A Few Thoughts on the Epistle of James—James 5:13-20

C3 The Christian life—Prayer James 5:13-20

D1 Believers Should Sing If Happy and If Sick Should Pray James 5:13-16

D2 Believers Should Know of the Example of Elijah James 5:17-18

D3 Believers Should Guide Our Erring Brothers and Sisters Back to Truth James 5:19-20

James 5:13-20 WEL Is any among you experiencing troubles? You must pray. Is any happy? Then sing praise. 14 Is any among you sick? Then summon the church’s elders, and let them pray for them, anointing them with oil in the Lord’s name. 15 The prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, they will be forgiven. 16 Confess [your] sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. 17 Elijah was a man with emotions just like us, he earnestly prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the ground for three years and six months. 18 Then, he prayed again, the sky yielded rain, and the ground produced its crops. 19 Brothers, if any of you wanders from the truth, and someone brings him back again, 20 Then let him understand that whoever brings the sinner back again from that wandering path he was on will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

• Here are some more directions from James for living a Christian life.
• Emotions=
  • Troubles
    • We must pray. James does not tell us that God answers our prayers the way we want them or even how long to pray.
    • Philippians 4:6-7 CSB Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
    • Acts 12:5 BSB So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him.
    • An example: Genesis 32:9-12 CSB Then Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, 'Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,' "I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. Indeed, I crossed over the Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps. "Please rescue me from my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children. "You have said, 'I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to be counted.
  • Happiness
    • We sing praise
    • For teaching, admonishing, and thankfulness: Colossians 3:16 BSB Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
    • God also sings: Zephaniah 3:17 BSB The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.
    • For deliverance: Isaiah 35:10 BSB and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Joy and gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
  • Sickness
    • We call upon our leaders and fellow believers
    • Many understand this to refer to placing a believer in God’s hands for strengthening the body and soul and for safety of his/her soul.
    • We still must seek the assistance of a physician because it might be the means God brings healing. If we are sick, we are to seek the assistance of a licensed health care person.
    • There is no guarantee offered in the Scriptures of always happening.
• Prayer of faith
  • Faith is believing God, not a manipulation of God guaranteeing what we pray for.
  • God’s will is to be prayed for. 1 John 5:14 CSB This is the confidence we have before him: If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
  • The prayer of faith is a prayer that God’s will be done.
  • Sometimes sickness is caused by sin. Confession of the sin brings healing.
  • It is the faith of the elders, not the sick.
  • James could be referring to a spiritual sickness, not physical sickness.
  • Then James gives examples of God’s answering Elijah’s prayer.
• Confessing sins
  • All sin is against God and His law.
  • All sin must be confessed to God. We must acknowledge that truth of our sin, not cover it up.
  • If the only one knows of my sin, then I confess and ask forgiveness of only God.
  • If I sinned against one person, then I go to God and the person I sinned against to make things right.
  • If I sinned publicly then, I go to God and the public.
  • There are still consequences to sin. A pastor who sins may be permanently banned from pastoring. Today, we see too many fallen pastors who have abused, sexually molested, and other heinous sins starting new churches. This is a very wicked practice.
• We are to seek for those who have wandered from the faith.
  • Questions they have not being answered, so we can answer them.
  • Offended by someone in the congregation, so we can deal with that offender. This would include exposing the offender’s sin and removing them from church if necessary.
  • Drifted from lack of Bible reading and prayer.
  • Drifted from not understanding Christian doctrine.
  • Drifted from wanting to sin.
  • Drifted from something happening to them as addictions, homelessness, etc. That the congregation can help.
• Delivering a soul from death
  • Does not mean a guaranteed physical healing
  • The removal of sin refers to God’s forgiveness. There still might be consequences of sin as we read when King David raped Bathsheba and then had her husband killed.
  • Physical healing is wonderful, but how much more spiritual healing.
• We need to help each other both those who have sinned and those tempted to sin.

Questions=

• Name some of the rules we must follow as taught in this passage.
• Why should we pray?
• What if God does not heal? How are we to respond?
• How can we prevent wandering from the faith?
• How do we seek those who have wandered from the faith?

“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.” –Hudson Taylor

“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” –Abraham Lincoln

Romans 12:1-2 CSB Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Colossians 3:5-10 CSB Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, God's wrath is coming upon the disobedient, and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.

Romans 15:13 CSB Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 31:24 CSB Be strong, and let your heart be courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 CSB May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.