"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. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."
toward total health [1]
First of all, I’d like to
address the white elephant in the room:
not everyone gets healed, even when we sincerely desire and pray for
healing. This does not invalidate the
instructions James gives, but it should raise our awareness that multiple factors
exist[2]. It would be tragic to throw out James’
exhortation because of our lack of experience.
James seems to say that healing is closely linked to forgiveness as well
as prayer. And that both confession and prayer, (leading to healing),
should be a regular part of our lives.
Scripture points to various reasons for sickness but two things
repeatedly resurface: 1) the use of
affliction to help people recognize their need for God and 2)for God’s fellowship and glory to be known
and shown both in the suffering and the healing.
Did you know that those who choose to harbor a grudge show increased
blood pressure and heart rate among other things, while those who choose to
forgive actually lower physiological stress responses?[3] When family relationships are fraught with
conflict, aggression and neglect, children’s psychosocial function is
disrupted, and they are physically compromised
so that they are at higher risk for mental health disorders, major chronic
disease, and early mortality.[4]
Can you see God’s design here?
When we walk in the way He has instructed, we are able to enjoy greater
mental and physical health. When we make
mistakes or stray from that path, He has made a way of return: confess our sins
and participate in loving relationship with others. Confession moves us into right standing with
others and into greater receptivity to God’s Spirit. We are not perfect, but we can be moving
toward Jesus, conforming to Him, the Perfect One.
Read
and Pray: 2 Chronicles 7:14,
Psalm 107:17-22, Proverbs 4:20-27
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