Dear friends,
Greetings!
As a pastor, I was asked many times to pray. Sometimes I jokingly try to hide my presence so that I will not be asked to pray. But as we should all know, praying is one of the things that every Christian should know how to do and should do. When should we pray, Paul wrote “Pray without ceasing.”
James 5 tells us of 3 specific times when we need to pray.
First, we should pray when we are in trouble, and for those who are in trouble. James 5:13a says, “Is Any One of You in trouble? He should pray…”
We can also remember David who would always cry for help to the Lord. In Psalm 18:6, David wrote, “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His Temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.”
Second, we should pray when we are sick, and let us pray for those who are sick. James 5:14-15 says, “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”
In these verses, the meaning of the word “sick” literally means “without strength, fatigued, totally wasted, bedridden, unable to work.” How many times have we felt that way? Then let us start praying.
Third, we should pray when we have sinned. James 5:16a says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
James is reminding us that we need to confess our sins. And yes, even those sins that we are hiding. We need to be specific in our confession and ask God for forgiveness. Let us also pray that God will grant us the strength to overcome those sins and to live lives according to His will and purpose.
Let us pray for one another!
Sincerely,