James 5:13-16 NIV

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 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. 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. 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.

Reflection:

When most people talk about prayer, it is usually with the thought of a person sitting by themselves, in a quiet room. Yet, the picture that James paints for us in this passage is quite different. Basically, he is giving open invitation to those who are sick and hurting to seek out their fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord, so that they together may pray and see God’s powerful work done. Yes, we are to pray on our own, and bring the deep things of our heart to the Lord. However, God did not want us to carry the burden all by ourselves. That is why He gave us the church. Together we can experience victory, healing, restoration and forgiveness. What a wonderful gift it is to be a part of His loving community together.

Response:

Let’s spend some time praying for the church as a whole. Let’s ask that we would continue to experience together God’s power and love demonstrated in even more awe inspiring ways, so that those around us may see, and want to be a part of what He is doing among us.