“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”

James 5:13-15

OBSERVE

In this passage, James asks a series of questions. All of the questions are then answered by variations of the same phrase “Let them pray.” This reveals the truth that followers of Christ should not only pray when times are hard, but they should also pray when times are good. He then writes that the prayer offered up in faith can heal the sick and forgive the sinners. God not only gives us the opportunity to hang out with him when we pray, but He also gives us power in our prayers.

APPLICATION

Just like everything else in life, we need to practice running to God in all circumstances. For some, that means creating a prayer schedule. Maybe try setting three times a day that you will devote to prayer. For others, you could set reminders on your phone or bathroom mirror. The more that we run to God in prayer, the more that we will WANT to run to God in prayer. Prayer not only helps us in our current circumstances, but it creates a lasting and growing dependence on our Heavenly Father!

PrayER

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of prayer. You have enabled me to share the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. I need your help creating an environment for my prayer life to grow. Help me to run to you, even when I don’t feel like it. I pray that you would reveal your truths to me as I continue to put my trust in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.