Praying on Behalf of Others - 06/16/2024

 What should a church community do when one of its members is suffering? James says to pray. What if someone is sick? James says call the elders to pray and anoint them with oil. What if someone has confessed their sins? James says to pray. Christians are to pray on the behalf of others (James 5:13-18).

When there are difficulties in one’s life, James says the church community should pray for that individual. When things are going well for a church member, there should be the singing of praises. In either circumstance, church members should be involved in the lives of others by praying for them. It should be something members want to do. They should be willing to ask for God’s assistance when fellow members are incurring difficult times and circumstances.

Their suffering may be from the loss of a job. It may be because of an accident resulting in some hardship. They may have received some bad news about a loved one. Christians should be willing to pray on the behalf of fellow Christians.

There may be some sickness a member is incurring and James says to not only pray, but have the elders of the church to come and anoint them with oil. James says that if this is done, then the Lord will “restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”

This is a very difficult passage to understand because we see on a regular basis the church praying for a member who is sick, but that member does not get well. How should we to deal with this passage? It may apply to physical sickness, but the more reasonable approach might be a “spiritual sickness.” If this is the correct understanding then a person would be healed of their sickness and raised up when they confess their sins and the congregation prays for them.

Regardless of how this verse should be interpreted, the important thing to remember is that in all circumstances church members should be praying for each other. Church members should always remember the example of Elijah and that the “effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

Church members should also remember that prayer is a request to God and He will decide how He wants to answer that prayer. Just because we get what we think is a “negative” answer, does not mean God did not answer our prayer.

The responsibility of the Christian is to always be praying on the behalf of others. We all need the assistance of God with our daily circumstances. Praying for others will be a regular practice of those who are living God’s way. - cgm

Scriptural quotations from the NASB1995.