The word ‘afflicted’ here means trouble. One translation calls it hardships and distress. James is not speaking about sickness and disease here. We know this because in the verses that follow, he asks if there are any among the believers who are sick, and then he instructs them to go to the leaders of the church and have them lay hands and pray the prayer of faith. In James 5:13 however, he is speaking about individual believers who have found themselves experiencing any kind of trouble. It could be in their marriage, or family relationships, whatever the struggle and challenge may be, the first place to go – is to the Lord in prayer. What’s important to notice is that James doesn’t say to go to others for prayer, he said the individual should pray. Now there is certainly power when we pray in agreement together, in fact we are encouraged to do so, especially when we don’t seem to see the results of our prayer, and we feel the need to join our faith with other believers. However, it is extremely beneficial for our own growth in the Lord when we learn how to exercise our faith and come into the throne room of God, to receive what we need. When we know how to pray effectively, it really becomes a way of life for us. We learn how to lay our burdens down, search out God’s Word and heart for the desired result, and with a heart full of trust and confident faith, present our requests to the Lord, always pouring out our heartfelt thanks when we sense He has heard and answered us. The peace and joy that floods our hearts, even before we get up from our place of prayer is so wonderful! Then, training ourselves to remain thankful for His answer, even if the circumstances seem stubborn to change, is a lesson in faith nobody can do for us. That’s because we’re building our personal trust in the Lord and His Word. There have been times when I’ve prayed about a problem that weighed heavily on my heart. I just didn’t sense the relief for it after giving it to the Lord. So, I lingered for a moment longer in His Presence, waiting and listening. Instantly, the Holy Spirit reminded me of 2 phrases I had been studying from 2 different scriptures that really hit their mark in me. He prompted me to say them aloud, over and over, and as I did, a spark of faith and joy began to rise up from my spirit. The more I said those phrases out loud; the more faith and joy began to rise until I was praising and thanking God on the top of my voice for the answer, overflowing with joy! I knew I had declared the answer in faith and the Word was doing the work! Don’t depend on others to do your praying for you – nothing can substitute the joy of going to God yourself and receiving your answer. Go to Him now – He’s waiting for you.