West Cocoa Chat

13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is 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. 15And 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 (emphasis mine)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.

Where do we go or rather, where do I go to be healed? I think it goes without saying that God's grace given to us in the form of Jesus at the Cross is the engine behind the healing that we all need as we struggle to live in this world but not be of it. I think James gives us the conduit for God's saving grace to work healing in our lives. When I read verse 16 I see:

1. The need to say it as in, the sin I need healing from.

2. I need a community of faith to be able to say it to someone.

3. I need that group so they can pray for me to be healed and I need to be available to be able to do the same.

4. Without knowing the timetable I should expect healing.

You've heard of the phrase, "Friday Night Lights." Besides the movie it also refers to communities like the one I was in last week, that seem to suddenly increase in population when the lights of the football field are turned on for a high school football game. At our church I feel like we have "Tuesday Night Lights." I've alluded to a "Men's Bible Study" that meets on Tuesday nights at our church in the past.

It is nothing short of powerful, as bright as any high school football field lights on a Friday night. Everything that I mentioned above (#1 -4) occurs there. There are men who come forward and confess sins that one can only receive true healing from by doing what James mentions in verse 16. Like the poster these men are warriors. Some of them have been victorious in the Lord and others need a "Hail Mary pass" to just get through the next day without a drink, a drug, or an outburst. Like the poster, these men hold hands, they pray, and they even cry as the light of the Lord burns bright in the flames of confession and healing. I am amazed at the ministry that takes place there.

I pray that you have a Tuesday Night Lights in your life. I know I need it in mine.