“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. – James 5:13-16
LIGHT FOR NOW: Giving liberally and freely to all men is God’s character and that will never change about God.
The view of God situated in Christ is the best view and only view the believer in Christ should have of God. The believer is in Christ, he should thus know God in Christ where he is. James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”. Notice that James makes no mention of faith as a requirement in asking of God. God’s character is such that he does not find fault. He does not look for a reason not to give. His character is such that he is a giving God. James 1:5-7 “ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord”.
James 1:5-7 talks about receiving only. The fact that God gives is already a settled fact. It’s the receiving he discusses. Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them”. James says not wavering. So, faith is the receiver not the “asker” in prayer. Back to James 5:14-15 “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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him”. So, the prayer of faith is prayed by who? Or who prayed the prayer of faith? The answer to this will show faith in next study. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Submit to knowing God in Christ.
CONFESSION: My focus is on who God is – he is my father, he gives freely, he does not find fault; hence, I choose as an act of my will to fix my gaze on the giving God who gives to all men, in Jesus name. Amen
QUOTE: God’s giving is without conditions.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: 1TIMOTHY CHAPTER 2; EVENING: 1TIMOTHY CHAPTER 1
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 