The Prayer of Faith

Sunday, January 25, 2014
James 5:13-18 KJV 

13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 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: 15 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. 16 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. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What are those who are merry and those who are afflicted directed to do? (v.13)
2) Who are the sick to call to and what are the called to do for those believers? (v.14)
3) What will the "prayer of faith" do for the sick and for the sinful? (v.15)
4) How does James encourage all believers to pray? Why? (v.16)
5) Who (or what) does James use as an example of the prayers of the righteous? (v.17-18)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What do you do when you are afflicted in your mind, body, soul and/or spirit? Why?
7) If the Lord hears your prayers, why should you seek the prayers of more spiritually mature believers?

LIFE LESSONS
8) Believers are afflicted in many different ways (i.e., mind, body, soul, and/or spirit). 
9) The Lord hears the prayers of those in spiritual leadership and/or authority over the members of His body, to heal them.
10) The Lord hears and answers the earnest prayers of those who have unwavering faith in, and are in intimate relationship with, Himself.