Our scripture this morning is James 5:16 (ESV).
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Let’s talk about our sins for a bit. I think a statement like that makes most of us a little uncomfortable. People generally will talk about anything, especially the sins of others, rather than our own sins. James advises “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
Confession as a practice means different things to different faith traditions, but all agree that the act of speaking our mistake to another human brings an indescribable healing. Evil tries to corrupt us and make us think if we tell anyone what we did, we will be shunned. This secretive nature is essential to evil’s success – it brings separation from God and our community.
When Adam and Eve knew they had sinned, they hid because they were ashamed (Genesis 3:8). This shame over our willful behavior separates us as much as the act itself, and its effects are long lasting and serious. We are called to share one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and as James tells us, our prayers for one another are powerful. By ministering to each other’s issues, we fulfill the command of Christ.
Gracious God, we are sorry for the number of times we have fallen short of Your will for us. Forgive us and bless us to listen to other’s issues and pray for them as Jesus taught us. Amen.
