Healing Prayer

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham a little later in the program will tell you how you can get a copy of Dr. Graham's brand-new book reignite first peers. His message feeling I do want to invite you to take the Bible your Bible and turned to James chapter 5 verse 13 is anyone among you suffering. Let them pray. Is anyone cheerful let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick letting 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 one who sick and the Lord will raise him up, and if he is committed since he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months. It did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth for its fruit. You might suspect that James would be interested in prayer.

He was known. If you recall his nickname was camel means all camel means they got that reputation because he was so often on his knees praying not only for himself but the people of God of James therefore talks it is letter about prayer often in the very first chapter what he tells us about those trials that come our way, count it all joy in these trials, and one of the reasons we can know joy in the midst of our sadness, and struggles and suffering is that we can ask of God, to give us wisdom that as you would expect James who was always sort of in our face. It just goes straight up with Jay. Not a lot of nonsense with James in chapter 4 what he was talking about prayer.

He said listen to me.

You asked. You have not because you ask not. – J you have not because you do not ask and then in chapter 5, seven times in the verses that are before us.

He references prayer or play, and there's no way that James RI could exaggerate the importance or the significance of prayer in the life of the believer. In fact, prayer is the mark of genuine faith in the life of the believer. All of us can get a lot better at pray the church to get a lot better at pray and it is the call of Christ to pray always and never to give up the James recognizes that there are times that require extraordinary prayer when we need God to touch us and even to heal us now.

I believe God heals US drag. Do you believe in divine healing is no other kind, but divine healing whether it is my medicine or by miracle whether it is natural healing is the body heals itself, or if it is supernatural healing. When God moves in and performed a miracle and doesn't matter the means whether it is medicine or miracle. We know that God heals that God allowed, and God can do things that medicine cannot and if you have a diagnosis. Some of you have a diagnosis that that is very serious and very critical and or maybe it's cancer or maybe of some dread disease and and and the doctors and said there's just not a lot we can do when the doctor say there's not a lot we can do there still a God who can do a lot. God Almighty.

Jesus is the great physician. The Lord our God that we saying about the great I am one of these names is Jehovah rock thing which means the God who heals you. So yes, absolutely. God heals today's message is about healing prayer and I want to remind you that not all healing is in regard to physical healing healing of the body is important but we are made up of mind, body and spirit.

Paul tells us in first Thessalonians 513 that we are body we are soul we are spirit with the body we have physical life of the soul.

The souk gave the mind we have emotional, mental life intellectual life with the spirit we have the potential if our spirit is reborn in Christ to have spiritual life so the soul can get disease. The spirit can get sick as well. As the body and what James is showing us here. Ever practical teaching us here is what to do when we suffer when we get sick and even when we stray away from the Lord.

So first of all what you do when you suffer you pray for those who suffer look at verse 13 again verse 13 is anyone among you suffering now is not a question as to whether or not you will stop fact of life. No one Christian or non-Christian is immune just the past on suffering, not God's boys or girls are in a bubble.

We are prone to illness and and sickness because we live in a decaying dying world. And we do get sick and yes we suffer, we the word here is is actually the word afflicted or stressed start distress is a word which means when he says, suffering their suffering of all time.

Whether it is emotional pain, psychological pain, physical pain, family issues, financial problems. You're just overwhelmed that this word here if anyone is suffering. It means you you show up for the day and it happens is bad bad. You look at this thing in your life. You say that's bad that's really really that whatever it is that causes us to suffer.

Jesus said in this world in this world as long as you live there will be tribulation. James, as I said earlier in chapter 1, said when you fall into various trials and tests in your life. Not if and or but you will you will you know you are either going into a trial right now or you're in the middle of the trial right now or you're coming out on the trial, but all of us face trials in our lives. Some 34 verse 19, the psalmist admitted this many many are the afflictions of the righteous and the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Now the Lord delivers but it doesn't but he doesn't deliver us from affliction and problems and pressures of all kinds. Yes sir physical problem.

There also psychological problems that that we face and you're not exempt you may find yourself under emotional pressure are pain is also spiritual struggle and suffering, fear, anxiety, depression, and there are toxic emotions that can attack the mind and the body like jealousy and and in the and bitterness, which is an acid that destroys its own container and of the body, the mind so spirit are so interrelated and interconnected that someone said that they catch each other's diseases.

There's a powerful connect. God created us a powerful connect between the mind and the body. The spirit and the soul so suffering can come as a result of spiritual struggles son are suffering because of direct assault and attack from Satan himself.

What some call mental illness can be spiritual bondage, whether such a thing as mental illness and should be treated as a mental illness.

Satan attacks and it can be spiritual bondage, like the apostle Paul mentioned he suffered for the sake of the gospel because he was committed to carrying the cross where you bearing the cross. Jesus said if you gonna follow me take up my cure my cross and follow after me and if we bear the cross if we carry the cross, how would we not expect to face opposition in a world that doesn't love Christ, don't be surprised if you determine to carry the cross and sellout to follow Jesus Christ that you will face some heat. The flak you will face persecution. In fact, Paul said the first in first Timothy all who live godly in Jesus Christ will suffer persecution.

Most of us know nothing about physical persecution.

But when you live for Jesus in your school for some evening, your family, and among your friends if you stand for Christ and bear and where the cross of Christ.

You will face opposition, and some resist.

Don't be surprised that if I Jesus told us in the Beatitudes. If you are persecuted for righteousness sake, then rejoice and be exceedingly glad, because great is your reward in heaven, but you may be suffering you could suffer in some way because of your faith. So what what does James say to do a very simple answer. He says pray, or listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in today's message.

Healing prayer brings fresh passion and joy to your faith with Dr. Graham's newest book, reignite an intimate account of how God led Dr. Graham to one of the darkest seasons of his life. Whether you're facing disappointment, doubt, depression, or heartache. Reignite offers typical insights to encourage you in your pain and help fan the flames of faith in your life and it's our way to thank you for your gift to PowerPoint so call today to get your copy of reignite as thanks for your support: 800-7956 27 that's one 800-7956 27 can also text the word PowerPoint to 313131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop RV store give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.Margie. Now let's get back today's message. Healing prayer when you suffer and pray it doesn't mean that in the next 15 minutes you're going to note no hunger suffer say well I pray I was hurting I was suffering and I pray that didn't do any good. I was suffering when it was done. You are thinking okay I pray magic potion. I'm out it doesn't work that way. God uses pain as a process in our life to teach us and train us in godliness, adversity, advances us in our our faith. But in his own way, and his own time. God will bring about healing genuine faith praise. Even when you don't feel like it.

Prayer is the first choice not the last chance for the believer we do what is not natural. We call upon the name of the Lord. James says look again in verse 13.

Let him pray and if anyone is cheerful, let him sing praise. Let him sing praise and shout unto the Lord, with the voice of triumph. The psalmist said Psalm 30 verse five weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning. Is anyone cheerful let him sing songs life is a series of wins and losses, ups and downs sunshine and rain good days and bad days, but the fact is, most of us know not all of us, but most of us have a whole lot more good days than bad days and the problem for some of us is on those good days we forget to give credit to God and to glorify God by singing and praising our God. James is telling us here when you suffer when there's adversity. Pray when there's prosperity and pleasure. See to the Lord literally seeing songs of praise will I don't always feel like singing. The Bible says he gives songs in the night, and when the wind blows, that's the time to see we have some old chimes our back porch when chimes and typically course when the wind is a blown blow you hear nothing. But if the wind stirs up and starts blowing about us and they start to make music they just tingle all over the place now when the wind blows into our lives. There should be music coming out for belief and when the wind isn't blowing, there still should be songs of praise. I'll tell you this suffering is inevitable, but misery is optional, but you know that suffering is inevitable, but misery is optional.

Paul said he knew a lot about suffering. He said in second Corinthians 610 that he was in sorrow yet rejoicing in sorrow yet rejoicing. God has given us such great happiness and joy and gladness, and when you survey your Bible you see words like happy or glad or cheerful or celebrate the festival through and through. The Bible is chock-full of this incredible happy experience of knowing our God. Unfortunately a lot of churches and a lot of Christians are poor advertisement for Christianity because they're negative there down constantly arose there somber I can get there, down, down, do we do, down, down, all the time. No, God has given us joy, worship God with all your heart every day. There are thousands of reasons to praise God right sing songs of praise.

This is not just any old kind of song we sing this deal. The world can sing Zippy to do the songs, but he didn't.zip PA bio not what a wonderful day. Anybody can sing that that's not the fewest thing that I actually like the song, but but that's not wanting say he's saying seeing songs of praise to God worship God is a mark of the Spirit filled life.

Ephesians 519 after work told commanded to be filled with the spirit, he says, singing to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. There's joy in knowing Jesus, they should never go by that, you know, praise Jesus day should never go by that, you know, praise Jesus. What is done in your life. So we pray for those who are suffering and then we pray for those who are sick.

That's what James is talking about ever again practical and personal. He says, is anyone among you sick.

Verse 14 who sick. He says anybody sick. He says all right, here's what you do you call for the elders of the church and let the elders come and anoint with oil and pray the prayer of faith in the name of Jesus and God will raise the sick. James focuses on praying for sickness. This is a unique prayer for someone suffering physically again is an extraordinary prayer is not just when you got a sinus headache or a gimpy knee. We find we should pray for those things to pray about everything. But this is more serious than that.

This is when you really say this is when the diagnosis is cancer are some disease and the doctor say you may argue may not survive this sickness, agonizing sickness afflicts millions and millions of people. We live in a broken fallen world. I see it all the time course and so do you people get sick cancer in particular is everywhere. There's a war on cancer in our country and I'm grateful for that. Or fighting and medical sciences doing everything the candidate to discover cures for cancer. I hate cancer see what it does to people.

But beyond medicine. What are we to do. James says for the Christian call for the elders of the church asked for the elders of the church. Now, the elder, it basically these are the pastors of the church. These are the spiritual leaders of the church. Notice what he doesn't say he doesn't say call for the healers call for the miracle workers are go get a healing line on television. Now he says right there in your own church in your own spiritual family among the people that you know and love and trust the leaders in your Bible Fellowship class for the pastors of your student ministry. The pastors of the church you get them together and bring them in and pray over you notice their presence is needed. Now you can pray for people at a distance distance makes no difference with God. Your prayers can circle the globe for people, but in this case where there is this kind of sickness. This is the ministry within the body of Christ, the beautiful ministry of the body of Christ. One of the big-time reasons you need to be connected with a local church a local congregation. Everyone needs connectedness.

You need a family of faith and especially when you have means art you want to meet needs do it through the church is so call for the elders of the church, the spiritual leaders of the church there is there is particular power and presence in the laying on of hands in the touch the transforms in the name of the power of God hands of faith not only to pray for you do it but he says to pray over you pray over so there's the asking asked for the elders of the church to come but then there's the anointing, he says, anoint with oil about there is debate as to exactly what the oil is could be medicinal purposes used for medicinal oil was used for medicinal purposes. In the New Testament era when the man was broken on the road. The story of the good Samaritan. Remember, he was beaten and bruised and the men came along. Samaritan entity poured in oil and wine. This was medicinal purpose purposes and and it would is true that relate they rubbed oil everything you were say Coco that the all but it could've been medicinal purposes, but probably not look is not the oil that heals. This is not the elders who heal is not even the prayer that he is God who heals the bingo huge? It may be in your mind right now is what about the cure. This God always promises that what God is saying here that God promises that when we pray like this. A prayer of faith. Anoint with oil that you have enough faith, you will always be healed.

God may choose to heal. God may choose not to heal.

The key thing here is acceptance pray in the name of the Lord all in with this. You know what it is to pray in the name of the Lord.

It means to pray in with the approval and the authority of God's name is not just something we do a little incantation at the end of a prayer in Jesus name we pray when you pray in Jesus name your praying in his authority, the right, but you have to pray because he gives you the authority to come boldly before God's throne. It also means approval site.

If you sign your name to something that's your approval, you sign a check that's approval to get on your bank account. If you sign a paper legal document that's your approval as authority vessel approval and so not just when we pray in women but the way we live in all that we do, whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ you want to be able to sign the name of Jesus.

Everything you do in your life. So when you sign on the name of his tent amount pray Lord, not my will and listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in today's message healing prayer, chances are you faced your share of crisis meeting or even in the fight of your life right now. Or maybe you're simply feeling exhausted by the busyness of life except the spiritual strength. Whatever you're facing. We want to help fan the flame of faith your life by sending you Dr. Graham's newest book reignite this personal account of how God let Dr. Graham do his own crisis will help you focus on God during difficult season. See you can experience fresh passion and joy in Jesus and will send you a copy as thanks for your gift today so call now to request your copy of reignite: 800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint 313131. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop RV store give the gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional our website again is Jack Graham.Margie Pastor what is your PowerPoint for today. I don't think I could possibly exaggerate the ordinance. The significance of prayer in the life of the believer.

In fact, prayer is a mark of genuine faith.

If you believe you will be pray were telling James to pray when we suffer, pray when were blessed pray when were say pray when we're defeated in sin were told time and again in the Bible to pray, pray, and then pray some more prayer should be as normal as breathing for the believer we are to pray according to the Bible, always. But there are also times when we need divine healing, whether it be physical, mental or spiritual. And these are moments of extraordinary prayer, extraordinary prayer prayer in times of great necessity in the I believe all true healing comes from Jesus, whether it comes to medicine or counseling or a supernatural miraculous event. All restoration, all healing is divine. It all comes from God and always remember this about prayer is about acceptance and trust. Trusting God to know and to do what is right, accepting that God and God alone will give us good things and the right things in our lives. Prayer is not a fantasy is not a formula it's fellowship with God.

It is connecting with God and communing with him is in prayer that we link our nothingness, our neediness, to his all mightiness and no matter what God chooses to do. We will experience healing.

When we pray like that and that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint today will send you Dr. Graham's brand-new book, reignite as our thanks. Call one 800-795-4627 1-800-795-4627 can also text the word PowerPoint 313131 PowerPoint 3131 on the next PowerPoint. Dr. Graham brings a message about how there is no expiration date on God's grace. That's next time find PowerPoint with Jeff Flynn PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries