James: A Study from the Brother of Jesus
Pray, Sing, and Call for the Elders
James 5:13-15
Edward Rangel · October 4, 2026
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Bring every season of life to the Lord who hears, raises up, and forgives.
James 5:13-15
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A church can sing well on Sunday and leave a sick member alone on Tuesday.
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From patience and honest speech to prayer, praise, and care
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Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.
James 5:13 · NASB
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Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
James 5:14 · NASB
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and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
James 5:15 · NASB
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No season of life lies outside God’s concern.
The help comes from the Lord Himself
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I
Bring every season of life to God.
Prayer in suffering, praise in gladness
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Prayer belongs to endurance; it is not a last resort.
James 5:13
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Pray for relief, and pray for strength to endure.
According to the Lord’s will
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Lament carries the hurt to God; grumbling turns it on others.
James 5:9
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Gladness belongs before God as surely as grief.
Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises
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"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High;
Psalm 50:14 · NASB
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Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me."
Psalm 50:15 · NASB
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The cheerful Christian is told to sing.
No authority for instruments in the church’s worship
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One family rejoices while another grieves, and both belong before God.
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How can prayer and praise keep both hardship and happiness centered on God?
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II
Call for the elders of the church.
The sick Christian asks, and the shepherds come
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The sick Christian takes the first step and calls.
James 5:14
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Asking for prayer is not a confession of weak faith.
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Elders come as shepherds, not as priests between you and God.
Every Christian prays personally
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The neglect that leaves a brother hungry can leave a sick Christian alone.
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and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
Luke 10:34 · NASB
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And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.
Mark 6:13 · NASB
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The power belongs to the Lord, never to the oil.
In the name of the Lord
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Medical treatment and the elders’ prayers belong together.
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What responsibility does James give both the sick person and the elders?
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III
Trust the Lord who raises up the sick.
Faith rests on Him, not on itself
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Faith trusts the Lord who hears; it has no power of its own.
“Restore” may also be rendered “save”
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Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."
James 4:15 · NASB
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This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
1 John 5:14 · NASB
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And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 · NASB
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Pray earnestly, keep caring, and credit the Lord with every help.
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A lingering illness is a reason to keep caring, never to accuse.
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IV
Receive the forgiveness the Lord gives.
“If he has committed sins”
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“If” keeps us from blaming every illness on personal sin.
James 5:15
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And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?"
John 9:2 · NASB
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Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
John 9:3 · NASB
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The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health.
Psalm 41:3 · NASB
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As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You."
Psalm 41:4 · NASB
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Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
James 5:16 · NASB
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"Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.
Acts 8:22 · NASB
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Why is it important that James says “if he has committed sins”?
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Bring one burden or one thanksgiving to God this week.
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If you are sick, call the elders; if well, watch for those who have not.
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Pray with the sick, then ask what help they need, and check again.
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Suffering, gladness, and sickness all belong before the Lord.
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What does James direct us to do in suffering, gladness, and sickness?
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How does James identify the Lord as the source of restoration and forgiveness?
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The Lord who hears and forgives is ready to receive you.
Obey the gospel or ask for prayer as we stand and sing
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Pray, sing, call, and trust the Lord who raises up.
James 5:15
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Created with Ed Slide Gen · Keeping the Faith