Prayer and Restoration: Part 1 - James 5:13

Prayer and Restoration: Part 1 - James 5:13
Written by LaRosa Johnson
Tuesday, November 18, 2008

If the words of encouragement that James had given weren't enough, he closes out this epistle with a final charge for those who are facing persecution, and it's something that he hasn't mentioned at all up to this point. He's already told them to be patient and to remain steadfast in character, but now he is emphasizing something that will help in carrying out what he had already instructed. What is this something? It's prayer; James tells ends his letter with a lesson on prayer and how it can aide in their current circumstances. This teaching on prayer takes us from verse 13 to verse 18, of which we will focus in on verse 13 today. So, if we are ready to partake in spiritual truth, let's begin.

Quote :

James 5:13 (NASB) - Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

To begin his teaching on prayer, James opens with some seemingly simple statements, almost too simple in fact. Simply put, if you're suffering or going through rough times, then pray; and, if you're going through good times, then sing praises. In many ways, this verse is self explanatory because it means what it says and there isn't a lot underneath the surface that needs to be investigated. Even with that, we're still going to spend some time digging into this passage and extract as much truth as we can. In doing so, we will split this into two halves, looking at prayer, and then looking at praise.

When examining the issue of prayer, if there is one thing to be learned it is that we should never cease praying (1 Thess. 5:17). Our prayer life should remain active and consistent whether times are good or bad. If we're to follow after the example of Jesus Christ, we find that He got away often to pray, which included both morning and night (Mark 1:35; Matthew 14:23; Luke 5:16). If there is anything that we can take from the example of Jesus is that prayer should be continually in our mouths. Now, focusing in on our passage, we see that James specifically cites those who are suffering or facing trouble, and tells them to pray. Even though believers are to pray at all times, James is indicating that a believer's prayer life should be all the more active in times of distress. A Christian should be leaning and depending upon the Lord, instead of trying to cope or deal with things in his own understanding (Prov. 3:5) and seeking after the Lord's wisdom (Jas. 1:5; 3:17, 18). This is something we constantly see in Scripture, especially in some of David's psalms; a few passages would include: Psalm 18:6; 116:3-5; 118:5; 142:1-3. Even Jesus prayed when He was in distress while in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44). The main point is that we need to cast our anxieties on the Lord because He cares for us and wants us to do so (1 Peter 5:7), which is what James wanted to address by emphasizing prayer for the suffering.

Now what about this praise business? Much like prayer, praise should continually be in our mouth (Ps. 34:1), in both good times and bad. When times are going good, there is plenty to praise God for, including things such as: health, finances, shelter, family, and so on. Likewise, there is much to praise God for while in the heart of turmoil, just like Job did (Job 1:20-21). In looking at things, it's quite obvious that a believer should be singing songs and hymns of praise to God when things are going well, which is what James is instructing in this passage. Just like when you're to pray harder when the times get hard, you're to praise with more excitement and joy when things are going well and life is cheerful (1 Ch. 16:9; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16, 17). This is something that we need to keep in mind and close to our hearts. Often times, this is an area that we tend to neglect, especially when things are going well. The Lord has given us much to be thankful for, and we should show our gratitude in such a way that results in glorifying God Almighty.

So, what does all of this boil down to? It's as simple as doing what the verse says. Pray when you're suffering, and praise when you're cheerful. In other words, be sensitive to your circumstances and react accordingly. Don't allow yourself to become hardhearted and stubborn to the point where you fail to pray to God in times of need, insisting on doing things yourself, or neglecting God altogether when things are going good. Quite frankly, it shouldn't matter what our circumstances are. If things are going good, we should be praising God and still praying to Him; likewise, when times are bad we should be praying and still praising God for what He has provided. Again, the point being, be sensitive to the circumstances and act accordingly. If you're suffering, your praise is going to be lessened because your focus will be on prayer, and vice versa during the lighter times.

This is how James opens his teaching on prayer, by laying it out there and making it obvious that both prayer and praise need to be a part of the believers life. When this happens, it becomes much easier to live out the words that he had written in the previous verses (being patient and of good character). It is easier to walk in the Spirit when you are in fellowship with Him. Even in that though, James realizes that we get low sometimes, even when walking in the Spirit, which is what he addresses in the following verses. We will take a look at those next time. Until then, keep praise and prayer in your mouth

devotion courtesy of Trailblazin Ministries
http://www.trailblazinministries.com/devotions/james084.php