Last night we finished our study on the book of James. One passage, James 5:13-16, gives us a picture of how God intends the church to operate…but unfortunately we often do not. We are told to pray when we suffer and sing songs of praise when we aren’t suffering. We are told to solicit the prayers of the saints, asking them to anoint us when we are in need. We are told to confess and pray and healing will occur when we do. Then James delivers a line that should give us confidence…“the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” If that is so…and I am sure that it is…then why is the Church so often powerless and ineffective? Why aren’t people healed? Why aren’t we praying with every breath? I am one of those who see the stories of believers in the Bible as examples of what believers should be doing today…why else would God want them to be shared? To let us know what God used to do? I don’t think so…I think they are there so we will know how God wants to work through us still today. I believe God still wants to heal people. I believe God still wants to hear our songs of praise. I believe God still wants to forgive sins. I believe God is still able to do all of these things (and more)…but we are the hindering God’s efforts. We don’t intimately communicate with God or listen for (to) a word from Him. I am afraid that many believers have traded the opportunity to meet with God face to face for a time to read about what God has done elsewhere. Don’t misunderstand me; devotionals are good reading, I find them encouraging and uplifting. However, we can never allow them to replace the experience of being in dialogue with the Almighty.
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