James 5:13-20. If afflicted, pray with faith. Effectual fervent prayer, forgives sins, saves souls.

"James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms." If we are afflicted, we must pray to God. Affliction is something that causes suffering, trouble, misery, agony, pain, etc. Luke 22:44 says, when Jesus was about to face the crucifixion, he "being in an agony he prayed more earnestly" to God the Father. So, we must also pray when we are in agony. Luke 23:42 says, one of the malefactors, we say thief on the cross, in his affliction prayed to Jesus saying, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Jesus replied to him in verse 43, "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." When Paul and Silas were locked into the inner prison, and their feet were in the stocks, they prayed. It is in Acts 16:24-26. "24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed." They were miraculously delivered. Apostle James also says, If we are afflicted, we must pray. So, we must also earnestly pray to God in all our afflictions.

Next, "Is any merry? let him sing psalms." It is that if we are merry, then let us sing psalms. It is not songs, but it is Psalms. But we sing songs. Songs are not psalms. Songs are our lyrics with music. They are composed to help the ceremonial worships in churches. They are not scriptural, and they are written just to kindle our emotions, and to spread false doctrine. Churches sing these songs and people think that they worship God. But these songs are not inspired by God. We use them for our excitement, and entertainment; and we think that we worship God. God will not accept them. If it is worship, we worship the devil, since we cannot worship God with lies. Psalms in bible, are inspired by God and by the Spirit of God. But our songs are not inspired by God. "Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;" So, we must be in Spirit, speaking in spiritual songs in the melody in our hearts to the Lord. So, it is not music performance, but it is rejoicing in our heart in the Spirit. "Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." So, hymns and spiritual songs are to teach and admonish each other: and this is to sing in our hearts to the Lord; but not to perform to the church audience. Notice, this song service is to God in the Spirit in heart; and if it is a performance, it is to God in the fellowship of the brethren in the Lord.

"14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:" In the beginning, apostles ordained elders in churches to take care of spiritual wellness of people. "Acts 14:23 ... they had ordained them elders in every church, ... Titus 1:5 ... and ordain elders in every city ..." Now a days also we have elders in churches, but they are not ordained in the order of God. Apostle James says that we must go to the elders in our church, they will anoint with oil and pray, and the sick will be healed. But our elders do not pray, but do executive job. "Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them." So, the disciples anointed oil on the sick, prayed for them, and healed the sick. That was the practice then. "James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." Those who have faith will have the power of God, they are probably ordained elders or disciples, and when they pray, God will heal them. Further, if the sickness was caused because of sins, then their sins will also be forgiven to them. Jesus Christ also did the same thing; he first forgave the sins of the sick of palsy and then he healed the sickness. It is in Matthew 9:2-6. ["2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house."] Unfortunately, we do not have such elders in churches. But we have a lot of prayer ministries, who are exploiters and hypocrites, who rob the sick people; yet we adore them as godly people. Religion, politics, and such enterprises, drives people by lies, emotion, and enticing, rather than by truth and Spirit.

"16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Bible has full of references asking to repent and confess our sins for forgiveness of sins. James tells believers to confess their sins to each other; it is not to advertise their sins, but to repent and confess to whom did they sin against, and pray for each other, to forgive sins, and to heal their sickness; then God will heal them. Then it says that the effectual fervent prayer availeth much. Jesus told his disciples in "Matthew 22:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." He told a parable about fervent prayer in Luke 18:1-8. "1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;." Verses 2-8, explain this. ["2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"] One more very important thing to notice is: "John 9:31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth." Now a days, there are too many prayer wariors working for money. It is not clear whether they war against God, or do they pray to God. Anyhow, God will not hear the prayer of sinners, except repenting. But true example of fervent prayer is this: when Herod got apostle Peter in prison, he had plans to kill him, the church prayed for him earnestly, and Peter was delivered. It is in Acts 12:1-16. "11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews." ["Acts 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished."] Then, apostle James gives the example of prophet Elijah, and his name is Elias in new testament.

Usually, God calls his prophets and gives them mission. Jonah tried to run away, but God did not leave him. God send Elijah to call Elisha. But God did not call Elijah, and it seems that Elijah called himself.  In the new testament Elijah is spelled as Elias. At his time Ahab was the king in Israel. He was the most evil over all the previous kings of Israel, he took Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal a pagan king as his wife, worshipped her god Baal, made a grove and built up an altar for Baal in the grove. It is in 1 Kings 16:29-33. ["29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. 31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. 32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him."] Elijah was very upset and got angry with King Ahab. He took it upon himself and told a message of curse to Ahab and to Israel. His name is introduced in 1 Kings 17:1. "1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." He was referred as "Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead," but he was not referres as a prophet. James refers him as, "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are." James brought him to our level. Elijah pronounced the curse as "according to my word," but not as according to the word of God. Then he prayed to God that it may come to pass. His relationship with God was so close and he was sure that God will endorse him. James 5:17&18 say, "17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." However, he was so zealous for the cause of God, and he proclaimed it to king Ahab that there will be no rain. Then he prayed earnestly according to apostle James. Then God told Elias to hide himself, and so on. He became a great prophet of God even though he began as an ordinary Elijah the Tishbite, who was an inhabitant of Gilead. It encourages us to be bold for God and to pray with faith if we are zealous for God. Most of the time we do boast ourselves, but we do nothing.

"19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him." Brethren of the Spirit church must not make an error in the truth. But if they made errors, it should not be frequent; but why do they make errors? Let us see a verse to find why people make errors. "2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." If someone does not have the revelation of God, or as the verse say that if they are unlearned and unstable, they commit error, and it is their own fault. For an example, the so-called grace gospel people are one among them. Bible says that they are wicked, and they fell from being steadfast. Next portion of the verse says, if one converts him. Let us see in "Jude 1:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." It is not easy to pull them out since they are in the strong grip of deception of the devil, willingly. It goes to the next verse. "20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." Converted sinners will not commit sin, and if they sin, they are not converted. People, who fake salvation, will be sinning. So, if they are converted, we will hide multitude of sins, by forgiveness as well as by preventing sins. But now a days, Christians say that they are saved, but keep on sinning. But there is no salvation in sin, it must be from sin, and not in sin. "1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." So, the key is that we must live by the doctrine of Jesus Christ, but by no other doctrine. Now the churches and the evangelical field have plenty of doctrines for us to choose from. All of them are of the devil. Hold on to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, which is enforced by the apostles. That will lead us to God in heaven and we will be able to save other people also. Don't look at churches and mass meetings like Billy Graham crusade, they are the broad way and will lead masses of people right into hell. Let us lead people through the narrow way of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we will be in heaven with Jesus Christ, inheriting the kingdom of God in heaven, as joint heirs with him.