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. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
–James 5:13-18 (ESV)

Two vital aspects of intercessory prayer are in view here. First is the obligation of church leaders to pray for the sick. Since such prayers often move the hand of God, “therefore” the leaders should confess to one another and pray for one another.

As I ponder this connection between praying for the sick and confessing to one another, I conclude that my call to leadership in the church involves learning to balance my private prayer life with my care for my brothers and sisters in the faith. That’s where the rubber meets the road.