TOPIC: POISED FOR HEALING/MIRACLES
Poised means having a composed and self-assured manner, ready to move, or prepared and waiting for something to happen. It is when you are at prime position to receive miracles.
A good number of people think healing is performed by some super- spiritual-stars. But James 5:14-18 has an approach to performing miracles, signs and wonders with different ideas.
James 5:13-16(NIV) 14 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. 15 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. 16 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 5:14-16(MSG)14 Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. 15 Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven — healed inside and out. 16 Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with
James 5:14-16(AMP)14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord’s name. 15 And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
Jesus’ half brother, James believes healing through anointing with oil.
Performing of miracles, signs and wonders are made so easy and simple. Elders of the church may be ordinary men who use the common instrument of prayer to do wonders and perform miracles.
Acts 4:13-15(NLT)13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. 15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves.
The reference to Elijah as a mere man; who is like any Christian carrying flesh, prone to weakness and adversities, but commanded wonders and God heard him. – James 5:17-18(NLT)17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
The book of James 5:14-18 says miracle is achievable. You can obtain miracles under different circumstances.
You can perform a miracle now if you can give yourself to prayer.
Mark 16:17-18 (KJV)17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;18 .They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Miracle can do anything. Anything is not only praying only for the sick. The analogy here is that everything is covered in this prayer including the weather – animate and inanimate objects; everything created by God in nature.
1 Sam 7:8-10 (KJV)8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him.10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.
Don’t see miracle as farfetched; as something impossible. Josh 10:12-13(KJV)12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
A prayer of faith can affect any condition.
Prayer of faith contains the gift of faith.
It is different from wishy-washy kind of prayer.
Consider the confidence attached to it.
The major fact is that we expect our prayer to be answered
Sometimes, we neglect the avenue of prayers.
The injunction is, call the elders for prayers. Any elder that is not given to prayer is not an elder. The wishy-washy elders we appoint in the church are not elders if they cannot pray and receive miracles.
The elder must be in an environment you can reach him. Many elders don’t come to church unless on Sundays
The sick is obligated to call for the elders of the church and secondly the elders are obligated to pray and anoint the sick with oil and the sick will be healed.
The elders should not feel disturbed unless he is not ready to work in the office of elders.
Poised for miracle is the center of fellowship between two or more people.
The purpose of bringing two or more people in fellowship is for miracle and not for empty gossip, criticism and unnecessary argument.
Matt 18:19-20(NLT)19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
The work of the elders in the church, most importantly is prayer.
Prayer and speaking the word are the key qualifications of elders.
Acts 6:2-4(KJV)2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
That is why, most often in the early church, when there is a sudden mishap, they look out for elders who can pray .
The church is looking for men of prayer who can use prayer to alleviate the suffering of the people.
Acts 9:37-41(KJV)37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
These are the men who turned the world upside-down.
The question is, what manner of prayer and miracle did they preach and perform?
Acts 17:6(NKJV)6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out,”These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
Instrument of performing miracle is prayers.
Men have to grow and mature in prayer.
When the elders mature in prayer, they pray prayer of faith. Luke 18:1 (NKJV)Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
Elijah prayer life – 1 Kings 19:8-9(NKJV)8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 18:36-39(NKJV)36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said,”The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”
Caleb prayed “Lord give me this mountain” – Josh 14:12-14(KJV)12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.
