Passage: Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? 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. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Journal: In a group of human beings, there will almost always be some suffering. The response to suffering is prayer for God's great comfort. ("Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.") The appropriate response to one's good mood is not simply a happy disposition. It is to God that joy is owed through a thankful heart. ("Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.") Suffering often brings about a weakened state, and a weakened state often brings about suffering. James suggests that suffering is best addressed by mature men of the Church, whom call upon the Holy Spirit for comfort and healing. ("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.") Oil was often associated with the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament (Ex 29:7; 1 Sam. 16:13). Mature believers, the Elders of the Church, are called upon to pray for the one enduring suffering. It appears to be assumed that the one enduring the suffering has a cleansed heart, for the sin has been confessed and forgiven. There can be no release from ultimate suffering until sin has been confessed and forgiven. ("Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him" . . . "and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.") How often do believers confess sins to one another? The prayer relates to endurance in suffering, and the suffering in mind is more spiritual and less physical. The suffering of the body will end. The suffering of the soul will continue. It is here, at this window to the soul, that prayer and encouragement is needed. It is here, at this window to the soul, that confession to one another is needed. Yet, it is difficult to open the hood and expose the sludge of the engine.
John Dee Spicer
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About Me
I started the Daily Journal in 2000. I sent it as an email to a few friends (it was a round number, either 10 or 20, I can't remember exactly). It has grown over the years, primarily due to those original few forwarding it to others. During this time, I have journaled through Genesis, selected Psalms, the Gospel of John, Acts, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and Peter's letters. (These are the books I can remember for sure this morning, anyway.) I don't have seminary training and don't claim to have special wisdom. Rather, I simply desire that others develop a love for God's word. There is only one interpretation for any Bible passage, and I will rely on the wisdom of scholars through the ages (at least those at my disposal) to help with that one interpretation. I will also attempt some practical application. Somewhere along the way I started sharing some funny things my kids would say, and this became known as "Heard 'Round the House." I will continue to share these priceless nuggets as my kids provide material. The "Daily" Journal is a bit of a misnomer, since I only do it Monday through Thursday. I don't do it on Friday because I attend a 6 am Bible Study. I don't do it on the weekends because so many received it at work (I may revise this approach since I have gone to the "Blog" format). I do read my Bible on a daily basis, and strongly recommend a chronilogical daily Bible - you will read the Bible completely each year, and the events unfold in a historical fashion.
