Sunday's One Another Commands
Pray for one another
James 5:16
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Pondering Point
There are two “one another” commands here, each valuable in their own right. But in this instance they are joined together.
The prayer for each other is done on the back side of the confessing sins to each other that are apparently having an adverse effect on the health of a fellow brother or sister in Christ.
For an example of such impact check out 1 Corinthians 11:17-33 (listed below).
We too would do well to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other. Not to everyone of course, but to a few God-fearing partners in the faith – a micro-group of fellow believers that you can trust with your whole life – good and bad.
1 Corinthians 11:17-33
Correcting an Abuse of the Lord’s Supper
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.
33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.
And when I come I will give further directions.
Prayer
Father God, encourage me by Your Holy Spirit to develop and use godly friendships that will serve to facilitate confession and healing at soul-deep levels for all involved. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
I find it fascinating that the Sabbath is the only “spiritual discipline” that makes it into the Ten Commandments. Not church or Bible reading, not even prayer. Sabbath is the anchor discipline of the people of God.
~ J.M. Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, pp. 162, 16