Prayer to be Reckoned with... - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Hello, friends! We are back with another installment of our James series! Today we are going over just two little verses, but --you guys!-- they are PACKED full!  Let's get right to it:

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 13-15! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Are there any believers in your fellowship suffering great hardship and distress? Encourage them to pray! Are there happy, cheerful ones among you? Encourage them to sing out their praises! Are there any sick among you? Then ask the elders of the church to come and pray over the sick and anoint them with oil in the name of our Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick and the Lord will raise them up, and if they have committed sins they will be forgiven." (The Passion Translation)

'Are there any believers... suffering great hardship and distress?'
This is rhetorical, right? I mean, the answer is always yes... 

Now is the Time for High Hopes and Patience... - The Book of James Bible Series

***

Happy November, Y'all!  Can you even believe that we are this close to all the end-of-year Holidays and festivities? I was talking with a friend just the other day sharing about how this year has seemed to slip right by while we have been holding our collective breath, waiting... for healing, for hope, for a breakthrough, or overcoming... While much of our 'normal' lives may have been pushed to the side or put on pause, Time -in fact- did not slow!
This also means we are nearing the end of our study, reading through the book of James together through 2021!  Let's continue with Chapter 5... 

TODAY'S VERSES ARE JAMES CHAPTER 5, VERSES 7-12! 

WE BEGIN BY READING OUR VERSES TOGETHER HERE FROM THE PASSION TRANSLATION BIBLE:

"Meanwhile, brothers and sisters, we must be patient and filled with expectation as we wait for the appearing of the Lord. Think about the farmer who has to patiently wait for the earth’s harvest as it ripens because of the early and latter rains. So you also, keep your hopes high and be patient, for the presence of the Lord is drawing closer. Since each of you are part of God’s family never complain or grumble about each other so that judgment will not come on you, for the true Judge is near and very ready to appear!

My brothers and sisters, take the prophets as your mentors. They have prophesied in the name of the Lord and it brought them great sufferings, yet they patiently endured. We honor them as our heroes because they remained faithful even while enduring great sufferings. And you have heard of all that Job went through and we can now see that the Lord ultimately treated him with wonderful kindness, revealing how tenderhearted he really is!

Above all we must be those who never need to verify our speech as truthful by swearing by the heavens or the earth or any other oath. But instead we must be so full of integrity that our “Yes” or “No” is convincing enough and we do not stumble into hypocrisy." (The Passion Translation)

Oh man, this portion is PACKED full of goodness!