In James 5:13–18 James turns his attention and ours to the matter of prayer. God wants to hear from us in every circumstance of life—when we're suffering and when we're cheerful. We need him when we're suffering, lest we turn against him in bitterness or from him in despair. We need him just the same when we're cheerful, lest we forget the source of our blessing. This encouragement is to be expected from the Apostle. But then he tells us to call the elders when we're sick in order that they would pray over us, anoint us with oil, and to pray in faith that we would be healed. This passage will require some work to understand in order to protect us from confusion in our sickness and in order to help us when we are in sin.