Read James 5:12-20: Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned. Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Question 1: Having studied James’ letter and knowing his overall approach, what do you think he means and doesn’t he mean by “let your yes be yes and your no be no”?
Question 2: What are the three scenarios given by James and how does he say they should be dealt with?
-Trouble, happy, sick
Explain: Some believe the oil was medicinal, others think it was sacramental (a conduit of God’s power), and some believe it was a visible sign of consecration (external demonstration of a heart surrendered to God). The third meaning is most likely.
Question 3: Whose faith is indicated in the healing prayer? The one who is sick or the one who is praying?
Explain: Some believe that if you have enough faith then God is “obligated” to heal in every instance. This doesn’t align with all Scripture. Some examples of people with faith who did not receive healing are… King David’s son, Job, Jesus, Paul. There is an unspoken condition in this passage (and many others in Scripture), that condition is “If it is the Lord’s will.”
Question 4: Since answered prayers will be in line with the Lord’s will why do we pray at all? Won’t his will be done whether we pray or not?
Read John 9:1-7: As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
Question 5: Why did the disciples ask “who sinned?” What was their assumption about the man’s blindness?
Explain: James does believe that sin is sometimes indicated in physical illness but clearly the Bible doesn’t say it is so in every case.
Question 6: When have you prayed in faith and God has answered with a “no” or perhaps, “not yet”?
Question 7: When have you prayed and God has answered with a “yes”.
Question 8: What do you know of Elijah? How was he unique? How was he clearly a normal person?
*Read 1 Kings 17 for the beginning of his storyline in the Bible.
Question 9: James writes that he was a human just like us, do you have trouble believing that? Why or why not?
Explain: James concludes with a challenge to his readers to do for others what he has done for them. He has called us to live lives where our beliefs and behaviors align. Now we are to do that for others.
Question 10: What might keep you from speaking to others about their walk with God? Do you find it difficult to “turn others from the error of their way”? Why or why not?
Question 11: What are some mistakes that can be made in our attempts to turn others back towards God?
Conclusion: Pray for those you know who are not walking with God. Ask God if there is a role he wants you to play.