Devotion for September 21, 2021
James 5: 13-16
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
Two things really jump out at me when I read this passage. The first is the importance, even necessity of prayer. It has the power to heal, to save and even stop or bring rain. The second and perhaps more critical thing to note is the conditions expected surrounding prayers of healing… (1) confess your sins, and (2) pray for one another “so that you may be healed.”
What isn’t here?
- Pointing out the sins of others
- Healing that comes from self-serving prayers
Our prayers should be from a humble posture and healing comes from caring for others. These are the things that demonstrate righteousness, not piety.