“Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? 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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and he Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:13-16).
A study on prayer on www.biblegateway.com offers some interesting thoughts. Since the study is quite lengthy, I will try to cover some of its highlights. “For his (James) concluding instructions to suffering Christians, he dwells on the matter of prayer with three emphases: when to pray, how to pray, and why to pray. James’ first emphasis is on the diversity of circumstances for prayer.” Pray is the key that will unlock the answers to the questions posed in today’s verses. We seem to pray harder when circumstances are bad. “Is anyone cheerful or encouraged? Like James’s original readers, we might allow times of happiness to make us complacent, and so we would pray less.” During those merry times, we are to “sing psalms.” Psalms were set to music and many of them are prayers. “Pray in all kinds of circumstances. The habit of prayer should be, and indeed is, one of the most obvious features which differentiates a Christian from other people.”
(quote from Tasker, 1983.) The study writer lists four principles for an effective prayer life (listed below with my comments).
1. We should call upon the elders of the church for prayer. (This is an expression of our faith.)
2. We are to pray in the name of the Lord. (This expresses our submission.)
3. We are to offer prayer in faith. (This dispels doubt or a lack of faith.)
4. Pray united as repentant sinners. (There may be a need for physical and spiritual healing)
“These verses, coming as the conclusion to all James has addressed in his reader’s lives, describe a healing of their relationships with God and with each other….Instead of judging each other, we will be driven to confess to each other. Instead of desiring to place guilt on each other, we will become eager to forgive each other. Instead of moving to criticize, we will move to intercede for each other….The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. …this reveals the vigorous expectation that God dynamically answers prayer.”
I close today’s devotional with one last comment from the study program on prayer: “Commit yourself to doing what is right without compromise; then you may rely on God in prayer for all your needs.”
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for former FWBIM missionary Sherwood Lee as he attends the funeral of his brother Gordon, today in South Carolina.
