God Cares About You
God Cares About You
James 5:13-18
13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 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. 15 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. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
I. God Cares About Your Emotional Needs (13)
A. Is Any Among You Afflicted?
1. In verse 13, James asks the question "Is any among you afflicted?"
a. What does James mean by "afflicted?"
b. Afflicted: to suffer physical pain, hardship and distress — Louw & Nida: NT Greek-English Lexicon
c. What James is talking about here is emotional pain that comes from difficulties.
2. We have a problem with stress, but God has a solution - PRAY!
3. James says "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray."
a. James says the correct response to suffering is to keep on praying about it.
b. This is not necessarily a prayer for deliverance from the trouble, but for the patience and strength to endure it.
c. Lk. 12:29-31 And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
b. Phil. 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
4. Don’t stress about it; pray about it!
B. Is Any Among You Cheerful?
1. Another thing that James mentions here that is sometimes overlooked is praising God when things are going well.
2. He says "Is any merry? let him sing psalms."
3. If we are fortunate enough to be happy, we should thank God by singing praises to the Lord.
a. Because our praise is directed to God, singing is actually another form of prayer.
c. Heb. 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Transition: Don’t forget God when you’re happy, because He is the reason for your joy.
II. God Cares About Your Physical Needs (14-15)
A. Is Any Sick Among You
1. One characteristic of the early church was its concern over and care for the sick.
3. James says, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord"
4. Anointing was often used by the early church in their prayers for healing.
B. The Prayer of Faith
1. Then James says "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up."
2. The faith is the role of the elders who are praying, not the sick person’s (nothing is said about his or her faith).
a. The person who is asking for prayer has already exercised their faith in calling the elders of the church.
b. That doesn’t mean the person being prayed for doesn’t have to believe, but James focus here is on the elders.
c. This kind of faith can only come from the Holy Spirit.
3. The word "save" in this text doesn’t refer to salvation from sin but healing. It means "to cause someone to become well again after having been sick" —Louw & Nida: NT Greek-English Lexicon.
a. Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel.
b. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers. - 16 Fundamental Truths of the Church of God
c. Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
4. James adds that "the Lord shall raise him up."
a. It’s not the person praying or anointing, but the Lord who does the healing.
b. God must receive all of the glory.
c. But make no mistake about "the Lord WILL raise them up!"
Transition: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. If he healed two thousand years ago he will heal you today.
III. God Cares About Your Spiritual Needs (16)
A. Confess Your Faults
1. While God is deeply concerned about our physical needs, He is even more concerned about our spiritual needs.
2. James tells us "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed."
a. A mutual concern for one another is the way to combat discouragement and downfall. The cure is in personal confession and prayerful concern. —Bible Knowledge Commentary
b. The devil wants you to believe you are all alone. That you are the only one that is struggling with a particular issue.
c. Confessing our faults to one another does two things: 1) in doing so we find out that we are not the only ones who struggle with a particular sin, and 2) if we share that with someone who has already been through this struggle they can help know how to overcome it.
4. Notice that it is not just the pastor who is to do the praying, but we are to pray for one another.
a. We all have the responsibility of praying for one another’s needs, struggles, and hurts.
b. When Christians are really working to "share each other’s troubles and problems," the world does take note, and we come closer to fulfilling "the law of Christ" (see Galatians 6:2).
c. Loving your neighbor as yourself does include, above all else, praying for them.
B. Effectual Fervent Prayer James says "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”
IV. God Cares About What Matters to You (17-18)
A. Elijah Was a Man
1. Prayer is indeed powerful--remember Elijah?
2. And when Elijah prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years. Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured.
3. However, I really believe that the key to verse 17 is "Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are.”
B. Powerful in Prayer
1. The reason that we can be powerful and effective in prayer is that God cares about what matters to us.
2. 1 Pet. 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Transition: Prayer works because God cares!
Conclusion
1. God cares about what matters to you. He cares about:
a. Emotional Needs
b. Physical Needs
c. Spiritual Needs
2. Why should we pray? Because God cares.
3. Why should we pray for one another? Because God cares.
4. Why is prayer so powerful? Because God cares.