What's the Problem?

 Is anyone among you sick? 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.  And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. .. (James 5:14-15)

What's the problem? Is it cancer, a heart condition, aids, high blood pressure, diabetes; what is it? For  m y mom it was an aneurism in the front of her head.  I remember when she told me and I remember what her request was.  My mom wanted to avoid surgery. She was adamant that she didn't want her head cut open and who can blame her?  So her prayer was that the aneurysm be able to be treated with medication and not required surgery.  This was what she wanted and this was what we prayed for.

You know, I am so glad that my God is a God who judges the intents of the hearts and is not caught up in small technical matters because I was not physically able to lay my hands on her or anoint her with oil but we prayed.  I prayed for her, over a phone attached to a pole, in the middle of a crowded and noisy prison day room filled with 120 men.  Then, when our call was over I prayed some more.  I prayed day and night for mom, my pastor prayed for her, as did my fellow elders her at the prison and in the end the word of God was true.  I called home one day and my mom informed me that after many tests her doctor had decided surgery wouldn't be necessary.  The effective, fervent, prayer of righteous men had availed much. (James 5:16)

The exact thing we'd all been praying for was what God granted us. I am here  today to tell you firsthand that the instruction James gave us in this scripture works.  Before we began praying, my mom's doctors were talking surgery, then when we started, and continued, to pray, surgery was taken off the table and now my mom is fine.  Praise the Lord for that.  God gave us a remedy to use when sickness occurs and since it is he who gave us the remedy, we would be fools not to use it.  When someone you know falls ill, get them before the leaders of the church.  Get them before men and women of faith, who, in faith, can pray over them the effective, fervent, prayer which avails much.

Now please understand this, in no way am I, nor is this scripture, telling us to pray only and not take our loved ones to doctors, or hospitals, or specialists when they are ill.  What is being said is that our faith should not be in the doctor, or the hospital or the specialist.  It should be in the God who made the doctor, the hospital, and the specialist.  So when a problem arises , no matter what it is, whether it be medical, mental, spiritual, or whatever, heed the instruction of the scripture and call for the elders of the church, tell them what the problem is, and have them pray over you or your loved one.  Let's respect the doctor and his ability but let's revere God for giving the doctor the ability.  And when you or that loves one is healed, remember to give God the glory, and praise him for his mighty works because it was he who made it happen, not anyone else.

Prayer for today: Great physician, you desire that your children be healed.  Help us to turn to you in times of trouble and to trust in the power of prayer. Amen.