From November 6, 2017 – November 19, 2017 we are praying and only eating fruit, vegetables, salad and soup.
Day 13: November 18, 2017
Memory verse: James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 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: 15 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.
Pray today for healing so the ill can become whole and confession of our sin to receive forgiveness:
1. So that we begin to expect and see more miracles in our midst
2. So that we create an atmosphere of true transparency and vulnerability
3. So that we are uncomfortable with our known sin and acknowledge the presence of unknown sin
Written by the biological brother of Jesus, the Epistle of James is meant to encourage believers to live consistently with what they have learned in Christ. God wants the readers to mature in their faith in Christ by living what they say they believe. This consistency included praying when going through afflictions and praising when experiencing joy. While prayer and singing are not limited to those times, the saints are encouraged to not leave God to go through alone nor leave God when there are no immediate crisis. The saints would be more willing to trust God and one another to receive the healing and forgiveness He provided if they prayed and praised with one another in both the good and challenging times.
The Lord has connected us for a reason. No man is an island and no one walks alone. It is unbiblical to isolate ourselves. Isolation can lead to the sin of self-righteousness. The sin of self-righteousness can lead to more sin (Genesis 3:6 – 7; Romans 10:3; Ephesians 4:16 – 19). Some are suffering in silence and celebrating with the wrong crowd. We are the body of Christ and we belong together. God’s Spirit indwells within us. His Spirit provides healing. His Spirit provides forgiveness.
There is no illness we face that intimidates Jesus. There is no sin we have committed that intimidates Jesus. While man may try to judge us, once we are whole and/or forgiven they can no longer shame us. We do not have to remain where we are. That is why today we are praying for healing so the ill can become whole and confession of our sin to receive forgiveness.