First, not all sickness is the result of sin1 and not all sin leads to sickness. Second, our prayers are always heard but, difficult as it may be to accept, God does not always remove sickness.2 God is not our puppet who will respond every time we pull the strings.
Prayer and healing are mysteries and none of us can provide an adequate answer to why some do not receive healing. The Western world, at least, places a high premium on eliminating anything that causes even the mildest discomfort – while at the same time some of our brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world face struggles on a daily basis that we, in the West, cannot imagine. Perhaps we need to develop a theology that allows for suffering and not just healing. Even as we do this, we can take heart that there will come a time when we will no longer require a theology of suffering or healing, because there will be no more pain, crying, or death.3
Apply
What steps would help you to develop a theology of suffering and of healing? How might we help our communities to develop such theology?
Closing prayer
Thank you for your gift of prayer, Heavenly Father. Help me to pray with faith, to be persistent, and through it, to deepen my relationship with you.
Last Updated on April 15, 2024 by kingstar
