James 5:13-20

James 5:13-20
¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ 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. 

Reliance and God and recognizing Him in all aspects of our lives.

¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

My sister died of breast cancer and we prayed for her healing.  Does that make these verses a lie? NO!  Re-reading 15 and 16 together makes me think this is a sickness brought on by sin.  David in Psalm 51:8 talks of his bones being crushed and only after the sin came out that he began to heal. 

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  ¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸ Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

A righteous person is pursuing God.  They walk with God and listen to Him.  A righteous person prays within the will of God.  Therefore, God answers the prayers of the righteous.  Our prayers are not answered because we too often pray for our own selfish gain. (James 4:3)

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

It's not that we give them forgiveness, it's that our faithfulness in bringing them back to the faith prevents them from future sins. 

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.