Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘James 5’

Off The Hook

Posted in Elijah, Faith, Prayer, tagged on November 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Elijah was the same kind of person as we are. He prayed earnestly that there would be no rain, and no rain fell on the land for three and a half years. Once again he prayed, and the sky poured out its rain and the earth produced its crops. — James 5:17-18 (Good News Translation)

We want to think men and women of the Bible were somehow different, more holy or more powerful. It sort of lets us off the hook when we see their prayers answered and ours not. But it also robs us of expecting much when we pray.

The Bible says they were just like us with the same passions, feelings, struggles we have. Don’t see it as a hook to get off of, see it as an opportunity to grow and a privilege to appreciate.

God worked in their lives and he will work in ours if we grasp both this fact and faith in Christ.

Prayer:Thank you, Father, that as I stand in the righteousness that Jesus died to give I can pray like any other man or woman in the Bible and know you hear and answer. Amen.

— fritz

Read Full Post »

>Is any sick among you?

Posted in Healing, tagged on October 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

>

“Is any sick among you? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” – James 5:14-15

The idea that gifts of healing ended with the last apostle is clearly not biblical. It is the role of the church and specifically the “elders” to pray for that healing in faith.

If the church is not doing that, it is not fulfilling one of its intended purposes.

If we are not calling the elders for prayer in our sickness, we are not fulfilling our responsibility, either.

Not everyone has been healed but many have. Our oldest son is quite possibly alive today because we called elders for prayer when he was a year old in the hospital with staff infection. A man named Frank Romanelli came on Christmas Eve and anointed our listless son with oil in name of Jesus. That night our son began to improve and was sent home the next day, well.

Also note the word, “if”. Christian health is a complex issue, not always because of sin. I don’t believe we are capable of understanding the why and how but we can obey and trust God’s goodness.

– fritz

Read Full Post »