Read from your Bible James 5:13-18 and reflect on Prayer.

James points out some key things about prayer.  I would like to point out a few.

First James tells us to prayer if we are suffering.  We have a God who hears us and he wants us to come to him, to ask him for help.  By asking God it also allows us t reflect on weather we are asking in our will or God’s will.

Second if things are going well, Praise God!  He wants us to praise him, sing psalms to him, when things are going well in our life.  Don’t forget where all blessings come from!  If we are in God’s will, even if things are not going as we want them to, we need to be singing blessings to God.  I think of Paul and Silas in prison singing to God (Acts 16:25).  Were things going well? No, but they were in God’s will and they were praising God for being able to preach the Word.  Praise God!

Third: Sick, call the elders!  If I have a runny noise should I call the elders, no.  If I am really sick, I am instructed to call for prayer.  Often I hear people say “I was sick and no one came, they just don’t care” to which I ask DID YOU CALL THE ELDERS (leaders)? To which they usually say NO!  We can not expect the leaders to know we are sick through osmosis or rumors.  WE MUST CALL if we need prayer for our illness.  God heals through the power of prayer!
“let them [the leaders] pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” What does this mean?  In part oil was used as medicine but does this mean they will heal us? No!  It is a combination of many things, first that we are in God’s will, do we need to ask for forgiveness. Remember Job was sick not because of what he did but because he was being tested.  We might be sick not because we have sinned but because God is allowing us to be tested.  Part of this is how we react to this.  Also remember SIN is part of this fallen world and as such illnesses overtake us all and we will all die at some point, unless Jesus comes back first.

Forth, GOD HEALS.  Is this the healing we want, not always, sometimes it is the ultimate healing, taking us home to heaven.  Sometimes it is the healing we want.  In all cases we are to give God praises.

Grace is because of God, not us, not elders, not the preacher, but GOD Alone!  We need to always remember this and always give him praises for the grace he gives.
James 5:13-18 (NKJV)
Meeting Specific Needs
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.