Learning to Listen #30

The book of James is known as a very practical book. Earlier in our series on Learning to Listen we were in chapter 1, where he admonishes us to be slow to speak and quick to listen.  Later in our series we were in the Psalms and saw the connection between being a righteous man and learning to listen. James five pulls the two together:
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 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.

Why is prayer so powerful? Because God listens. God listens to us as we sing praises to Him. God listens to us as we call out in need. God listens as we call out for forgiveness. God wants us to learn to listen like He does. He wants us to listen to the needs of others and help. He wants us to pray with and for one another in our sins, sicknesses and struggles. God wants us to forgive as we listen to the confession of our brothers and sisters. When the church becomes a people that listens, what a powerful people we will be.