James 5:12-20: a reflection

12But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear—not by heaven, or by the earth, or by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”, so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy. 13Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises. 14Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19Brothers, if any among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, 20let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James gives counsel for every circumstance of life, and at its heart is prayer. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is anyone sick? Let the elders pray over him. Whatever our state, suffering or joyful or ailing, James turns us to God: in suffering, pray; in joy, sing praise; in sickness, call for prayer. And he assures us that prayer is effective: the earnest prayer of a righteous person avails much, as Elijah's prayer did.

Notice how James turns every circumstance toward God in prayer. He does not reserve prayer for certain times; for every state, he directs us to God. Suffering? Pray. Cheerful? Sing praise. Sick? Call for prayer. There is no circumstance that does not call us to God: in trouble, we turn to him in prayer; in joy, in praise; in sickness, in prayer for healing. And James assures us that such prayer is not empty; the earnest prayer of a righteous person avails much, as Elijah, a man like us, prayed and God answered.

That turning of every circumstance toward God in prayer is worth taking to heart, for we can let our circumstances carry us away from God rather than toward him. In suffering, we can despair rather than pray; in joy, we can forget God rather than praise him; in sickness, we can rely only on remedies rather than call for prayer. But James turns every circumstance toward God. Whatever your state, turn it toward God in prayer or praise: in suffering, pray; in joy, praise; in sickness, call for prayer. Let no circumstance carry you away from God, but let each turn you toward him. And do not think your prayers empty; the earnest prayer of a righteous person avails much, as Elijah, a man with a nature like ours, prayed and God answered. Turn every circumstance toward God in prayer or praise, and pray earnestly, trusting that God hears and answers the earnest prayer, as he heard Elijah, a man like us.

Lord, James gives counsel for every circumstance, and at its heart is prayer: is anyone suffering? let him pray; is anyone cheerful? let him sing praises; is anyone sick? let the elders pray over him. Whatever my state, James turns me to you; and he assures me that the earnest prayer of a righteous person avails much, as Elijah's prayer did. Show me how James turns every circumstance toward you in prayer. There is no circumstance that does not call me to you: in trouble, I turn to you in prayer; in joy, in praise; in sickness, in prayer for healing. And such prayer is not empty; the earnest prayer of a righteous person avails much, as Elijah, a man like me, prayed and you answered. Take that to my heart, for I can let my circumstances carry me away from you rather than toward you. In suffering, I can despair rather than pray; in joy, I can forget you rather than praise you; in sickness, I can rely only on remedies rather than call for prayer. But James turns every circumstance toward you. Whatever my state, help me turn it toward you in prayer or praise: in suffering, to pray; in joy, to praise; in sickness, to call for prayer. Let no circumstance carry me away from you, Lord, but let each turn me toward you. And keep me from thinking my prayers empty; help me pray earnestly, trusting that you hear and answer, as you heard Elijah, a man like me. Help me turn every circumstance toward you in prayer.