13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing songs of praise. 14-15 Is anyone among you sick? He should call the elders of the church, and they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  16 So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, in order that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is able to do much because it is effective. 17-18 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the land produced its harvest.

19-20 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders away from the truth and someone turns him back, let it be known that the one who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:13-20 Evangelical Heritage Version

As we come to the closing words of the book called James I'm sure you’ll have spotted why I called this post 'prayer and care'. It starts with those going through trials of any sort being encouraged to pray (vs 13), and ends with believers being encouraged to care enough for each other so that they do all they can to help someone who's gone astray and in danger of losing their soul! (vs 19-20)

Now while praying for those who are seriously ill is applicable at all times - the fact that he links it to confession of sin (in vs 16) suggests there are times when a serious illness may be God's means of discipline in our life. James wasn't talking about minor ailments easily treated by doctors. When the apostle Paul dealt with a problem of Christians who were abusing what the Lord's Supper was meant to be, he said: “Anyone eating the bread or drinking the cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord (and) you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That's why many of you are weak and sick - and some have even died! But if we examined ourselves we wouldn't be judged by God in this way. Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so we won't be condemned along with the world.” (1 Corinthians 11:27-32) So while most cases of serious illness will not be judgement, we mustn't rule out that there are times when God may be correcting someone for their ultimate good.

Why do you think James used the example of Elijah the prophet on the subject of prayer?

The obvious reason (which James himself gives) is that, great as Elijah was, he was just an ordinary believer in God like we are. He also felt fear and got depressed. But perhaps another reason is that Elijah's prayers to withhold, and then send rain, were at a time when he was dealing with the rebellion and sin of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. However, the main lesson is surely that we must never underestimate what the One who hears prayer is able to do in answer to the prayers of righteous people! (vs 16) He can even heal someone who is seriously ill and forgive their sins.

Can you see how verses 19-20 fit into what James has been saying about praying for the sick?

Not every Christian who is drifting more and more into sin becomes sick. But that doesn't mean they are not in danger. The greatest danger is that their drifting may be because they weren't truly saved in the first place and were Christians in name only! They need someone to point that out to them. If not, they may die in their sins and end up in hell. However, if they are Christians, but slip-sliding into sin, their lives may still go terribly pear shaped – and God might have to discipline them in a strong way. James urges us to care enough for one another so we don't sit idly by and let that happen. We need, in love, to reach out and try and turn them back to the Lord. Pray first, and pray much – and ask God to bring about the change their heart needs. The prayer of a righteous person can result in God sending life giving showers to the heart of someone who has wandered away from the truth!