The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – James 5:12-18 (day seven) 

 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. vs 16a

In the middle of a passage about healing physical sickness, James tells us that if we really want to be healed, we need to confess our sins. His reasoning for the correlation is threefold. One, sin is the root of sickness. God is not punishing someone because of their sin, but sickness is a result of the brokenness created by the fall. Sin exists; therefore, sickness exists. Secondly, spiritual wellness is paramount to any physical wellness. This is why Jesus would always say after healing someone, “Your sins are forgiven.” If our soul is not well, fruits such as joy, patience, and peace that are necessary to withstand trials will not be readily available. Lastly, by confessing to other people, you enable accountability. Not only will these brothers and sisters help you eradicate the sin, but they will come along side you when the going gets tough to give you encouragement and counsel. Confession is a necessary step in healing.

Re:Verse passage – James 5:12-18 (day six)

Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Jame 5:15

Pastor James is not encouraging some form of believe-ism, name it and claim it religion, or the power of positive confession, as if answered prayer is only limited by our imaginations. Nope, not at all. James has already told us that our prayers aren’t answered because we ask with the wrong motives. No amount of confession or speaking-it-into-existence will change that.

What he does teach, is that we can go to a personal God who is more than able to forgive our sin and heal our sickness (sometimes the two are connected).

We put our faith in God, not our power to think something into existence, as if prayer uttered in “faith” is some form of magical incantation. Praying like that is more akin to witchcraft (control or manipulation of the natural world), than anything resembling the prayers of the faithful.

Re:Verse passage – James 5:12-18 (day five)

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.

Were YOU encouraged by the ReVerse passage this week?  Did you sense that you were welcomed and encouraged to experience grace, strength, and help?

God’s invitation to seek and find Him through prayer and praise is not just for the “Super Saints” it’s for Anyone. It’s for YOU, it’s for ME.  We are on this invitation list.  There is help!  There is encouragement!  There are promises!  For Anyone!!

Re:Verse passage – James 5:12-18 (day four)

In this week’s passage, James continues his exhortation to practical living.  No matter the circumstances, prayer is the proper response.  Suffering or in need?  Pray.  Cheerful?  Pray.  Are you sick?  Pray.  Have you sinned?  Confess and pray.  The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.  Whenever you are in doubt, pray.

What is your first response when things happen?  Is your first inclination to praise God…to thank God…to seek God…to confess to God?  By seeking God first, we acknowledge that He is God.  We do not try to seek our own way or do things in our own power.  The apostle Paul also taught this truth to us… “Pray without ceasing.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:17); as well as Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount…“Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)  Want to live a life of righteousness?  Make prayer your first priority, which translates to making God your first priority!

Re:Verse passage – James 5:12-18 (day three)

“Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.”

Where in James’s vision of humanity could one find people in all their many circumstances welcoming not just everybody, but every part of everybody – their brokenheartedness, their joys, their pain, their hope, their despair, their griefs, their glories, their sicknesses, their strengths, their weaknesses? That would be the church, James says. When one lives with others in the fellowship of Christ, there’s room for those who feel bad and for those who have just discovered good, for those who need someone to weep with them and those who need someone to laugh with them. James knew the church’s word to the world is not to be “We’ll be nicer to you than the world is,” but rather “We’ll never forsake you because Jesus didn’t forsake us.”

Re:Verse passage – James 5:12-18 (day two)

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment. vs. 12

Whether in your spiritual walk or other areas of your life, it is important to establish what you believe, what you stand for, and what you will represent. It’s ok to have an opinion. We are often too worried about how that will come across to others. Many times it is not our opinion that offends people as much as how we force it on others. In conversations with others I will often lead with “I’m willing to be wrong, but this is what I believe.” We often don’t take enough time to truly examine why we believe what we believe, and that leads to indifference. James has something to say about that. Start with the things that matter. Who is Jesus to you? Know what you believe about him, and then speak with love and conviction.

Re:Verse passage – James 5:7-11 (day seven)

Patience is not something that western culture is particularly proficient at. We have been spoiled by our own ingenuity. We have fast food, microwaves, smart phones, robot vacuums (just to name a few) all designed to make life faster. We are always looking for a quick fix, so when God asks us to be patient, we often expect the results of our patience to be put in a microwave as well.

“The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.” vs 7

The farmer is patiently waiting for the rain, but what happens if there is a drought? What if the rain doesn’t come? Our tendency in this scenario is to look for the quick fix. We think we can help God by taking matters into our own hands. Our ingenuity may create relief in the moment, but the quick fix never solves the problem permanently.

Even when the rain doesn’t come, what God has in store is better than anything we could ever attempt to create! Even when the rain doesn’t come… it is well!

Re:Verse passage – James 5:7-11 (day six)

⁹ Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! James 5:9

When tensions rise we can be tempted to turn on one another. We have the inclination to grumble, complain, gossip, or slander. Pastor James offers a stern warning-God does not approve of that behavior, especially when things get tough.

Why do you suppose? Is it just considered bad behavior, unkind, or immoral?

Or perhaps Pastor James wants us to know that when life gets tough that’s when we need each other most. Replacing grumbling, with words of grace, we discover the faith to have the patience Pastor James prescribes.

Re:Verse passage – James 5:7-11 (day five)

“Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.”

I am by nature a visual learner, meaning that often times I can understand or grasp a truth or principle if I can see it or visualize it. I suspect I am not alone. Our Re:Verse passage this week has helped me see (in James’ word pictures) that patience is not an inactive or idle task. Whether in waiting or suffering, patience goes hand in hand with activity.  While the farmer waits for the rain, he still must work and tend the land. Weeds removed. Fertilizer added. Patience while waiting requires me to tend my heart (the soil of the gospel).

Patience while suffering looks like activity.  See what the prophets did?  They spoke the Word of God. When I suffer, I can do the same thing. First, I can speak the promises and character of God to myself, then by His grace I can share it with others.

Whether I’m waiting and/or suffering, James shows me what I can do. I can work and serve, I can preach and teach (to myself and others). Thank you, Lord for your helpful pictures and wisdom!