Devotional: Pray for One Another James 5:13-16

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (Jas. 5:16, NASB).

I received an email from my sister. She mentions that a well known public figure writes in their new book that they will never forgive another person because of their wrongdoings. My sister comments that unforgiveness is a problem that her pastor speaks to the church about. I reply that I believe that unforgiveness and revenge are cut from the same cloth.

In this political season I have noticed that preachers and pastors will emphasize the faults of the candidate that they oppose. At the same time they will ignore the faults of the candidate that they favor. Is this the right thing to do? I think not. In the Old Testament the prophets of God speak to all the people on behalf of God. They do not take sides, and they do not show favoritism. I believe that the failures in America’s political life are due in part because of the failure of the Christian community’s failure to pray for one another. This reminds me of an event in our church.

When the church is invited to the altar for prayer our pastor asks us to get into pairs. We are to tell our partners their needs that they want prayer for. After hearing the request of their partner the member is to pray for that need. A week later, one of the associate ministers leads the altar prayer. Before she prays she tells the church how much she had been helped by telling her neighbor her burdens and hearing her neighbor pray for her. This reminds me of what is written in the book of James.

The book of James is filled with Christian ethics. James instructs us on how we are to conduct ourselves in various situations. In 5:13-16 James talks about suffering and sickness. James says that the sick are to call for the elders. “They are to pray over him, anointing with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins they will be forgiven.

James concludes that regardless of the circumstances we are not to condemn each other. Instead Christians are to support each other. James writes these words: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Prayer: Father, we pray that you will hear our confession of sin and that you will heal our sickness. We pray not only for ourselves but for others that tell us their needs. Amen.