WHAT OTHERS SAID ABOUT PRAYER !

WHAT OTHERS SAID ABOUT PRAYER (PART 1): Our prayers are not answered on the basis of how good we have been, but on the basis of our right standing in Christ Jesus, who was the Word that was made flesh. Now let's turn to some other writers and see what they have to say on the subject of prayer. WHAT JAMES SAITH ABOUT PRAYER: (James 5:13-16). "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 you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James asked three questions: "is anyone among you afflicted (ill treated, suffering and evil) ? Is anyone glad it heart ? Is anyone among you sick ? He is talking about three different things here. The words "afflicted" and "sick" do not mean the same thing in this verse of Scripture. James give one instruction for the afflicted and another instruction for those who were sick. The Greek word translated here "afflicted" doesn't refer to illness or physical affliction. It means a test or trial. James said if you are going through a test or trial, do your own praying. Not many people do that. Most people run around looking for someone else to do there praying for them. But James didn't say a word about getting everyone to pray for you in this situation. He said, "let him pray." This doesn't mean it's not all right for us to pray for one another. The main thing God wants us to learn is to do our own praying, because we can then gain great victories over our adversary demons and devils. If you have to depend on someone else to pray you are of a trial, then the next time you are confronted with one of life's tests, you still won't know the way out. You still will have to find someone else to pray you out, and if you can't find someone, you might not make it. James said, "is any merry ? Let him sing psalms." This passage of Scripture needs little comment. It's easy to sing when we are merry, isn't it ? James then said, "Is any sick among you ? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with all in the name of the Lord. And the name of the Lord is the Word of God (Revelation 19:13). P. C. Nelson, who was a Greek scholar, brought out in his writings that the Greek word translated "sick" implies that the person is so ill he or she can't do anything for themselves. He or she is helpless. If a person had a headache are some minor element, he could go to a believer, where the pastor could pray for him or her. But when he or she is so he'll they can't get out of bed, they are to call for the elders of the church to pray for him or her. We must remember that when James wrote his epistles, the church was in her infancy. The disciples would go to a place where there wasn't a congregation of believers, preach, win people to the Lord, and establish a work. These new believers didn't have all the ministry gifts. Because some believers didn't have a pastor, they will appoint the elder in the congregation, or in some place they would appoint those who had matured most spiritually to be in charge and watch over the flock. As the church developed and grew, God gave ". . . Some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11). So in the process of time, their world those who were separated onto the ministry.