Dear Friend,
It's amusing to me that there have been a rash of
scientific studies done in the last few years about whether prayer actually works. One such study that I read was titled; "Why Prayer Could Be Good
Medicine." Yes, they are claiming - there might actually be a connection between prayer and recovery from illness etc. DUH! Those who participate in prayer on a regular basis don't need any researchers to tell them that prayer works. James 5:16 says; "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." Prayer is actually more powerful than all their medical remedies on the market today. Prayer goes beyond the natural and touches heaven; that's where the truth
prevails. Prayer brings the kingdom of heaven upon the earth. I think there is an upside to all this research however. It is harder and harder for doctors and hospitals to ignore the importance of prayer. That opens a door for its acceptance before surgery or after. Not just a back door but a front door. More and more medical practitioners are not only willing to have their patients
prayed for but they are praying for their patients themselves. Most of the studies say they don't know why prayer works, they just know it does and on that basis they welcome it. I could tell them why prayer works. It's because God is good, loves us, and wants to answer us. But that's okay. They can keep doing research and we'll just keep praying! Don't you think it is unusual that
Jesus was often shushing people after he had healed them? For instance, after he healed the leper in Mark 1:43-44, he "strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, 'See that you say nothing to anyone.'" There are many
other similar cases in the gospels. Jesus wanted to heal those who needed healing but he had no need to become famous because of it. His life was going to make him famous but that's not what he was about. He couldn't be distracted from his mission by throngs of fans. Of course no one could keep quiet after they had been touched by the Lord. This particular man "went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the
city..." But when he went out into the desert places they all followed him out there because they knew he had the real goods. My friend, God is in the healing business today - he still has the goods. We need to pursue doing the works of Christ everywhere we go and we will see signs and wonders follow. This scripture is comforting in my estimation because it truthfully allows for
troubles but provides for triumph. God is on your side and he will lift you back to your feet again. As you go through the ups and downs of life, look for the hand of God. Now let me ask; is faith simply believing? I don't think so. Believing isn't really good enough. Listen to this: "You believe that
God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." (James 2:19) The demons know the truth about who God is but what good does it do them? And I bet there are lots of people in hell who believed Jesus was the Son of God but who never had real faith. Faith that counts- acts on what is believed. Faith that counts adds TRUST. I think about the woman with the issue of blood who had been sick for twelve years. The scripture says she had; "suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse." (Mark 5:26)
This woman believed that Jesus could heal her if she could just get to him. But she did more than just believe; she acted on what she believed and pushed through a throng of people to touch his garment. He wasn't aware she was there until he felt power go out of himself. As she fell at his feet and confessed all that had happened to her, he told her; "Daughter, your faith has made you well."
(Verse 34) She believed; she trusted; she acted on what she believed. Now there we have faith that counts!
Let's pray:
“Heavenly Father, God of all creation, you who spoke a simple command and brought forth light from the darkness, we call upon you now to send forth your miracle-working power into every aspect of our being. In the same way that you spoke unto the dust of the ground when you created mankind in your own image, we ask you to send forth your healing power into our bodies. Send forth your word and command every cell, electrical and chemical impulse, tissue, joint, ligament, organ, gland, muscle, bone and every molecule in our bodies to come under complete and perfect health, strength, alignment, balance and harmony.
It is through you that we live and move and have
our being. With every breath we take, we live under your life-giving grace. We ask you to touch us now with the same miracle-working power that you used when you fashioned us inside our mother’s womb. As surely as you have created us in your image and likeness, you can also recreate us now and restore our health. Please fill us with your healing power. Cast out all that should not be inside of us. We ask you to mend all that is broken, root out every sickness and disease, open all blocked arteries and veins, restore my internal organs, rebuild my damaged tissues, remove all inflammation and cleanse us of all infections, viruses and destructive forms of bacteria. Let the warmth of your healing love flood our entire being, so that my body will function the way it was created to be, whole and complete, renewed in your perfect health. I ask this through my Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever. Amen"
A Simple Nugget:
"Worrying is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere!"
All my love and prayers,
Minister Dorothy King
It's amusing to me that there have been a rash of
scientific studies done in the last few years about whether prayer actually works. One such study that I read was titled; "Why Prayer Could Be Good
Medicine." Yes, they are claiming - there might actually be a connection between prayer and recovery from illness etc. DUH! Those who participate in prayer on a regular basis don't need any researchers to tell them that prayer works. James 5:16 says; "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." Prayer is actually more powerful than all their medical remedies on the market today. Prayer goes beyond the natural and touches heaven; that's where the truth
prevails. Prayer brings the kingdom of heaven upon the earth. I think there is an upside to all this research however. It is harder and harder for doctors and hospitals to ignore the importance of prayer. That opens a door for its acceptance before surgery or after. Not just a back door but a front door. More and more medical practitioners are not only willing to have their patients
prayed for but they are praying for their patients themselves. Most of the studies say they don't know why prayer works, they just know it does and on that basis they welcome it. I could tell them why prayer works. It's because God is good, loves us, and wants to answer us. But that's okay. They can keep doing research and we'll just keep praying! Don't you think it is unusual that
Jesus was often shushing people after he had healed them? For instance, after he healed the leper in Mark 1:43-44, he "strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, 'See that you say nothing to anyone.'" There are many
other similar cases in the gospels. Jesus wanted to heal those who needed healing but he had no need to become famous because of it. His life was going to make him famous but that's not what he was about. He couldn't be distracted from his mission by throngs of fans. Of course no one could keep quiet after they had been touched by the Lord. This particular man "went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the
city..." But when he went out into the desert places they all followed him out there because they knew he had the real goods. My friend, God is in the healing business today - he still has the goods. We need to pursue doing the works of Christ everywhere we go and we will see signs and wonders follow. This scripture is comforting in my estimation because it truthfully allows for
troubles but provides for triumph. God is on your side and he will lift you back to your feet again. As you go through the ups and downs of life, look for the hand of God. Now let me ask; is faith simply believing? I don't think so. Believing isn't really good enough. Listen to this: "You believe that
God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." (James 2:19) The demons know the truth about who God is but what good does it do them? And I bet there are lots of people in hell who believed Jesus was the Son of God but who never had real faith. Faith that counts- acts on what is believed. Faith that counts adds TRUST. I think about the woman with the issue of blood who had been sick for twelve years. The scripture says she had; "suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse." (Mark 5:26)
This woman believed that Jesus could heal her if she could just get to him. But she did more than just believe; she acted on what she believed and pushed through a throng of people to touch his garment. He wasn't aware she was there until he felt power go out of himself. As she fell at his feet and confessed all that had happened to her, he told her; "Daughter, your faith has made you well."
(Verse 34) She believed; she trusted; she acted on what she believed. Now there we have faith that counts!
Let's pray:
“Heavenly Father, God of all creation, you who spoke a simple command and brought forth light from the darkness, we call upon you now to send forth your miracle-working power into every aspect of our being. In the same way that you spoke unto the dust of the ground when you created mankind in your own image, we ask you to send forth your healing power into our bodies. Send forth your word and command every cell, electrical and chemical impulse, tissue, joint, ligament, organ, gland, muscle, bone and every molecule in our bodies to come under complete and perfect health, strength, alignment, balance and harmony.
It is through you that we live and move and have
our being. With every breath we take, we live under your life-giving grace. We ask you to touch us now with the same miracle-working power that you used when you fashioned us inside our mother’s womb. As surely as you have created us in your image and likeness, you can also recreate us now and restore our health. Please fill us with your healing power. Cast out all that should not be inside of us. We ask you to mend all that is broken, root out every sickness and disease, open all blocked arteries and veins, restore my internal organs, rebuild my damaged tissues, remove all inflammation and cleanse us of all infections, viruses and destructive forms of bacteria. Let the warmth of your healing love flood our entire being, so that my body will function the way it was created to be, whole and complete, renewed in your perfect health. I ask this through my Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever. Amen"
A Simple Nugget:
"Worrying is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere!"
All my love and prayers,
Minister Dorothy King