13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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 one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. [1] 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
This passage says so much to me about the type of relationships that a Christian should have. The level of openness and interdependence is hard to grasp. Running throughout is the thread of prayer for one another. While I struggle with v. 15 and whether saving is eternal or physical and whether the lifting up is out of bed or into heaven, the point is clear: we need to be praying for each other and we need to share our needs with each other. The most difficult but perhaps the most important is the confessing sins to each other and the corresponding prayer. Some groups expect confession to be unidirectional, which is not what James says. We need to be open with each other, even to sharing our flaws. Tough stuff for poor old Harold.
- In what situations does James recommend prayer?
- Why might you be reluctant to confess your sins to another person?
- How does it help when both parties confess their sins to each other?
- Which seems more powerful to you: prayer that stops rain for over 3 years or prayer that asks for forgiveness from God?
- Why might you be reluctant to try to turn a straying Christian back to the truth?
- What is the benefit of turning back a straying Christian?
- How does your relationship with other Christians determine how fully you will obey this passage?
This passage says so much to me about the type of relationships that a Christian should have. The level of openness and interdependence is hard to grasp. Running throughout is the thread of prayer for one another. While I struggle with v. 15 and whether saving is eternal or physical and whether the lifting up is out of bed or into heaven, the point is clear: we need to be praying for each other and we need to share our needs with each other. The most difficult but perhaps the most important is the confessing sins to each other and the corresponding prayer. Some groups expect confession to be unidirectional, which is not what James says. We need to be open with each other, even to sharing our flaws. Tough stuff for poor old Harold.
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