community group discussion guide
introduction
James wants those in the church to pray and praise, and to do so together. It’s not just trouble and sickness that should lead the faithful to God. It’s joy too. One of the enduring lessons of the Bible is that times of blessing and abundance can lead people to forget God. At such times, God may expose this fair-weather faith by allowing trials. In his letter, James showcases the power of prayer for those facing trials like these or any other kind. By pointing to Elijah’s world-changing petitions, James shows there’s really no limit to prayer except the willingness to ask. As John Newton puts it in a hymn:
Thou art coming to a King,
large petitions with thee bring,
for his grace and pow’r are such,
none can ever ask too much.1
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1 “Come, my soul, thy suit prepare.” 1779. hymnary.org.
opening question
Do you find people are typically willing to help when asked? Share a time when you were surprised by someone’s response when you asked for help, a gift, or a favor.
read James 5:13-18 (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.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
Take a few moments to reflect on the Scripture. Share some insights, questions, or points that strike you. Then read what follows.
prayer for healing
Prayer is a prime example of what the Bible calls “co-working” with God (1 Corinthians 3:9). James says plainly that prayer “is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Though God orchestrates the outcomes of prayer, God still acts in response to prayer. We’re reminded of Elijah’s original petition for rain that James references (1 Kings 17-18; James 5:17-18). When Elijah sees the storm cloud arriving from the vantage of Mount Carmel, it arrives in the shape of a man’s hand (1 Kings 18:44). It’s as if to suggest that Elijah has a hand in God sending the rain. As Oswald Chambers puts it, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.”2
What are we to make of James’ instructions to the sick, and the assurance that “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” (James 5:15)? Grant Osborne provides helpful commentary, pointing out that it’s “not the faith of the sick person, but the faith of those praying” that is highlighted. On the assurance of healing, he says it “perhaps carries a double meaning: (1) the sick person will be physically healed, and/or (2) the sick person may also experience spiritual salvation, or growth in the blessings of salvation … This is similar to many of Jesus’ healings in the Gospels. James is not teaching that all illnesses will be healed if people would simply call on the elders, or try to make themselves have enough faith, or pray with enough conviction. Healing, when it happens, is always a gift from God.”3 It’s worth noting though, that James places the emphasis on expecting God to intervene.
To sum it up, God responds to prayer even if the answer is not identical to the request. Consider the most wrenching prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he asks to be spared the cross: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Even though the answer is no, God still responds: “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him” (22:43). Jesus asks God for exactly what he wants, and still submits to God’s will. We are to do likewise. Jesus tells us, as he tells his sleepy disciples in Gethsemane, “Get up and pray” (22:46).
- Take a moment to examine your habits of prayer.
- What tends to lead you to pray?
- What are some of the challenges you face when you pray?
- What do you notice when you’re more devoted to prayer?
- In the same breath, James says our prayers should be concerned with both practical and spiritual issues. Do your prayers emphasize one or the other? How could you pray more holistically?
- What encouragement can you take from today’s passage? If God will respond with help in some form, how might this motivate you to pray more specifically and boldly?
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2 “Greater Works,” My Utmost for His Highest.
3 “James,” in ESV Global Study Bible. Crossway, 2018.
group application
James focuses on prayer, confession, and healing in community: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (5:16).
Share ways that the Community Group has been a healing influence in your lives.
Take some time as a group to pray with renewed assurance from today’s scripture. Pray for specific needs and requests. Give praise for gifts already received.
invitation to pray
Would you join us in praying for Redeemer West Side?
You can use the following meditative prayer guide to reflect on God’s living word and to intercede on behalf of our church.
Tips for small groups:
- Two volunteers can be the scripture readers.
- The facilitator can read the silent reflection questions aloud and keep time (30–60 seconds).
- During the prayer times after the 2nd and 3rd readings, we encourage you to use the style of conversational prayer, which emphasizes listening and uses short prayers that build upon one another. Review the Conversational Prayer Guide together before you begin.
meditative prayer
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
- Silent reflection: What words or phrases stand out to you?
- Share with the group: Take turns saying those words or phrases aloud.
2nd Reading: Read the Scripture aloud.
- Silent reflections (30–60 seconds each):Based on these verses, how can you confidently and expectantly intercede on behalf of Redeemer West Side and our city?
- Pray conversationally about these topics:
- This transition period of our church
- Pastors, staff, lay leaders, congregants
- Our new senior pastor, Bijan Mirtolooi, and his family, Michelle, Esmé, and Oliver, as they transition and move over the summer
- Redeemer’s future as part of God’s continued movement in the City
© 2024 Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Th
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