Humility and Answered Prayer!

This morning I am reflecting on some familiar verses from James 5:13-16 NIV:

[13]  "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

I have read these many times before, and today while reading them the issue of humility was brought to my attention, specifically in verse 14.  In this verse, the person who is told to call the elders is the person who is sick. I guess i just never really read it that way before.

I don't know if its just a male thing, or if its our American independence, or maybe a combination of things, but I don't like asking for prayers, or asking for any help!  I don't like appearing weak, incapable, or anything that might cause people to think of me as anything other than a man of exemplary strength and faith.  I don't mind praying for others, and I don't mind if people want to pray for me, I just don't want to ask!  Just a little bit of pride there....

So this morning, the Lord is addressing humility!  What if the reason I am not seeing healing in my life over certain areas, is because I am too prideful to ask for prayer?  Now, I don't want to get into creating some religious practice and belief that says God can only heal people who ask, as we have several examples in scripture where Jesus healed someone and they didn't actually ask, as far as we are told; I am thinking of the man with the withered hand (Matt 12:10-13) and the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9).  However, the Lord heals differently many times, and here we have James encouraging us to ask for help, asking others to pray four ourselves, and we know Jesus did heal people that came to Him and asked Him to heal them, and this is the same thing!  Again, asking the question another way, if Jesus was right here, would I go up to Him and ask Him if he would be willing to heal me?  We know the answer already and it is yes!  (See Mark 1:40-41).  So if we are all now Jesus' representatives on the earth, the literal Body of Christ, why would we act any differently?  Shouldn't we be willing to call the other members of the Body of Christ and ask for prayers?  The answer is obviously, Yes!   The only thing that gets in my way is pride, and I need that out of my life anyway!

I love the confidence that James has in the next verse, "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well: the Lord will raise them up!"  What a great promise and expectation.  I think that James was likely writing from a place of experience and regular observation.  This is what normal life in the Body of Christ is supposed to look like!  Brothers and sisters praying for one another and seeing people healed by the Lord!!

Amen!  Lord, please help me to lay down my pride and seek help and healing from You, through the prayers of my brothers and sisters and elders in the church!!

Amen!