James 5:13-18
Scripture
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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 one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
Devotion
We began this week with a passage that brings every season of life before God, from suffering and sickness to cheerfulness and confession, and we have spent the days since considering what it means to pray as people who believe God hears. In 1 Kings 18 we watched Elijah bow low on Mount Carmel and keep praying until a small cloud rose from the sea, and in Luke 18 we heard Jesus teach His followers to pray always and not lose heart, assuring them that their Father will give justice to those who cry out to Him.
Each of these passages points us back to the character of God. He is the Lord who holds the rain and the harvest in His hand, the Father who listens to His children day and night, and the One who forgives sin and restores His people when they confess it. Because Jesus lives to intercede for us at the right hand of the Father, we can come to God with confidence, knowing that our prayers are welcomed by Him.
Your response to what God has shown you is what matters most as you prepare for Sunday. Perhaps this week has stirred up a request you had given up on, or perhaps it has brought to mind a sin you need to confess or a person you need to ask to pray with you. Whatever God has spoken, write it down in your journal below and bring it with you to worship this Sunday, ready to offer it to the Lord.
HEAR About It
Respond
Write your response to God. What has He spoken to you this week through James 5:13-18? What will you do about it? A prayer, a commitment, a confession? Make it honest and make it yours.
Prayer and Reflection
Take a few minutes to sit quietly and reflect on the passage you read today. Let the Holy Spirit bring to mind what stood out to you and why. Then spend some time in prayer. Pray for the people around you, for your outlook on this day, and for the needs you are carrying in your own life.
Lord, You are the God who hears the prayers of Your people, and this week You have reminded me that I can bring You my suffering, my joy, my sickness, and my sin. Make me someone who keeps praying and does not lose heart, and prepare me to worship You with Your people this Sunday. In the name of Jesus, who intercedes for us, Amen.
