The Prayer of Allegiance If you’re new to Lifpoint | Worthington, take 30 seconds to fill out our Welcome Card! Serve our Community on Christmas Eve Interest Form James 5:13-16 (ESV) Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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. 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. 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. Introduction Today we conclude our study in the book of James. This passage contains challenging concepts regarding prayer, healing, and confession. However, James is acknowledging a reality that modern medicine calls psychosomatic: the idea that the stress of a “double life,” hidden shame, and isolation can physically break our bodies down. The Scarlet Letter To understand this text, we look to the character of Arthur Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter. While Hester Prynne bore her shame publicly, Dimmesdale hid his sin while maintaining a perfect public image. Hester lived in the truth and grew stronger. Dimmesdale lived a lie and wasted away. He represents the “Arthur Dimmesdales” in the room: those who are weary, worn out, and tired of holding up a mask. James invites us into a true allegiance to Jesus that practices two things: Vertical Transparency and Horizontal Vulnerability.