The Prayer of Faith
Thursday, May 30, 2024
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. James 5:14, 15, NIV.
In January of 1993 I thought I had the flu with stomach pains, bloating, and vomiting. My doctor had me hospitalized, and when things didn’t improve, I had surgery. The surgeons found a blockage from carcinoid cancer in the small intestine. They told me I had from six months to 15 years to live.
I know God can heal, and I believe anointing should not have to wait until you are on your deathbed. So in May I was anointed at a mountain campout surrounded by my church family. Six months later I went in for more exploratory surgery, believing I was healed. When I found out there was more cancer, and it was in the lymph nodes, so it would probably spread, it really tested my faith. My hopes were crushed.
By now I needed major cheering up, especially when family and friends weren’t around. I made a tape of songs that really spoke to my soul, and played it over and over. As the words of comfort became a part of me, I understood why the Pathfinder law says to “keep a song in my heart.”
The bird feeder I could see from my bed, a simple daffodil on my bed stand, and the sun catchers dangling in my window all began to remind me of God’s love. But my biggest comfort came from the Bible. Psalm 6 was my prayer of faith: “Heal me, for my body is sick, and I am upset and disturbed. My mind is filled with apprehension and with gloom. Oh, restore me soon. Come, O Lord, and make me well. In your kindness save me. For if I die I cannot give you glory by praising you before my friends. I am worn out with pain; every night my pillow is wet with tears” (verses 2-6, TLB). The psalm ends with a strong statement of faith: “The Lord has heard my weeping and my pleading. He will answer all my prayers” (verses 8, 9, TLB).
I claimed this promise. Although I don’t know God’s plan for my healing, I do know I am in His hands and can feel His peace.
If you’re worn out with pain and worry, hold on to the prayer of faith in Psalm 6. Believe the Lord has heard your weeping and pleading, and He will answer your prayers.
In January of 1993 I thought I had the flu with stomach pains, bloating, and vomiting. My doctor had me hospitalized, and when things didn’t improve, I had surgery. The surgeons found a blockage from carcinoid cancer in the small intestine. They told me I had from six months to 15 years to live.
I know God can heal, and I believe anointing should not have to wait until you are on your deathbed. So in May I was anointed at a mountain campout surrounded by my church family. Six months later I went in for more exploratory surgery, believing I was healed. When I found out there was more cancer, and it was in the lymph nodes, so it would probably spread, it really tested my faith. My hopes were crushed.
By now I needed major cheering up, especially when family and friends weren’t around. I made a tape of songs that really spoke to my soul, and played it over and over. As the words of comfort became a part of me, I understood why the Pathfinder law says to “keep a song in my heart.”
The bird feeder I could see from my bed, a simple daffodil on my bed stand, and the sun catchers dangling in my window all began to remind me of God’s love. But my biggest comfort came from the Bible. Psalm 6 was my prayer of faith: “Heal me, for my body is sick, and I am upset and disturbed. My mind is filled with apprehension and with gloom. Oh, restore me soon. Come, O Lord, and make me well. In your kindness save me. For if I die I cannot give you glory by praising you before my friends. I am worn out with pain; every night my pillow is wet with tears” (verses 2-6, TLB). The psalm ends with a strong statement of faith: “The Lord has heard my weeping and my pleading. He will answer all my prayers” (verses 8, 9, TLB).
I claimed this promise. Although I don’t know God’s plan for my healing, I do know I am in His hands and can feel His peace.
If you’re worn out with pain and worry, hold on to the prayer of faith in Psalm 6. Believe the Lord has heard your weeping and pleading, and He will answer your prayers.
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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