Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14 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. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 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. 17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest. (James 5:13-18)
The above passage from the book of James gives us instructions for community life in the Body of Christ:
Individuals who are suffering should pray. Those who are cheerful should sing songs of praise. The sick should call for leaders in the church who will: Pray over them. Anoint them with oil.
The effects of the prayer of faith: Save the sick; raise them up. Sins are forgiven.
Confess your sins to one another.
Pray for one another, so that you may be healed.
The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
When we are suffering and we do not pray, what are we generally doing instead?
Why is it important that the cheerful contribute to the gathering of God's people with songs of praise?
Describe the prayer of faith.
Describe the prayer of the righteous. Who are the righteous?
Who makes the prayer of the righteous powerful and effective?
How are praise of God and God's healing work related?
Would you like to share some experience you have had with God's healing work?
Did the healing come in an immediate way or over a period of time?