James 5: 13 – 20 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Reflection We have reached the end of the letter of James, a letter filled with moral teachings and warnings, only to end on teachings about prayer.
What is interesting about this teaching is that James focuses both on the prayers of individuals – pray when you are suffering or happy – and on communal prayer – if you are sick, call the elders of the church to pray for you and anoint you. A reminder of the spiritual oversight that elders hold within our congregations, and not just administrative oversight.
James seems to take this further encouraging us to not only pray for healing, but also to pray for forgiveness after we have confessed our sins to each other! When was the last time we confessed our sins publicly? Do we even want to confess our sins publicly? What ridicule would that rain down on our heads? What shame would we open ourselves up to? On the other hand, when was the last time we admitted to those we hurt that we were wrong – when did we put our faith into action and trust in a forgiving community to help heal us?
By using the example of Elijah to stress the power of prayer, James is saying that the prayers of individuals and an entire community can save the sick and restore people – that prayer is powerful and effective. But I am also powerfully aware that not all prayers are answered as we would hope; so, what then? ‘Prayer has carried people from all walks of life through the most difficult of circumstances. Prayer is the catalyst for healing, the conduit through which doors are opened, and the assurance that we will make it through today and have hope for a brighter tomorrow. Prayer changes things!’*
* From commentary on James 5:13-20 by Gay L. Byron on workingpreacher.com
Prayer Lord, we confess that we have sinned against you and against others – please forgive us. Lord, we confess that we have not had faith in the power of prayer to change circumstances and us – please forgive us. Lord, thank you that you want to hear from us. Amen.
Today’s writer
The Revd Ruth Armstrong, Minister at The Vale URC Broadstairs and Hardres Street United Church, Ramsgate.
St. Andrew's United Reformed Church - The United Reformed Church in Monkseaton and Whitley Bay
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