Trusting and Praying

James 5:13-18

Trusting and Praying

• What is our attitude towards life and its different seasons – OR THE NEW YEAR?

“Life is like a box of chocolate. You never know what you’re going to get.”

Forrest Gump

“All sutras are born out of the heart.” Buddhism

• The former totally depends on chance which is also TOTALLY OBJECTIVE, while the other is TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE.

Trusting and Praying

• “Our attitude in one season determines how we enter another.” A friend of mine

• What should it be, then?

Trusting and Praying

• This is what it should look like:

Our Attitude = Trust + Pray

SubjectivityObjectivity

Trusting and Praying

• Trusting and praying are• Crucial because THEY HELP PLACE THE PROPER

FOUNDATION IN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE WHO IS CHRIST OUR CORNERSTONE.

• Not only elements of our attitude, but THEY IMPLY ACTIONS.

• More on trusting and praying• One is mostly objective because it implicitly assumes

the existence of EVIDENCE.• The other is mostly subjective because it often

means the pouring out of our emotions and feelings.• WE NEED BOTH as we tackle life and its different

seasons.

Trusting and Praying

• What was the season for the Christians in James? The progression of vv. 13-15 seems to look like the following:

Suffering

(vv. 13-15)

Happiness/Joy

(v. 13)

“Pray” (vv 13-15)

“Sing psalms” (v. 14ff)

“… of faith” (v. 15)

Trusting and Praying

• James still reminded the Christians that they were still in the SEASON OF SUFFERING, yet in the midst of it, KEEP TRUSTING AND PRAYING – these are COMMANDS.

• James’ thinking is very much in line with the entire Bible: PAIN AND SUFFERING IS INEVITABLE, yet in the midst of it, THERE IS HOPE. (Eccl. 1:1-3; Rom. 8:18-25; Rev. 22:1-5)

Trusting and Praying

• He instructed them to trust and pray. He wanted them to CONVERT THEM INTO THE ATTITUDE, THE PERSPECTIVE towards life and its seasons – where is the evidence?

“… anointing him with oil IN THE NAME OF THE LORD” (v. 14)

• In New Testament times, this was mostly for medical purposes.

• Yet James added “in the Name of …”. Jewish believers would most likely be reminded of Jesus – and the Name of God, Yahweh that means “I Am That I Am”. This was more than enough to them as THE EVIDECNE, that THERE IS YAHWEH WHO IS IN CONTROL OF ALL.

Trusting and Praying

• How is Yahweh in control? Exodus 3:7-8

…I have surely SEEN … (3:7)… I KNOW … (3:7ff)

…I have COME DOWN TO DELIVER … (3:8)

• Question: Does God see ALL and know ALL – WILL HE NOT DELIVER?

Trusting and Praying

• The words of a song

There is STRENGTH in the Name of The LORDThere is POWER in the Name of The LORDThere is HOPE in the Name of The LORD

Blessed is he who comes in the Name of The LORD!

• “… Let him call for the elders of the church, …, anointing him with oil in the Name …” (v. 14ff-15) By adding “in the Name …”, James was challenging them to do a paradigm shift in their attitude:

Trusting and praying (individual

and corporate) ＋ Anointing

Deliverance (= healing, et al), sins forgiven (v. 15ff)

Trusting and Praying

• Celebrating the new year means the entry into a new season – what should our attitude be?

• We may still be in the same season, but know that God is in control – He hears, knows and delivers. Be expectant.

Trusting and Praying

• In James’ mind, the season of suffering, whether it be sickness, et al, is often the consequence of our own wrongdoings, so there are two additions to our attitude, i.e. “confession” (v. 16) and “fervency” (v. 16ff).

• Let’s go back to the “attitude equation”:

Our Attitude = Trust + Pray

Trusting and Praying

• The relationship of the Christians in James might not be good.• Chapter 2 on favoritism – MALTREATEMENT

towards one another, et al.• Chapter 3 on the use of tongue – VERBAL

ABUSE, CURSING one another, et al.• Do we have the above in the church today?

Trusting and Praying

• James was telling them: their suffering (sickness, et al) might be because they DID NOT RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER WELL.

• The root of bad interpersonal relationship is ARROGANCE, PRIDE which is at the root of our egos – remember what happened in Genesis with Adam and Eve, with Cain and Abel?

Trusting and Praying

• Genuine trusting and praying in Jesus’ Name means that WE MUST FOLLOW JESUS’ STEPS BY LAYING ASIDE OUR EGOS, the root of all sins (Phil. 2)!! And our prayers may be effective and will lead to less suffering BECAUSE OF THE MENDED RELATIONSHIP. (James 5:16ff)

• Celebrating the new year means the entry into a new season – what should our attitude be towards one another?

Trusting and Praying

• Summing up:

SubjectivityObjectivity

Our Attitude = Trust + Pray

Confession and Fervency Anointing

＋Healing,

Deliverance,Good Relationship

Trusting and Praying

EXPECT DELIVERANCE AND MIRACLES!!!