15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
I have been contemplating my reply to this verse all night long! Wondering, what more can I add that would make it easier to understand or what can I relate it to in my life? In my opinion it is pretty straight forward, and offers us spelled out instruction for healing and forgiveness...P R A Y E R! It is clear, that faithful prayer will save the sick, but what does faithful mean here? To help us, this excerpt is from Merriam-Webster.com:
"faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, resolute mean firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance. faithfulimplies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted <faithful to her promise>. loyal implies a firm resistance to any temptation to desert or betray <remained loyal to the czar>.constant stresses continuing firmness of emotional attachment without necessarily implying strict obedience to promises or vows <constant friends>. staunch suggests fortitude and resolution in adherence and imperviousness to influences that would weaken it <a staunch defender of free speech>. steadfast implies a steady and unwavering course in love, allegiance, or conviction <steadfast in their support>. resolute implies firm determination to adhere to a cause or purpose <a resolute ally>."
So faithful prayer must be prayer we promise to adhere to with firm, unwavering determination without being easily tempted to sway from any influences that could cause betrayal, weakness, or an inability to focus emotionally on that task. I have trouble at times really understanding and focusing on something I have read if something else in the background is distracting, such as a TV or radio. God wants us to really pay attention to our prayers, focusing fully and with conviction and determination so that He can heal us and offer forgiveness of any sins. The implication of these simple words allows for a relaxed response on our part and a window of opportunity for sin and evil demons to take up residence within us. Being faithful and having faithful prayer is never easy and should be taken seriously, for our God deserves our undivided time if we expect miracles to be performed for us or those we love. I fall victim all the time of the thought He is always there so He knows.....but if we don't ask we won't receive, and if we are not dedicated to our prayers why should He waste time on us?
Not only are we offered healing but forgiveness of sins through faithful prayer. See, Jesus started the two for one specials!!! I may joke but I am definitely serious about His generous offer to faithful prayers. He really does not ask that much of us, for we can make mistake after mistake and if we are faithful in and about our prayers He will forgive our sins......not one but A L L!!! What an awesome deal that is; for spending some quality time with Jesus we can be healed physically, emotionally and be freed from our sins through His forgiveness. Sign me up!
So why are so many resistant to prayer? Because they have to see it to believe it, or want you to prove its Him, and better yet explain then why is there so much bad happening in our world? So many just can't put faith into anything that is not concrete and explainable. Open your mind and your heart and you will receive. I have had far too (honestly never enough) many God moments in my life to deny His existence. That is why we must pray, write, chat, and share our experiences with Jesus so that others may become inclined to do so as well and it becomes an epidemic of vast cultures around the world. Imagine, believe and hope for through Him and in Him all things are impossible (“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23 NKJV).
"faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, steadfast, resolute mean firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance. faithfulimplies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted <faithful to her promise>. loyal implies a firm resistance to any temptation to desert or betray <remained loyal to the czar>.constant stresses continuing firmness of emotional attachment without necessarily implying strict obedience to promises or vows <constant friends>. staunch suggests fortitude and resolution in adherence and imperviousness to influences that would weaken it <a staunch defender of free speech>. steadfast implies a steady and unwavering course in love, allegiance, or conviction <steadfast in their support>. resolute implies firm determination to adhere to a cause or purpose <a resolute ally>."
So faithful prayer must be prayer we promise to adhere to with firm, unwavering determination without being easily tempted to sway from any influences that could cause betrayal, weakness, or an inability to focus emotionally on that task. I have trouble at times really understanding and focusing on something I have read if something else in the background is distracting, such as a TV or radio. God wants us to really pay attention to our prayers, focusing fully and with conviction and determination so that He can heal us and offer forgiveness of any sins. The implication of these simple words allows for a relaxed response on our part and a window of opportunity for sin and evil demons to take up residence within us. Being faithful and having faithful prayer is never easy and should be taken seriously, for our God deserves our undivided time if we expect miracles to be performed for us or those we love. I fall victim all the time of the thought He is always there so He knows.....but if we don't ask we won't receive, and if we are not dedicated to our prayers why should He waste time on us?
Not only are we offered healing but forgiveness of sins through faithful prayer. See, Jesus started the two for one specials!!! I may joke but I am definitely serious about His generous offer to faithful prayers. He really does not ask that much of us, for we can make mistake after mistake and if we are faithful in and about our prayers He will forgive our sins......not one but A L L!!! What an awesome deal that is; for spending some quality time with Jesus we can be healed physically, emotionally and be freed from our sins through His forgiveness. Sign me up!
So why are so many resistant to prayer? Because they have to see it to believe it, or want you to prove its Him, and better yet explain then why is there so much bad happening in our world? So many just can't put faith into anything that is not concrete and explainable. Open your mind and your heart and you will receive. I have had far too (honestly never enough) many God moments in my life to deny His existence. That is why we must pray, write, chat, and share our experiences with Jesus so that others may become inclined to do so as well and it becomes an epidemic of vast cultures around the world. Imagine, believe and hope for through Him and in Him all things are impossible (“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23 NKJV).
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Another awesome thought provoking blog Hon! I agree that all to often we don't give prayer the attention it deserves because god knows all. I also think too many prayers consist of the "I want" variety. We all need to focus on what He has already done for us and be sure to thank Him daily! Can't what for the next step in the journey.......
ReplyDeleteThis scriptue is very direct and to the point. And what you have written is so right on the money. I agree too many times when we are praying or studying or reading our bible we are not paying close attention because of distractions and as you well know I am the queen of getting distracted. When I started this journey with you and others I decided off the bat I would not have anything on and would be in peace and quiet as I study the scripture and read your commentary. I know with me I sometimes get lax and need to pay more attention. So simple really what he expects of us. In church last Sunday our pastor said how many when talking about God refers to the man upstaiirs? I know I have been guilty of it. He said well I have and you know he is not the man upstairs he is God. All powerful and knowing all loving and forgiving not a mere man. Made me think how true. So as I pray now I am trying to focus just on God and prayer. And I agree we have to tell him our needs because he tells us to simply ask but we also have to thank him for what he does daily which is a lot. Great writing Denise I so look forward to this daily. Can't wait for leasson 5 its better and clearer each day with you..Thank you for starting this journey! xoxoxoxo
ReplyDeleteI like the 'dictionary' definitions of what faithful and its' synonyms mean. As a teacher, you see the nuance of words and the shades of meaning. However, the many ways we express loyalty and steadfast prayer equal the attention and dedication of a prayer 'warrior.'
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful thing to see someone who knows, that they know, that they know...about Jesus and what he will do for those who love Him!
Thank you, Father God. You are generous to your weak and silly 'children.'