Text: James 5: 13-18
God is looking forward to a real Christian community whose members put His Word into practice. Such a community will resist temptations and overcome testing, take care of the ill, poor and orphans and be an example of impartiality, endurance and patience. Prayer is the greatest tool God has put at our disposal. All believers will experience times of joy and times of sorrow (Joshua 1:2-3, 25). The advice on how to respond to the different circumstances is prayer. Tell God about your physical or spiritual pain and wait for Him to deliver you, if that is His will. And in times of joy, sing to His praise (Joshua 5:13). Prayer is also necessary for those who are ill. When a member of the church is ill, the whole church is concerned, because she is the place of healing for the sick. But God is the healer.
A prayer is efficient if it is accompanied with confession of sin (Psalm 66:18). Sin is a very dangerous enemy of the church; hence, it is necessary to confess and renounce our sins before God. This makes our prayers effective because God listens to and answers them. Such are the types that can be referred to as prayers of faith, for without faith, no one can please God. Elijah’s faith bought about God’s positive (and instant) response to his needs (1 King 18: 30-38). There are many other examples in the Bible on the effectiveness of the prayer of faith. Learn from them and do likewise.
Prayer: Jesus, my Savior, You came down to earth to save me and told me to have faith in You. You said that with faith I can even say to the mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the see,” and it will be done. My mind knows that if I believe in You, I will receive whatever I ask for in Your holy name. I believe in You, Jesus. I believe that You are Lord. You are the God Most High. You are the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Erase my doubt, Jesus. Take it all away. Help my unbelief. I deliver myself into Your righteous hands. Amen.