gregor,
Well, your ten word limit proved inadequate for my necessary verbosity <VBG>. My meaning with the James verse, my focus, was in the words you receive not because you ask not. Now I mean all this in general and not referring to you of course, my friend! Simply put, we should pray for the things we need and the things we want. Having these two in balance resists <lust> or greed. That we lack wisdom to discern the proper balance is a given, so another thing to pray for<VBG>.
Most saints ask for less than what God thinks of them anyway!
The verse from James just happens to fit the prayer thing well, but we must understand that the believers in James were law oriented and this in my understanding engenders lust. In that one tends to want what one cannot have. The church epistles give a better rendering of the relationship of believers prayer and God for the church under grace.
The Pauline epistles all begin with a prayer of thanks and blessing for the saints (believers) and so should we.
As for the will of God in praying for the sick, there is no question in my mind that healing is God's will. I will reference the third epistle of John,verse 2:
Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
This to me is the will of God simply and boldly put in scripture. It is in an epistle directed to the church of Christ, it definite for our day and time, better than gold or money in the bank. As for the permissive will, old testament references etc., these are used by those looking for an occasion to debate the number of angels on a pinhead or looking to debunk God, who have no understanding of Him or His Word and neither do they desire it. They desire God to smite their enemies perhaps<VBG>. Well, there will be a time when God will see the judgement of enemies of the truth, but that time is not the time of grace we now live in.
Although I suppose that even in this day and time, for those that be evil and without hope, I suppose the "give them enough rope and they will hang themselves" analogy might apply. Clearly though this notion is my supposition, not scripture.
I consider all sickness to be of the devil, and all healing to be of God. As for any old testament references otherwise, there are various reasons sickness is put as coming from God. For one, other gods and their "powers" were not mentioned lightly by the Israelites. The other is that when Christ came, He enlightened His people and He certainly made plain where all the illness and sickness were coming from. He was also not the least bit shy about healing all who came to Him. He even healed the caananite woman, the crumbs from the table girl, though she was not of His people. This, accompanied by her faith, speaks loudly in our ears today, if as Christ often said, we have ears to hear.
I am sure greg, that your ears agree very hearingly<VBG>!
God Bless,
Roebear |
