James is straightforward and blunt. He doesn’t pull punches and he doesn’t gloss things over. His instructions are simple.
Confess your sins to one another. Don’t beat around the bush or try to hide your sin. Confess your sin. Pray for each other. Ask the Lord to heal one another of our sin. The prayers of Christians are powerful and effective. They work powerfully.
Spend some time praying in light of what God’s Word teaches us:
- Confess any sinful desires, thoughts or behaviors you’ve struggled with today.
- Ask the Lord to heal you, forgive you and apply the love of Christ to your heart and life today.
- Thank God for the power of the cross and empty tomb of Christ and ask him to continually apply that power to your life.
- Pray for other people that you know are struggling in sin.
- Pray that the power of Christ would be effective in our worship and gospel community gatherings this week.