Prayer 2021 - August 11 - What James Had to Say About Prayer pt 6

Scripture For Today:

2 Chronicles 6:38

“…and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name…”

What James Had to Say About Prayer pt 6

We have been studying what the Apostle James had to say about prayer. We have been studying the verses from James 5:13-18:

“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 the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 

Confess your faults one to another, and pray on for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth by the space of three years and six months! And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

Yesterday, I left off with a discussion of weak Christians who feel the need to call everyone in the prayer chain for mild ailments that they should have the Spiritual authority to take care of through praying by themselves! Amen!

When you look at verse number 14, James clearly says that if a person is unable to pray for themselves, if they are so sick, etc., THEN you call for the elders of the church to come, anoint the person with oil and pray for them.

If you read this verse with that intent, it makes complete sense. And it clears up any misunderstanding of needing other people to intercede for you and for you to keep bother others every time you have a headache. Amen!

If you continue reading, James says, “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 the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

That does not mean the person is sick because he committed some serious sin. It could be – but it does not mean that.  James is simply saying that the reason SOME people are sick is because they have been living a life of sin.

Think about drug addicts, etc. They get all sorts of diseases because of the life they choose to live. When their body actually starts shutting down, they get desperate and may actually call a believer who has been witnessing to them before to come and pray for them.

If that’s you, then you go over and pray – in Faith with no doubting. And when the Lord raises them up, do you think that you will have their attention?  Of course!  That is the time to start witnessing to them and telling them the rest of the verse…

“…if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 

Confess your faults one to another, and pray on for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

You then have an opportunity to lead them to the Lord in prayer. Amen! Isn’t that what it is all about to begin with? Amen!

“Well, brother Bob, what if they go back out and sin again?”

First, that is between them and the Lord.

Second, your only job is to be tool in the Lord’s hand.

Third, if you do your job and the Lord does His job – and the person still falls back into sin, at least they MAY have actually meant the prayer when they prayed it. And that is all it takes.

We have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God – even after we were born again! I know I have…and I know you have, too. Amen!

Look, this is already getting long for today, so I’ll wrap up with this…

The true Spiritual condition of any person is none of your business. Period. It is between them and the Lord. Your only job is to witness and pray and be there for them as Jesus’ representative when they need you to be.  It is not up to you to berate them, argue with them or condemn them for sin they do. That is between them and the Lord. He knows how to reach them. 

Just lift them up to Him in prayer and let Him be God, not you. It works out so much better that way.

Let’s Pray!

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