Category: faith

“Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise.  Is any one of you sick?  He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  James 5:13-16

I was in trouble, so I prayed.  There were times I was happy, so I sang.  I was sick, so I asked the older and wiser to come pray for me and anoint me with oil in Jesus’ name.  I have sinned, but I know God has forgiven.  I don’t mind confessing sin, for I know we all have that in common.  When we are honest with one another, we can easily pray for one another and healing takes place.  This past year, I’ve had the opportunity to stand in many places and thank fellow believers for remembering me in prayer.  This past Sunday, I stood in the church where I grew up and thanked several of my older brothers and sisters.  I think some cried as I told them God had answered their many prayers.

Yesterday, I endured a long day of tests (I won’t get results for a week).  This is the one year anniversary of my stem cell transplant and few at the hospital recognized me with hair on my head.  When I talk to my doctors and nurses, I often tell them how many people are praying for me.  It is God that raises up, but He invites us to participate through prayer.  He can hear the cry of one child and give an instant answer or He can permit many to pray and answer gradually.  If He chooses to answer ‘no’, we can still trust that He is in control and that He loves us.  God is in charge of how and when He answers; He just calls us to pray in faith… and never give up.

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up…”  Luke 18:1-8

It was after I was diagnosed with cancer that I realized how many are battling disease. I have seen so many people exhibit great courage and determination. The attitudes of young and old have served as examples for me. I have noticed that people handle adversity in different ways. Some seem to approach the enemy of disease with a defiant attitude. Others seem to lean more on faith in the struggle. Many call on the same God I serve, while others rely on different religions. As I joined a whole community of suffering people, an interesting question arose: Is my faith just a way to deal with my problem or is it something that is true?

Am I truly a child of God or is this just something that helps me cope? Does God really love me with an everlasting love or does this thought just make me feel better? God has arranged things in such a way that we can only come to Him by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. God’s Son, Jesus, is the definition of truth and when we put our faith in Him some miracles take place. Our sins – far more deadly than any cancer – are forgiven and we become a part of God’s family. The Father, in His perfect wisdom, gives a gift to His children to enable us to walk in truth. Paul wrote about this good news in Galations 3 and 4: You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus… Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Before Jesus went to the cross, He promised His followers this Helper who He described as truth: If you love Me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him or knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

So here’s the lesson I have learned: God’s truths are of infinite value when I hold to them by faith. The fatal mistake of the children of Israel was not combining God’s message of truth with their own faith (see Hebrews 4:1-3). It was easy for them to believe when they walked through the Red Sea and saw their enemy destroyed. But what did they believe after going three days without water? It is easy for me to believe when every prayer seems to be answered and I constantly sense His presence. But what do I believe when no prayer seems to be answered? What if God seems to be far away? What if I am suddenly confronted with sickness or persecution or even death?

This is the truth: In Christ, I am forgiven, I am loved as a son, and the Holy Spirit dwells in my heart. Lord, let us believe what we know to be true. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.