PRAYER UNTAPPED
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, the psalmist describes you as the One who answers prayer. Thank you for not only listening, but for answering when I come to you.
Read JAMES 5:13–20
The Prayer of Faith
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. 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. 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.
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.
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Reflect
Begin by reflecting on how you pray. What do you find helpful? What hinders you from praying? How could you refresh the rhythms of your prayer life?James brings us full circle as he concludes his letter. Asking God for wisdom began this missive (1:5) and now, after extensive advice on how to practically live out our faith, James concludes by reminding us of the importance of prayer. In the film Shadowlands, CS Lewis reflected that, ‘It doesn’t change God; it changes me.’ Without drawing on this untapped resource, without depending on the power of God, our desire to resist temptation, to live generously, and grow in wisdom will inevitably fail.
Prayer acknowledges our fragility and an intimacy with God that reaches out in our suffering and rejoices with him in our gladness (v. 13). It can feel safer to pray alone, and yet being prayed for by our leaders (v. 14), praying with others, and confessing our sins together, (v. 16) recognize that we are part of a community of faith, caring for each other, believing that prayer is ‘powerful and effective’ (v. 16).
Being reminded of Elijah, who patiently persevered in prayer (vv. 17, 18), encourages us that sharing our own stories of prayer strengthens our faith and deepens our dependence on God. Together, let’s make prayer a habit, one that reaches out to an immutable, dependable, and powerful God—a habit that transforms us and our communities.
Apply
What part does prayer play in your walk with God? Do you find yourself doing most of the talking, or do you take time to listen?
Closing prayer
Thank you for your gift of prayer, Heavenly Father. Help me to pray with faith, to be persistent, and through it, to deepen my relationship with you.
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