James 5:12–20 (NKJV)
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 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 sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
James closes his epistle by encouraging the scattered Jewish Christians to pray, an encouragement which is just as fitting for us today.
If you are suffering, pray! “Lord, have mercy!” That mercy may come in many forms. It may come in the form of relief, but it also may come in the form of peace, or perseverance, or the learning of a needed lesson. It may even come in the form of death as the Lord finally delivers us from all evil of body and soul and brings us safely into His heavenly kingdom.
If you are cheerful, sing psalms, that is, songs of praise! And to whom are songs of praise sung but to the Lord? Another form of prayer.
If you are sick, James says, call for the elders (that is, pastors) of the church that they may pray for you. The healing James promises is the miraculous healing that was common in the apostolic era as the Holy Spirit manifested His gifts to confirm the apostles’ testimony. While physical healing is no longer promised, the healing of the forgiveness of sins is. Indeed, James assures us that the prayers of the righteous are always powerful and effective. God takes them very seriously and will surely hear and help, either in a miraculous way, as He did for the prophet Elijah, or in an “ordinary way.” That is, He may “simply” order the events of this universe so that all things must work together for good to those who love Him. In either case, you can be sure that God will take your prayers into account.
Finally, James gives us a powerful encouragement to love our brother who has “wandered from the truth.” If we succeed in turning him back to the truth, we will have been God’s instruments in saving his soul from death. What stronger incentive could there be to approach an erring brother in love and to do all we can to bring him back into the way of life?
Let us pray: Our Father in heaven, hear our prayers in times of suffering and in times of joy. In all things, may Your will be done; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
