Welcome to week twenty-two, which is our final study in the Epistle of James! Tonight we will continue discussing prayer, using Elijah as an example, and we will also take a look at encouraging sinners to turn from their sin.
Contents
Week One – An Expository Study of James
Week Two – Joy in Our Trials
Week Three – Giving Birth to Sin Part One
Week Four – Giving Birth to Sin Part Two
Week Five – Receiving the Word
Week Six – Receiving the Word Part Two
Week Seven – The Royal Law
Week Eight – The Royal Law Part Two
Week Nine – A Living Faith
Week Ten – A Living Faith Part Two
Week Eleven – A World of Iniquity/Taming the Tongue
Week Twelve – Taming the Tongue Part Two
Week Thirteen – Heavenly Wisdom
Week Fourteen – Heavenly Wisdom Part Two
Week Fifteen – Warning Against Worldliness
Week Sixteen – Warning Against Worldliness Part Two
Week Seventeen – Proper Planning
Week Eighteen – Proper Planning Part Two
Week Nineteen – Be Patient/Another Warning to the Rich
Week Twenty – Be Patient Part Two
Week Twenty-one – Prayers of the Righteous
Outline
- Opening prayer
- Introduction
- Read James 5:17-20
- Read the study notes from ESV.org
- Answer questions 6-10 on page 13 of Workbook on the Epistle of James
- Closing prayer
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for this opportunity to study your Word together. We desire to maintain sweet fellowship with You and to walk in Christ Jesus. Help us to recognize our faults and quickly seek Your forgiveness. Help us also to confess our faults to those we have wronged, and we pray that we maintain an attitude of prayer, and learn to pray fervently in spirit and truth, so that in Christ our prayers may be effective and avail much. To Your honor and glory – this we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.[1]
Previous Highlights
- Last time we discussed the prayers of the righteous, the prayer of faith, and the healing of the body and cleansing of sin through prayer.
Application
Read James 5:17-20 and answer questions 6-10 on page 13 of the workbook.
Closing Prayer
Tonight we will use Psalm 51 to close off in prayer, because it contains many of the reminders that we learned about while studying the Book of James. James calls on us to cleanse our hearts and hands of sin, serve others and not riches, rely on Wisdom from God, tame our tongues, remain steadfast in our faith, pray for others, and encourage sinners to turn from their sin. David mentions many of the same themes in this psalm, which sometimes is called the “sinner’s prayer”:
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your unfailing love;
according to Your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in Your sight,
so that You are proved right when You speak
and justified when You judge.
Surely I have been a sinner from birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me…
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me and I will be whiter than snow…
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from Your presence
or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
Then will I teach transgressors Your ways,
and sinners will turn back to You.”
It has been an absolute pleasure studying the Book of James together! Just this one short book in the Bible contains everything we need to become better servants for the Lord, better at loving people, better at making decisions, better at relationships, and better at showing the world how much we love and serve our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Next Week
Next week we will be doing one topical study about what is means to be saved and how to make sure that we are! Then we will continue our chronological exposition of the New Testament by examining First Thessalonians.
Have a wonderful week ladies, and thank you for your dedication to our studies and for showing up every week for great thought-provoking discussions!