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The Prayer Offered in Faith

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The prayer offered in faith as presented in James 5:15 along with the entire passage of Scripture between the thirteenth and sixteenth versus are perhaps some of the most controversial in the Bible. Verse fifteen is probably relied on more than any other verse as confirmation of miraculous healing. Why? This verse gives us a definite promise. “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” (vs. 15). It continues on with another promise; “the Lord will raise him up.” We all have heard these words numerous times. These words provide hope; a hope that people hang their very last breath on. Is it a reasonable expectation to believe that God will make well the sick person if the elders of the church come and pray over him or her in faith and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord? That is what the Scripture says; or does it?
Bargerhuff writes, “So the only kind of healing that is absolutely guaranteed in this life is the spiritual healing and restoration that comes as a result of repentance and faith (page 131). So why did James not make this disclaimer in verse 15. The NIV footnotes for verse 15 explains: “The prayer offered in faith” does not refer to the faith of the sick person, but to the faith of the people praying. God heals, faith doesn’t, and all prayers are subject to God’s will. But our prayers are part of God’s healing process. That is why God often waits for our prayers of faith before intervening to heal a person (NIV 2098).
This could be quite confusing. Bargerhuff says, “Even someone with a mature, spiritually rich faith who prays steadfastly does not have the power to usurp the sovereign will of God if it is his will not to heal or to call a Christian home to heaven (page 129). The problem I see is that most people are going to read this verse and claim it at face value. I know, because I lost my brother to cancer last year

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