June 14, 2017

Loaded Question

Prior to the sermon the Pentecostal pastor said, “Leave your place and pray for your neighbor…move around and lay on hands.” The pastor’s wife, who was setting in my pew, turned and said, “Do you need me to pray for you for anything?” While I appreciated the gesture, I was uncomfortable with the thought of putting myself under the authority of those I did not know. James said, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 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. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:13-16 NIV).

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