Today I heard a man on Focus on the Family talking about how Christians do not follow James 5:16 very well. That scripture says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed." The man was saying that Christians will confess their needs to one another but not their faults because confessing needs is safe, such as prayer requests for an ailing relative. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for healing on behalf of the sick but that was not the intent of James 5:16. When was the last time you heard someone be gut-level honest and ask for prayer regarding a struggle with _________ (fill in the blank with your own strongest temptation)? I have rarely seen it and have rarely done it. The rest of the verse says, "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." Could it be that I see fewer positive answers to my prayers because I am skipping the first step?
Monday, March 24, 2008
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1 comments:
Ouch. Does that hit home or what? There's a big part of me that says,
If I tell them, they'll be horrified.
Yeah? It's really hard to get past that.
Maybe the first struggle I need to confess to become stronger is asking for prayer regarding my struggle with confessing my own faults to my fellow Christians that support me and love me... giving them ALL of my trust - not just the parts I feel safe to give them.
Thanks for the words of wisdom Kathy.
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