A Daily Devotion for Thursday, November 4

James 5:14-16

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.

If taken literally, these verses do not seem true to me. We know that some people die even when many righteous people pray for them. But has the Lord ”raised him up”? Has he been made “well?” When we talk about healing, maybe God has a much broader definition in this context. I have heard more than one person describe the experience of being the object of others’ fervent prayer. Maybe this is God ”raising (them) up”. Maybe this is healing in the soul.

Holy Father, help me to better understand these words of scripture. Today I am reminded of the power of prayer, and my need to be more intentional and faithful in my prayer life. Amen

Becky, transforming