Spend time in prayer and silence with God, asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
– James 5:13-16
Devotion
James now gives some very practical advice to those who are sick and in trouble. Pray and seek healing! He says, “call the elders of the church to pray,” over you. The anointing with oil was a medicinal as well as a symbolic practice. We see this when Hezekiah was sick, they put something medicinal on the boil that he had. Here at Oak Pointe, our Elders regularly pray for the sick and anoint them with oil. So prayer is our first resource, but then we should also seek out medical advice and help. There are many doctors/healers in this world that have been given a special gift from God. All sickness in this world is the result of living in a “fallen” world. Therefore, James equates sickness with original sin. Therefore, he emphasizes “confession” in this passage. Part of complete healing is to recognize the source of all sickness in the world. We are not only to confess our sins to God but to each other as well. James closes out this section by affirming that prayer has tremendous influence and that Christians should therefore pray.
The Big Question
What are you talking to God about? Are you devoted to prayer whether things are going well or not? Are you currently sick? Have you requested the Elders of the church to pray over you?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence, asking God to meet with you and speak to you.