The Song of Faith
James 5:13-20
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."
JAMES 5:13
One of the most enjoyable experiences during our years with the FEBC on Okinawa was producing the program "Dial-a-Song." What began as a 1-hour request show eventually turned into a 6-hour evening on Saturdays from 6pm to midnight. A team of servicemen answered the phones to take requests, pulled the records from the library, and handed the records off to me. The music was a testimony to the faith of the listeners who participated. I can't tell you how many times listeners let us know "that's just what I needed to hear tonight."
When dealing with difficult life situations, have you ever sensed God using the words of a song to strengthen your faith? In His presence we experience the grace, mercy, faithfulness and great joy that are expressed through the song of praise.
James is telling us that God delights in using songs of praise in our lives. After all, He is the One who created music at the beginning of time! And when this life is over, the song we sing with Him in heaven will know no bounds!
INSIGHT
"SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG; SING TO THE LORD ALL THE EARTH. SING TO THE LORD, PRAISE HIS NAME..."
(PSALM 96:1-2)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
2 Chronicles 3-4
Psalm 9
Matthew 13
James 5:13-20
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
The Prayer of Faith
13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one 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. 15 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. 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.
17 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 and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
IS THE GOSPEL RELEVANT [PART 2]
with Darrell Johnson
Nobody understood what Jesus meant when he called himself the "Bread of Life." His statement was so forceful that the crowds began to desert him. What did he mean by this and why was he so insistent?
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