Are you praying regularly?
Old Camel Knees ( James 5:13-20)
The Key Scriptures:
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 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. 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. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 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. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
James 5:13-20 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jas.5.13-20.NIV
Are you praying regularly?
When your heart is in trouble, do you pray?
If anyone among you is sick, do you call an elder to pray?
When you get discouraged , do you pray?
Frustrated?
The prayer of the of the righteous man is powerful and effective.
Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
When your happy, do you recognize God in the midst of your happiness? Are you grateful to God when you are happy? Sings praise and give glory to God?
When we’re in our suffering we tend to stop asking God for help. We tend to give up. We think that it’s God’s fault and He isn’t helping us, but we are supposed to ask so we can receive. Well, how often do we just think God will help us and don’t ask? He is always with us, but God wants us to talk to Him and cry out for Him. If we don’t ask we can’t receive.
We have the blessing to pray for others, but we take it for granted and turn away, when we need to keep praying earnestly in faith.
We can’t run this race on our own, let go of your pride and cling to those God has placed in your life to help you. We need to start taking care of each other, and one of the best ways to do that is through prayer
INTERPRETATION OF James 5:14
- Practice of Annointing
- Apostolic Healing
- Ecclesiastical (pre-medical)
- Guaranteed Healing
- Ceremonial or Customary
“Clearly, God does not grant immediate healing for every prayer of faith,
and the reasons are hidden in the heart and mind of God. Still, many are not healed…
The best approach in praying for the sick is to pray with humble confidence that they will be healed,
unless God clearly and powerfully makes it clear that this is not His will.
Having prayed,
we simply leave the matter
to God.”
If these were the only verses in the Bible on healing, we would assume that a Christian could be assured of healing from every illness that comes in life, if he met the conditions listed. However, we have already seen from other Scriptures that it is not always God’s will to heal (2 Tim. 4:20, 2 Cor. 12:7-10). Therefore we are forced to the conclusion that James is not talking about every kind of illness, but only about a certain form of sickness, that is, a sickness which is the result of certain specific circumstances. The key to understanding the passage is found in the words “And if he has committed sins, he will be forgive.” Healing in this section is connected with the forgiveness of sins.
Here is a man who has committed some sin, probably involving the testimony of the local church. Shortly afterward he is stricken with illness. He realizes that this sickness is a direct result of his sin. God is chastening him in order to bring him back into fellowship. He repents of his sins and confesses it to God. But since the sin has also involved the public testimony of the assembly, he calls the elders and makes a full confession to them as well. They pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. This prayer of faith saves the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up. It is a definite promise of the Lord that where sickness is a direct result of sin, and where that sin is confessed and forsake. In the manner described, the Lord will heal.
So, why do we pray?
Though many people believe that praying is only for religious people, the act of praying can be beneficial for anyone, regardless of their beliefs.
Praying can offer a sense of peace and calm, help to refocus one’s thoughts, and provide a feeling of connection to something larger than oneself.
The benefits of praying:
Praying can offer a sense of peace and calm. In our fast-paced, constantly-connected world, it can be difficult to find time to just be still. Prayer can provide a much-needed respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Even just a few minutes of prayer can help to clear your mind and allow you to focus on what is truly important.
Praying can also help to refocus your thoughts. When you pray, you are forced to slow down and think about what you are saying. This can help you to focus on the positive aspects of your life and to let go of negative thoughts and worry. Prayer can also help you to see your problems in a new light and to find new solutions to them.
Finally, praying can provide a feeling of connection to something larger than yourself. And that is God, who is the most powerful, all-knowing, forever present God.
Whether you believe in a specific religion or not, praying can help you to feel connected to a community of like-minded people. It can also help you to feel connected to a higher power or to the universe as a whole. This feeling of connection can provide a sense of comfort and peace.
