Are Any Of You Sick? You Should Call For The Elders Of The Church To Come And Pray Over You

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Are Any Of You Sick?

You Should Call For The Elders Of The Church

To Come And Pray Over You

Scripture

James 5

13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 

15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!

18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

Observation

A little over nine years ago a friend named Matt Cochran and a fairly large group of men from our church came into the ICU at St. Joseph Hospital Main they circled around my bed and anointed me with oil and prayed for me. I was in a coma so I only know about this because I was told later.

My surgeon, I found out later had already told his nurse practioner that he did not think that I would not survive after the 14 hour surgery. He had actually told Kathy though something a little more optimistic, he told Kathy that I had less than a 5% chance to survive the ride from the operating room up to intensive care.

But that very night after those men came in and prayed for me I finally began to show some improvement. Coincidence? Not on your life – Kathy and I know better and I hope you know better too!

My pastor, and very special friend Dr. Waylon B. Moore was not able to be with those men that came that night, but he came the next morning. Kathy shared with him that the men had prayed and anointed me with oil the night before, but Kathy said that he prayed for me and also anointed me with oil!

This past week I was asked by a patient if I would anoint him with oil and pray for him and I gladly did. As I prayed for him and anointed him all the memories of my month long hospital stay and all the stories, like the faith of those men and the faith of a lot of others came flooding back to my mind and made me smile. I am only here today because people (a whole lot of them) prayed for me.

I did ask this patient if he knew why we anoint with oil and pray for people and he really didn't know why so I shared this passage in James 5 with him.

Application

I believe in prayer! I know that it is the most important thing that I can do for someone is to pray for them. I know that it is the most important thing that I can do for you!

How about you? Who are you praying for?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to keep my focus on those around me and not on myself. When I pray for someone help me to always pray in faith. Don't let me pray to impress people. Give me compassion for the people that I meet and as I pray for them help me to feel what they are going through.

I pray right now for those who are sick. I pray for healing. Give them strength! Encourage them today.

Daily Bible Reading: James 1,2,3,4,5

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So Let Us Come Boldly To The Throne Of Our Gracious God. There We Will Receive Mercy, And We Will Find Grace To Help Us When We Need It Most.

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So Let Us Come Boldly To The Throne Of Our Gracious God.

There We Will Receive Mercy, And We Will Find Grace

To Help Us When We Need It Most.

Scripture

Hebrews 4

12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 

15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 

16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Observation

Last night at the hospital I talked with a young pregnant Mom who was in the hospital because of nausea associated with her pregnancy that was so bad that she had lost 20 pounds. Wow … that is morning sickness on steroids! Anyway she was doing a lot better when I talked to her. As we talked she asked me this question, and she was very sincere, “Tell me who created God”?

With that question she opened the door wide open for us to talk about God's plan for all of us. Oh, God is definitely working in that young woman's life and she is very close to placing her faith and trust in Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

I am sure that you and I will do a lot of important stuff today, but nothing that you do and nothing that I will do will be more important than taking the time to pray for someone who God has placed on our hearts. Nothing!

So let's pray with boldness and let's intercede for them!

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16

Application

I am praying right now for the people that God has placed on my mind and heart.

How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that I can come boldly to Your throne and boldly pray for people that You have placed on my heart. I know that nothing is more important than praying for others.

I pray for my friends you are sick with the Covid 19 virus. I pray for healing. I pray for pastor Terry Gregory who has Covid and has been placed on a ventilator. Heal them all, Lord.

James 5:14-16

14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 

15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 

Daily Bible Reading: Philemon 1; Hebrews 1,2,3,4

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I Pray That From His Glorious, Unlimited Resources He Will Empower You With Inner Strength Through His Spirit.

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I Pray That From His Glorious, Unlimited Resources

He Will Empower You

With Inner Strength Through His Spirit.

Scripture

Ephesians 3

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 

15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 

17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 

18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 

19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Ephesians 4:32

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.

32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Observation

You can tell by the two Bible passages that I was having trouble trying to decide which one of the two to write about! So I decided to share both of them with you! I don't know about you but it would be just fine with me that if someone prayed for me that they used Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-20. It is my prayer for you this morning.

Read it and reread it several times and give it time to sink in and fill your heart and encourage your soul!

I don't like they way I handled myself yesterday. I was grouchy. I was short. I was not much fun to be around. Now I could try to make excuses for my behavior yesterday, but none of them would justify or excuse Eddy's grouchiness!

So it is timely, as always, that this morning I am reading Ephesians 4:32 and the Lord is reminding Eddy about how he should be acting, talking, and feeling! I don't know about you, but I have the tendency to be harsh and short instead of being tenderhearted.

And by the way … there is no excuse for bad behavior not from me or from you!

Application

Ephesians 3:14-20 is my prayer for those who may read this blog. And in just a minute I am going to talk to Kathy about my attitude yesterday and ask for her forgiveness.

How about you? Grouchy … Short … Just plain mean?

I love you. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, break my heart with what breaks Yours. Don't let me act in a way that is not Christ-like. Thank You for Your Word. I am encouraged and strengthened by what I have read today in Ephesians. I am so glad that from Your glorious, unlimited resources You will empower me with inner strength through Your Spirit. Lord, help me to understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is. And help me to experience the love of Christ as I go through this day!

Daily Bible Reading: Ephesians 1,2,3,4

> I have made it a habit to pray for those who read this blog! I enjoy lifting you and your family up to the Lord in prayer.

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