'One Another Series' - Confess Your Sins and Pray for One Another

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

This year, in these podcasts, I am focusing upon the “One Another” scriptures found in the New Testament as viewed through the lens of leadership.

Today’s podcast comes from James 5:16. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

The word “therefore” indicates that we need to first examine the context of this command. We read in verse 13 “Is any one of you in trouble?” Verse 14 says, “Is any one of you sick?” And, in verse 15, we see that “If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”

From this context, then, we come to understand that prayers for one another are appropriate when someone is in trouble, is sick, or has sinned. That covers a number of circumstances!

Why is it important to confess our sins to one another as James instructs us? Pause and think about that for a moment with me. Let me suggest a few reasons.

 Confession of our sins requires humility and puts us in a right posture before the Lord and with others

 Confession of sin is required for forgiveness of sin as we saw in verse 15.

 Unforgiveness, either in our own lives or toward another person, is often a hindrance to our own healing.

In the next section of this verse, James tells us that we are to pray for each other. Why? Let me suggest three reasons.

 Prayer for others expresses our concern for them

 Prayer for others is part of our privilege and responsibility within the Body. Galatians 6:2 instructs us to

“carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

 We are to pray for others toward the desired outcome of their healing. Personally, when I pray for healing for others I frequently quote 1 Peter 2:24. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

The final portion of James 5:16, encourages us with these words. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” What an encouraging promise! Now, it’s not our righteousness; it is His righteousness that is imparted, or given, to us. Yet, as we live and walk in His righteousness, we can be assured that our prayers are powerful and effective. Let us pray for one another. Amen!

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.