The excerpt below was taken courtesy of Megan Hill’s book Praying Together, published by Editora Fiel in November 2018.
Is there anyone among you who’s sick? Call the elders of the church, and they will pray for him agoning it with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will resurrect him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (James 5:14-15).
- In this promise.
- James instructs the church member who is gravely ill.
- Ordering the elders of the church to pray together and encouraging “prayer of faith” (v.
- 15).
- These verses urge the elders to specifically perform prayer work.
- A key priority of church leaders since the Apostles.
This promise also has a broader application, and does James soon add the general exhortation to pray?(V. 16). If Mary and Martha, together, called the Lord when Lazarus fell ill (Jn 11:1-44), it is true that we too must shout to Jesus through the beds of the hospital. If our Lord has healed the paralyzed by faith. of his friends (Mt 9:1-7), we can also stand up to our brothers and sisters who suffer through prayer in faith.
But how do we put our faith? When my father was diagnosed with leukemia, his non-Christian oncologist told him, “With chemotherapy, 90% of patients can improve. I trust this will be a good option for you?Did this doctor have a lot of faith, in a drug, in research and in his own judgment. Similarly, gathered around a sick person, certain groups of Christians may declare that they are convinced that healing will certainly take place and pray that God will perform this healing. As one successful sales author wrote, “I’m sure you’re just a prayer away from fulfilling a dream, living a fulfilled promise, or living a miracle. “While this expectation may seem good, some people also show that they put their faith wrong?In the power of prayer to achieve the desired result. This is not the kind of faith Santiago is talking about.
The reason is that the Christian faith is never placed in circumstances, while those who are not Christians can have faith in medical techniques and those who claim to be Christians can have faith in their own courage, true?Prayer of faith? Express faith is faith in the Trinitarian God, creator of heaven and earth and architect of our salvation; it is faith in the Almighty God, who established the stars, saw the lilies, dropped the sparrows, and knows all the hair on our heads (Salt 8,2; Mt 6. 28-29; 10,29-31) It is faith in God that is often pleased to glorify and do good to his people by forgiving their sins, defeating their enemies, healing their illnesses, responding to their needs, and giving them reasons for joy (Psalm 103:2-5). Is faith in God what is powerful to do infinitely more than we ask?(Ephesians 3:20).
Moreover, as Douglas Moo pointed out, prayer of faith “also implies absolute confidence in the perfection of God’s will. “We not only pray to believe in a God who can do anything: let us pray by believing in a God who will do ?Always does!? The best. Prayer of faith never requires God, but prostrates before him, who works all for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28). It is faith in God that has never received anything from us, but it gives us every perfect gift and gift (Romans 11:35; James 1:17) It is faith in God that, if necessary, also gives us tribulations and sufferings. (1P 1. 6-7; Stg 1:2-3) It is faith in the Father who has not forgiven his own Son and therefore will not deny us the best for us (Rom 8:23; Come out 84. 11). Is it faith in God that always responds to our prayers with one?Yes, or with a “I’ll give you something better. “
Then, in James 5, the Lord promised temporal and spiritual answers when we prayed together in faith: “Prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will resurrect him; And if you have committed sins, will they be forgiven?( v. 15) . In many cases, God responds kindly to the prayer of the elders with physical healing. The sick son of God can get up, take his bed, and walk. Certainly, the Lord is able to cure many types of physical diseases. ; when Jesus was on earth, He gave sight to the blind, He made the mute and the deaf heard; his power is so great that he has healed ten men in a single instant (Lr 17:11-14). that a disease may be beyond the reach of God, who has woven our bodies into the secret place!If physical healing is best, you will use our prayers to make it work.
The Lord also promises spiritual answers to our prayers. The language James uses for God’s response?What do you want to do?Does it have both physical and spiritual meaning. Often, our prayers go one way or another. Some Christians seem to pray based on hospital records. Others only ask for spiritual goods. Tiago encourages both of them. We can pray together for physical healing and spiritual renewal, for the deliverance of disease and forgiveness of sins, for healthy bodies, and for the new birth of souls. When we pray together, God leads many sick people to repentance and faith. And he promises that his suffering children will be resurrected with glorious bodies on the last day (1C 15. 51-54). As Daniel Doriani observed, “sooner or later God will heal all his people. “With this encouragement, we are not afraid that our prayers will be too long or receive an incorrect answer. We have absolute confidence in a God who promises to use the prayers we offer in faith to do our best.
When prayers mix. Almost all Christians affirm the centrality of prayer for a healthy Christian life, but for many, prayer is often a challenge that requires intense personal commitment and self-discipline. However, as Megan Hill points out in Praying Together, our normal approach to prayer goes a crucial element: others.
Although personal prayer is important, God created the church to be a community of believers who pray together regularly. By exploring the rich biblical teaching of what it means to gather before the throne of God with one voice, Megan Hill establishes a theological basis for collective prayer and offers practical advice to make it a reality in our homes, communities, and churches.
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