Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Thursday, June 22, 2017

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-06-22-2017

“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).

Have you ever been sick; I mean the kind of sick that only God’s miraculous power can heal? God has outlined your path to healing if in His providence it is for His glory and your good.

Many are the stories of Jesus performing miraculous healing in the the Bible. One such story can be found in Mark 2. Without going into the details of the story, I would like to direct you to a few elements that will inform our reading of the theme text today. First, the man in Mark 2 was sick to the point of needing a miracle. Physical therapy, eating and drinking right, using herbs, etc., were not capable of helping him. Second, he and a few friends possessed the God-given faith necessary to enter the realm of God’s miraculous power. Third, they actually moved upon their faith and moved into Jesus’ presence desiring that He would provide forgiveness and healing. Last, the paralyzed man trusted Jesus with the outcome. By the way, Jesus saw fit to heal the man, forgive him of his sins, and amaze the onlookers with the completeness and immediacy of the miracle.

I find it tremendously encouraging and powerful that God would be so kind as to provide a blueprint for such miracles for those willing to listen and heed the guidance. In our theme text, the writer enjoins persons who are sick and in need of miraculous healing to exhibit faith in Him and call the church overseers/elders/bishops (same word) together for the express purpose of being instruments to facilitate God’s power for healing. He said the elders should pray over and anoint the ailing person in the name and authority of the Lord. But notice what happens next. The Bible says that the prayer of faith will “save” the sick! Did you get that? Further, it states that his/her sins will be forgiven. Do not rush by this.

Many times people, whether the ones praying or the one’s seeking healing for themselves completely ignore the surrounding context and the counsel God has so graciously placed in plain view. God invested much in the surrounding verses to help suppliants deal with the sin problem. Yes. I did say, “sin problem.” Just as in the story in Mark 2, this text underscores the need to deal with that before miraculous healing is even possible. Soul healing is a prerequisite for physical/mental/emotional healing. God always works this plan in pairs - body and soul. Notice what the Bible says: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16). If you have wronged anyone and you are conscious of that wrong, go and resolve the issue as much as it is within your power. If you have unconfessed sins, ask the Lord for His Spirit, confess, and (in heart) turn away from your sins. This is prerequisite to miraculous healing. God is after full glory in our lives, not partial healing. I know this is hard for some to believe, but what saith the Scriptures? (This is by no means putting God in the box, because we do have examples like the man born blind that are exceptions to this rule).

If you are sick and in need of a miraculous healing, submit yourself to God, confess and forsake your sins, if you have wronged anyone and not dealt with that wrong, seek them out and confess the actual wrongdoing, and the Lord will have...