How Dare They!

Greetings beloved,

I know its been a while, I try to write as often as I have the chance. So forgive me please?

Recently a close friend, a gifted speaker and the wife of the Director of the Bible Institute where I have been an instructor for the last eight years, was the victim of a stroke. She was left with a blood clot in her brain and one in her leg. Her right side is completely paralyzed, and she is not communicating with her left side. She was also an instructor at the school as well as the co-pastor of her husbands church. I pray for her, her husband and their family everyday. I regret to say that when I heard what some other professed Christians were saying, or rather praying, I became quite disheartened and disappointed. I heard some say that they were just going to pray "God's will be done" and others shouted "be healed in the name of Jesus" over and over again! Still others said that we must be careful when we pray or discuss her condition because we shouldn't say or confess anything negative. We should only speak positive things, and that they were going to "speak life to her."

What is wrong with today's Christians? Have we never heard of the Bible? This attitude of ignorance and indifference both breaks my heart and makes me angry. How dare they adopt such a flippant attitude concerning the welfare of this wonderful woman of God and her family. Furthermore, how dare they diminish the importance of intercessory prayer as outlined by God through His word. Jesus commanded that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, this is one of the greatest commandments, and that we should do to others as we would have them do to us (Mark 12:31-33; Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31). The Apostle Paul says that we ought to esteem our brethren over ourselves (Philippians 2:3,4). Of course we ought always to pray according to God's will (I John 5:14), but the Scriptural example of intercessory prayer is not one of apathy where we just say "God save so-and-so, or heal so-and-so, Your will be done. Amen." On the Contrary, the word of God paints a different picture, one where the child of God is to strive or labor fervently in their prayers, night and day on behalf of our brethren (Romans 15:30; Colossians 4:12; I Thessalonians 3:10; I Timothy 5:5; II Timothy 1:3). When a Christian takes the time to consider the state of their brethren, spiritually, physically and emotionally and then prays accordingly, not only is it an effectual fervent prayer, but it is a prayer that reflects the love and compassion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When we command someone to be healed in the name of Jesus, or when we command God to heal someone in Jesus' name, we are exercising an authority that we don't possess. How dare we think that we can tell the Sovereign Lord of the Universe what to do. None of us, no matter how holy or how spiritual we think we are, know God's will for another person. God heals according to His own will and purpose, not according to our whims. The truth is that God does not heal all who call upon Him or all that are prayed for by others, but rather with a divine selectivity that we cannot understand and which reflects His eternal wisdom He heals some and not others. Therefore, commanding others to be healed or telling God to heal another in the name of Jesus is an exercise in futility, it's almost as if those who are praying really don't know what to say or how to pray Biblically, and so instead of a real Holy Spirit directed compassionate prayer, they resort to inane unbiblical babble. God has given us a proper methodology when praying for the sick, He says "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" (James 5:14).

Next, let me say that when any christian states that we must be careful to only speak positive things instead of negative, they are inculcating three things: 1) the Devil is omniscient [all-knowing], or omnipresent [everywhere at once], which exalts him to the place of God as these are attributes reserved solely for God {Isaiah 14:13}; 2) God is not powerful enough to protect us from our own words or the plans and schemes of the Devil, which of course minimizes the awesome greatness of our Almighty God who has promised to keep us and not let anyone snatch us from His hand {John 10:29}; 3) that our words carry creative power, whether positive or negative that influences our reality, which in turn exalts man as God, having the ability to speak things into existence. This is an anti-Christ teaching that has slithered into the church coloring our prayers and exalting Satan and self. As Christians we ought not to engage in or listen to those things that are blatantly contrary to Holy Scripture (Ephesians 4:14; Romans 16:17; I Timothy 1:10; I Timothy 4:1; I John 4:1).

Friends, when our intercessions become deliberate, compassionate and continuous, and they are according to the will of God, then they will be powerful!

Thanks for listening! God's blessings to you all!

+Ernest