We encourage you to read and reflect on these scriptures, songs, notes, and prayers as we look forward to our time of worship together this coming Sunday.

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CALL TO WORSHIP

Please join in on the bolded lines.

We will walk this day with you, O God, and you will walk with us,
gathering us into a community to pray for one another in all things.
We will walk this day with you, O Christ, and you will walk with us,
calling us to follow you, helping us to set aside all which holds us back.
We will walk this day with you, O Spirit, and you will walk with us,
sending us out, side by side, to serve those cast aside by the world.

MUSIC: ONLY YOU

CCLI #7026980 | Eric J. Marshall © 2014
Performed by Emmaus Road Worship Team

CORPORATE PRAYER

Please join in on the bolded lines.

Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing you have made,
and you forgive the sins of all who repent:
Create and make in us new and contrite hearts,
that we, worthily lamenting our sins,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

MUSIC: COME THOU FOUNT

CCLI #3630228 | David Crowder, Robert Robinson, and John Wyeth © 2002
Performed by Emmaus Road Worship Team

MUSIC: GIVE US YOUR HEART

CCLI #7080403 | Ashlyn Clift, Charles Groves, Jake Richards, Lauren Wells, Mackenzie Fessler, Jordan Merritt, and Melanie Tierce
© 2016
Performed by Emmaus Road Worship Team

WORD

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Everyday Faith: Faith-Filled Prayer
James 5:13-19 (NRSV)

INTRO
James ends his letter with a call to prayer. In the previous verses, he’s just talked about how Christians should live with patience for the day when all things will be made right. This patience should lead us to a life of faith-filled prayer.

He also ends his letter with instructions on prayer because the nitty-gritty stuff of everyday faith is to be blanketed in prayer.

Suffering? Then you should pray. Happy? Sing praises! Sick? Have others prayer for your healing.

Of course, these don’t capture the fullness of the human experience, but they are representative of life.

FAITH-FILLED PRAYER
Notice the simplicity of the instruction; when you are suffering, you should pray. James doesn’t tell us how to pray. He doesn’t tell us what to pray. He just says we should pray in the midst of our suffering.

We are left to wonder what he might mean. Does he mean that prayer will help anchor us in the midst of the suffering? Does prayer help bring perspective? Does prayer help calm the stress? Does prayer move the needle in a more favorable direction? For now, we are left wondering.

If you find that you are happy, then sing praises! Prayer is not just something you do when you need help. Your praise for God’s gifts and goodness are themselves a type of prayer.

In the moments when you are sick. Have fellow Christians pray over you and anoint you with oil for healing. That prayer of faith will save the sick. And your sins will also be forgiven.

PRAYER PUTS ONE FOOT IN NEW CREATION
Any fellow skeptics out there that start to ask questions when the scripture says “the prayer of faith will save the sick?”

Does that mean if someone isn’t healed, they didn’t have enough faith? Also, why does James bring in the forgiveness of sins? Is he trying to connect illness to sinfulness as though one caused the other?

These are important questions.

James isn’t trying to be deterministic. He is not setting out a guarantee that if you pray in all the right ways, then your prayers will be answered in precisely the way you’ve prayed. That kind of interpretation just wouldn’t match the human experience.

James is making an important connection: Prayer is where the healing and forgiveness of the age to come can intersect with the illness and sin of the present age. He’s not saying one causes the other. He is giving us evidence of the power of prayer!

When we pray, we stand with one foot in the world as it is; filled with sickness, sin, and trouble while the other other foot stands in God’s new creation; filled with healing, forgiveness, and hope. Prayer brings new creation to bear on creation in such a way that we can experience healing and forgiveness!

Here is another way of thinking about it; prayer is the place where heaven and earth meet.

Are you suffering? Then place one foot down in God’s new world so that you can experience peace in the midst of suffering.

Are you happy? Place a foot in heaven and join your voice with the heavenly hosts singing praises to God.

Are you sick? Then take the earthly material of oil and rub it on your body crafted from the dirt and pray for healing. God’s redemption includes our physical bodies.
Prayer is about standing in the gap and bringing more of God’s kingdom to bear on our lives. James ends his book with prayer because to live an everyday faith, we are going to need to have one foot in heaven and one foot on earth.

May you experience new life and encouragement in your prayer life today.

TABLE

Prepare the elements of “bread” and “wine” for use as we gather around The Lord’s Table. These can be any items convenient around the home that symbolize these for you. 

CONFESSION OF THE MYSTERY OF FAITH

Christ has died.
Christ is risen. 
Christ will come again.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

As we pray together, we invite you to share your own requests and testimonies with us this week. If you have a request you can share it live in our video stream chat, or you may email us at emmausroadfc@gmail.com

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven,
        hallowed be your Name,
        your kingdom come,
        your will be done,
        on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins
        as we forgive those
        who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, 
        and deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, 
        and the power,
        and the glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

BENEDICTION

You are invited to hold your hands out, palm-up as we receive this benediction.

Go now and celebrate wherever God’s name is honored.
When suffering comes, pray in faith.In times of joy, sing songs of praise.
Persevere in prayer and action to bring the fallen back to the truth.
And may God save you from all that would harm you;
May Christ Jesus heal you and raise you up;
and may the Holy Spirit anoint you
and give you peace with one another.We go in peace to love and serve the Lord.