The Power of Prayer

Meditations in the Season of Lent 

March 24, 2023

The Power of Prayer

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

James 5:13

Read: James 5:13-20

James closes his letter with a discussion of prayer that continues the theme he began in chapter one: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” For instance, James encourages the sick to go to the elders for anointing with oil and prayer. In that culture, the people believed there was a direct connection between sin and sickness. Doctors and medicine were not readily available, if at all. Today, when we are sick, our options include going to the pharmacy, calling our doctor, or going to a clinic or ER. The difference between our culture and first century Jerusalem reminds me of something Mother Teresa said, “You will never know Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have.”

God has blessed us to live in an age where we have many healthcare options, and we should use these. However, we also need to remember that God is the author of our life, and it is good to go to God in prayer in all our circumstances. Anointing and praying for the sick is an expression of the truth that our lives belong to God. By creation and redemption our lives belong to God.

James is very consistent with Paul in affirming that our life in Christ will overflow with joy and singing and prayer. These three are like a doctor taking our blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. When these measurements are abnormal, we are sick. So also, when there is an absence of joy, singing and prayer in our lives, we are spiritually sick.

To see how singing, joy and praise were an integral part of the life in Christ in the first century look up: 1 Corinthians 14:15, 26; Romans 15:9; Ephesians 5:19; and Colossians 3:16.

The news media reports a steady flow of stories of war, inflation, crime, and discord. It is easy for the reality of the world today to drift into the consciousness of the Christian and the Christian Church. We want our churches to stand against the world culture, but we also want our churches to be a safe place for our spiritual wellbeing. Let me reach back to a portion of yesterday’s reading to close these meditations on the Book of James.

My Takeaway: “. . . as you wait for the Lord’s return.” In reading this, I am reminded of a portion of the Eucharist liturgy: “When we receive, by faith, the bread and cup, we experience anew the presence of the Lord Christ Jesus in our lives as we look forward to him coming again in Final Victory.” Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.