If you are a wealthy person who mistreats your employees, failing to pay what you owe, you'd better watch out. The "misery that is coming upon you" is cause to "weep and wail". Yikes.
In verses 7-12 we see a couple concluding instructions: be patient, don't grumble against each other, and don't go overboard swearing either by heaven or by earth. The phrase "I swear to God" isn't one of holiness, but probably something to be avoided.
James finishes his letter by telling us to pray. Pray when in trouble, when happy, when sick, etc. In verse 16, "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective". Prayer very rarely feels effective, especially in the moment. It can feel like a poor use of our time. James (and others throughout the Bible) make it clear that prayer is a fantastic use of our time. It's hard for our finite minds to grasp how or why this is so, but that's OK. Prayer is a great evidence of faith. Prayer is about engaging in relationship with our unseen Creator and Savior in a way that might not make sense to us. Am I willing to trust Him and pray, or do I need to understand how everything works?
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