20240212

extraordinary things

James 5:13-18 (JDV)

James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.
James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the congregation, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
James 5:15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
James 5:17 Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months, it did not rain on the land.
James 5:18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

extraordinary things

James’ closing reflections on suffering draw the community back to one of the most foundational practices of the Christian life: prayer. Suffering, in all its forms, has the potential to become a source of joy—not because the pain itself is pleasant, but because it presses believers into deeper dependence on God and into deeper fellowship with one another. When hardship drives a congregation to pray more consistently, more earnestly, and more expectantly, it becomes a means of grace. God does not always use suffering this way, but he often does, and James wants his readers to recognize the opportunity hidden within the trial.

Prayer for a suffering believer is never a one‑sided act. It becomes an occasion for mutual growth. The one who prays is drawn into greater compassion, greater attentiveness to the Spirit, and greater awareness of God’s sustaining presence. Intercession becomes a spiritual discipline that shapes the heart, enlarges faith, and deepens love. It is also a moment when spiritual gifts operate reciprocally. The sufferer may receive comfort, healing, or encouragement, while the intercessor experiences the Spirit’s prompting, strengthening, or wisdom. In this way, suffering becomes a catalyst for the body of Christ to function as it was designed—each member serving the other through the Spirit’s empowering.

James also highlights the extraordinary nature of prayer itself. Ordinary human beings, limited in strength and understanding, are invited to participate in the extraordinary work of God. Prayer is not a symbolic gesture; it is a real connection to the living God who hears, responds, and acts. When believers pray for one another, they step into a divine partnership. They become instruments through whom God brings comfort, endurance, and sometimes even physical healing. The act of prayer demonstrates that the church’s power does not lie in human ability but in the God who listens.

In this light, suffering is transformed. It becomes a doorway into deeper communion with God and deeper unity within the congregation. It becomes a reminder that the Christian life is lived not in isolation but in shared dependence on the Spirit. And it becomes a testimony that the extraordinary God works through ordinary people who seek him together in prayer.