“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