I used to not like people like James - blunt, opinionated, always telling me like it is. But the older I get, the more I'm learning to walk with Jesus. And the more I walk with Jesus, the more I'm learning to appreciate people who don't beat around the bush. These are people who are direct and to the point, and have no time to him-haw (is that even a real word?) around. They don't skirt around the issue - they have learned to tackle it head on. They see things as right or wrong, only this way or that way.
Years ago, while reading through James, I realized how direct he was. It doesn't long to read through the whole letter, probably because James had to get right to it in his writings as well. Read through it and you'll notice he has several areas where he tells you to do this or that. For those who don't always know which direction to take, James is a breath of fresh air. So when you get to the final chapter you learn that he has some things to say about prayer. And just in case you're wondering where he learned all of this, he had a front-row seat to Jesus - he was one of Jesus' brothers (Can you imagine having a brother who was sinless?).
He had already tackled subjects like Listening and Doing, Faith and Deeds, two kinds of wisdom, double-minded men. And then, in his closing remarks, he teaches us how to pray with these words:
"Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? He should sings songs of praise. Is any of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each and pray for each other, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:13-16)
Even in this, there aren't a lot of "Thees and Thous" and big names for a big God. He doesn't use a lot of deep, spiritual language to show how knowledgable he is. He's not writing an essay for a journal article that is packed with research and statistics. He doesn't use lexicons or interlinear bibles or ancient manuscripts. He is letting it all hang out, jumping right into the deep end by asking questions about being in trouble, being happy, and being sick. After reading that, I'm reminded there is a lot of things we can do to try to get out of situations we don't want to be in. We can strategize about ways to avoid them or shorten these negative experiences. We can bury it and try to not ever deal with them. Or, we can take them right where we need to take them to the Lord in prayer. Isn't that what He tells us to do? No matter what you're going through (or how long you're going through it), we have someone (Someone) we can take those needs to!
So if you are in trouble, you should go before God and plead with Him to either take you out of the situation or give you the grace and strength you need to endure it. Read through Scripture and you'll notice He does both. Sometimes He will deliver you right away, other times it happens over time, and still other times He wants you to turn it over to Him each and every day. Whatever the outcome, you're taking it to a Loving, Powerful God who can do something about it.
And if you are happy, you should sing songs of praise. The next time God does something amazing in your life, recognize that and spend some time thanking Him for the "great things He hath done". Don't be bashful about it. Shout about it, tell others how good God is. Let those tears flow down your face. Tell Him how much you love and trust Him and want to live for Him.
But, if there is ever a time where you are sick, remember that He has some direction for you about that as well. Call the elders and ask them to anoint you. I think God blesses us when we follow what His Word says. He recognizes obedience and will show up. He may heal the person right there in front of you, or He may choose (in His Wisdom) to give them the ultimate healing and take them Home to be with Him. Either way, you're doing what He tells you to do - you're praying! And James says when you and I do that, God brings about amazing results.
So here is my direct question for you: what (or who) do you need to be praying about today?!?