Pray for One Another
James 5:13-16
Rick Thompson

The Bible teaches that the Christian life is to be lived within the context of relationships with one another. Our fellowship with one another strengthens our spiritual lives and helps us grow and understand at a deeper level what it means to walk with Christ. In today’s study, we want to look at what the Bible means when it teaches us to “Pray for one another.”

• How we pray for one another…

1. We are to pray for one another in faith

“Pray in faith” does not mean that we never have doubts when we pray, but that we are specific about how we pray.

2. We are to meet each other’s needs in a practical way

We are to see that there is a practical sense to His answers to our prayer. The oil here represents both the Holy Spirit and the medical arts and how answers to prayer are through His grace and through the blessings of medicine.

• What happens when we pray…

1. When we pray for one another we are getting right with God

At a deep level, our spiritual emptiness affects us emotionally and physically. Getting right with God is part of our healing.

2. Our prayers are always answered, but often in ways we don’t understand

We should always trust that His answers are there even when we don’t readily recognize them.

3. Prayer is more a stance of the heart than it is asking God to meet our needs

This passage begins with worship. Our prayer should simply be an extension of our praise and in the normal course of our conversations with God throughout our day.

4. We need to understand the significance of the One who intercedes for us