Divine Healing Chapter 7

Key:

Scripture is in BLACK FONT

Words of Jesus in RED FONT

Notes in BLUE FONT

Anointing Him with Oil

The phrase, “anointing him with oil,” presents an act that is commanded by The Holy Spirit. It has no medicinal purposes as some claim. This anointing is symbolic of the healing of God by The Holy Spirit. In fact, The Holy Spirit is symbolized in several ways:

• Water (John 7:38-39) - Water is a symbol of life
• Fire (Matthew 3:11) - Fire symbolizes purity
• Wind (Acts 2:2) - Wind symbolizes power
• Dove (John 1:32) - The dove symbolizes gentleness
• Oil (James 5:14) - Oil symbolizes healing

Even though the anointing with oil is not absolutely required as it regards praying for the sick, etc., it is helpful because it is symbolic of healing. As well, it provides a point of contact for the one for whom prayer is being offered. When Jesus sent out the twelve, the Scripture says, “…they cast out many devils (demons), and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” (Mark 6:7-13) Even though the Scripture does not plainly say, it is certain that Jesus told them to do this. And yet, the Scripture tells us that many were healed in Jerusalem simply by the shadow of Peter passing over them as he passed by. No anointing with oil was used in this case (Acts 5:15-16).

In the Name of The Lord

The heading presents where the real power resides. Saints of God have the privilege of using the Name of Jesus according to Mark 16:17. This comes under the heading of the “authority of the believer.” However, such authority is always exercised in the spirit world and never over other people (Ephesians 6:10-12). It should be noted, as well, that the use of the Name of Jesus is not a magic talisman that automatically causes devils to tremble, etc. To be sure, it carries power in the spirit world that is beyond our comprehension, but yet, it must be understood according to the following, I think it is proper to say that the power of Christ as God did not at all diminish in the incarnation. While He, then, functioned as a man and not God, still, He was anointed and helped by The Holy Spirit more so than any human being has ever known (Psalm 45:7). The point I’m attempting to make is that His power was almighty before the incarnation, was almighty during the incarnation, and continues to be almighty at present and will be forever. So, the Name of Jesus or “the name of the Lord,” as James used the term, must carry a special significance, other than the mere fact of Him being Lord. We, as believers, are given the ability and privilege of using the Name of Jesus because of The Cross. When Jesus died on the Cross, He not only satisfied the demands of the broken law, He also totally defeated satan and all the cohorts of darkness. By satisfying the demands of the broken law, Jesus satisfied the demands of God. By the doing of that, He atoned for all sin. In other words, by His death on The Cross, which included the pouring out of His precious blood, Jesus destroyed any legal right that satan had as it regarded holding humanity captive. Satan’s legal right is sin, and, with sin removed, which it was at The Cross, the evil one lost that legal right, at least for those who will believe (John 3:16). Whenever the believing sinner comes to Christ, which he does by faith, he is literally placed in Christ. This place and position is obtained through the crucifixion. In other words, we were literally baptized into His death, which has no reference whatsoever to water baptism, but it actually refers to the crucifixion of Christ (Romans 6:3).

Faith

Naturally, we were not there when all of this happened. However, simple faith in Christ and what He did for us at The Cross, places us there in the mind of God. Inasmuch as we are in Christ, according to Romans 6:3-14 and Romans 8:1-2, we now have the privilege of using His Name. In the privilege of using that Name, which we do by faith, the believer must understand that The Cross is what made it all possible. When the believer understands that, which means that his faith is in what Christ did at The Cross, the Holy Spirit will then back up the use of that name according to Romans 8:2, 11. Many Christians use the Name of Jesus without much success. It confuses them because they expect more. Let me explain. When satan attacks the child of God, most Christians have been taught to use the Name of Jesus against him. Many are somewhat disillusioned when they use Jesus’ Name and nothing seems to happen. In other words, satan does not exactly break and run. The reason is simple, yet illusive. Just as the Word of God is not a magic talisman, neither is the name of Jesus. By that, I mean the mere quoting of the Word or the Name of Jesus does not work any magic powers in the spirit world.

The Reason for the Power

However, if the Christian knows and understands what is behind the name of Jesus, or rather, what makes it possible for us to use the name of Jesus, and I continue to speak of The Cross, then the Name of Jesus will take on a brand-new meaning. Satan knows if your faith is in The Cross or something else. Regrettably, the faith of most Christians is not in The Cross, simply because they know very little about The Cross. As a result, there is no power in what they do, which satan readily recognizes. While the power is in The Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), the Spirit functions totally and completely within the parameters of the finished work of Christ. Consequently, He demands faith in the finished work of Christ. With that being the case, the use of the name of Jesus becomes a power of unprecedented proportions. To be sure, satan will then recognize the use of that Name under those auspices (Romans 8:2).

“And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5:15)

And the Prayer of Faith Shall Save the Sick

The heading presents a beautiful promise. What is the prayer of faith? It is simply the belief that God hears and answers prayer. This of which James speaks does not actually include the gift of faith, the gifts of healing, or the working of miracles according to 1 Corinthians 12:9-10. Those are in a category all to themselves. This of which James speaks applies to any preacher of the Gospel (called the elders) or, actually, any believer according to Mark 16:17-18. It is the simple matter of believing God and His Word.

What Does the Prayer of Faith Guarantee?

The automatic response to that is that it guarantees healing. However, if that were the case, that would make God subject to our faith, when the truth is that our faith is subject to God. The meaning is that if the person is healed, and some are, it will be The Lord honoring the prayer of faith to bring about such. Many have misunderstood this passage, thereby claiming that if the person is not healed, that means the prayer of faith has not been prayed. Oftentimes, we will hear Christians say, “I want somebody to pray the prayer of faith over me.” While that is certainly a legitimate desire, it should be understood that someone praying the prayer of faith does not exactly mean that the desired result will be brought about. Let us state it again, every single promise in the Word of God is subject to the will and wisdom of God.

God’s Will is Never Subject to Our Faith

While I personally believe that it is always the will of God to heal the sick, there may definitely be times when it is not His wisdom to do so. We cannot take faith and force God into an action. That is not what He wants and desires. As stated, our faith is always subject to His will, but His will is never subject to our faith. Unfortunately, many in the modern church have been taught that He is, in fact, subject to our faith. He, being God. There are many Christians who think in their hearts and minds, “If I only had enough faith, I could.” No! That is not the case at all. God is not sitting up in Heaven measuring our faith, and, if it rises to a certain level, then He will be moved to do certain things. Actually, it is not the quantity of faith that is needed but, rather, the quality of faith. What do we mean by that? Once again, we go back to The Cross. For our faith to be properly anchored in the Word of God, we must have it anchored in The Cross. Considering that The Cross is what makes it possible for God to deal with man and, for that matter, for man to deal with God, The Cross is where our faith must be anchored. Of course, The Cross of Christ is always and will ever be the will of God.

And The Lord Shall Raise Him Up

As is obvious, the heading proclaims The Lord as the Healer. Divine healing is very very special to me, personally. I was wondrously and gloriously healed by The Lord at about ten years of age. Perhaps this short testimony would be of benefit and blessing to you. I have already given an account of my healing at the first part of this book, so I won’t go through the entirety of the testimony again but only so much as to make the points I wish to make. The year was 1945. The doctors could not find out what was wrong with me. They ruled out malaria plus several other things. I stayed nauseous almost constantly and would go unconscious at times. Actually, this happened (unconsciousness) several times at school with my parents having to go get me. The last time it took place, it became very personal to all concerned. After one such episode, my parents picked me up, and the school principal told them that if something was not done for me, they were going to have to take me out of school. The principal said, “We don’t want him dying on our hands.” That’s how bad the situation was. As stated, the doctors ruled out about everything that one could think. I, personally, believe that it was satan trying to kill me. He knew that God would use me to touch this world for Christ, and he was doing all he could to stop it, but, thank God, he did not succeed. The day that I received healing was a Sunday. Service had ended in our little church, and my parents were to take the pastor and his wife to lunch, which they did. However, we first had to stop and pray for a parishioner. When that was done, we were all standing in the front room when My dad said, “Brother Culbreth (that was the Pastor’s name), please anoint Jimmy with oil and pray for him again.” Now, understand that this pastor, along with scores of people in our small church, had already prayed for me several times in the past months but, seemingly, to no avail. In other words, I was as sick as ever, if not sicker. However, that particular Sunday afternoon, at about 1:30 p.m., the pastor walked across the floor, put some oil on his finger from the small bottle he was holding, and touched my head. The moment that he did it, there was something like a ball of fire about the size of a softball started at the top of my head and slowly went down my body, down both legs, and out my feet. I instantly knew that I was healed. While I felt the heat spread through my body, it did not burn but only had the sensation of heat. No one had to tell me that I was healed. I knew that I was. To be sure, I have not suffered anything of that nature from that day until this. Actually, for the most part, I have enjoyed miraculous health. Today, I have never felt better, and, of course, I give The Lord all the praise and all the glory.

Great Truths

First of all, I’m so glad that my parents attended a church where the pastor believed in healing. It was very small, and as far as most people were concerned, it was of little significance. However, this pastor and most of the few people who attended this little assembly were Godly, and that’s all that mattered. Had my parents attended a church that did not believe in divine healing, I do not believe I would be alive today. Second, I’m glad my parents did not quit praying for me after not seeing any success the first time or even after several times. Had they stopped, again, I do not believe I would be alive today. While we do not have the answers to many questions concerning situations of this nature, we do know that God does everything for a reason, and He does everything well. I do believe that He tests our faith. It is in the testing of our faith that many of us fail. We quit, we lose heart, and we allow doubt to come in. The Scripture plainly says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

And if He Have Committed Sins, They Shall be Forgiven Him

The heading tells us two things:

1. The conditional clause, “if he sinned,” makes it clear that not all sickness is the result of sin.
2. If, in fact, the sickness has been caused by sin, which is directly or indirectly the case more often than we realize, not only will The Lord heal but, as well, will also forgive the sin.

This is paralleled in the ministry of Christ. The Scripture says, “And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.” It then says, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Mark 2:3,5) Evidently, this man’s sickness had been caused, in some way, by sin. When we say that, we are speaking of something the man had personally done or a particular lifestyle in which he had engaged that was wrong. As it regarded the healing and forgiveness, Jesus linked them both together. He said, “Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?” (Mark 2:9) The same power that was needed for one was needed for the other.

A Dilemma

So, what are we saying? We are saying that a man is in a terrible dilemma, and the harder he tries within his own means to extricate himself from this dilemma, the worse it seems to become. However, man has recourse in Christ, and man has recourse only in Christ. Jesus paid a terrible price that we might be lifted out of this morass of sin, sickness, and evil of every nature. That price was the shedding of His own blood on The Cross, which was done on our behalf. All of this, the healing and forgiveness, speaks of grace. As is known, grace is the goodness of God extended to undeserving believers. It is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. In fact, no believer is deserving, and herein lies the great problem. At times, we seem to think, as believers, that we are deserving. Consequently, we think in our hearts that The Lord owes us healing or something of this nature. He does not. He owes us nothing! Accordingly, we must come to the place that we know and realize this before we can actually receive from The Lord. This speaks of humility. I firmly believe that the prayer of faith is closely tied to brokenness and humility, and, again, I stress that such can be obtained only by proper interpretation of The Cross.

​“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)

Confess Your Faults One to Another

The heading refers to being quick to admit fault, if such be the case. It’s very difficult for some Christians to simply say, “I am wrong,” and it is Christians to whom James speaks. Far too often, Christians try to lay the blame of their wrongdoing on others. In the Greek, the word fault is paraptoma and it means “a falling aside when one should have stood upright, a transgression, a moral fall." In all of this, the idea is presented that, if we do not take personal blame, at least when we are at fault, such a position will definitely hinder our prayers from being answered, if not stop them altogether. James is speaking here of accepting responsibility. However, what does that mean?

Accepting Responsibility

It’s very simple. It means that we are to admit our fault, ask forgiveness from the ones we have wronged, and, of course, also confess our sin to The Lord (1 John 1:9). We are to then understand that the reason for our wrongdoing is because we have moved our faith from The Cross of Christ, which guarantees us the help of The Holy Spirit, to something else, which guarantees failure. In effect, we are to come back to The Cross. However, accepting responsibility has a far different meaning with most Christians. The reason is that most Christians function under law instead of grace. Accepting responsibility, to most Christians, refers to the individual who has done wrong submitting to men, whoever those men might be, and in doing whatever they demand to be done, irrespective of how unscriptural it might be. That is what is referred to in the majority of the church as accepting responsibility. The truth is that such a course is a sure road to spiritual disaster. In fact, most of the time, those who follow such a course make no claims at all as it regards whether or not their position is Scriptural. In other words, the Bible plays no part whatsoever in their actions, and, in truth, they don’t even really claim that it does. They just make up rules as they go along, and whatever those rules are, they demand that they be followed. If the person refuses to follow these unscriptural rules, he is branded as being in rebellion, and he is fair game for anything.

The Cross of Christ

In such a situation, which, in fact, is predominant, it does not matter at all that the individual in question has earnestly sought God for forgiveness and, in fact, has been forgiven. Not adhering to The Word of God, those things play no part in the thinking of most so-called religious leaders. So, when The Holy Spirit, through James, tells us here to confess our faults, it carries little weight in most modern religious circles. That is tragic but true. However, if we will confess our faults, forgiveness by The Lord will always be enjoined. There is only one answer for sin, and it does not matter who commits the sin, and that is The Cross of Christ. That is where sin was addressed and defeated. Consequently, at The Cross, the guilt of sin was removed, and its power was broken. All that is required is for the person to have faith in that which Christ has done for us (Romans 5:1). So, the entirety of the situation boils down to accepting what Christ has done or demanding something else. In fact, this is not new, having begun at the very dawn of time. God told the first family that the sacrifice of an innocent victim (a lamb) was the only means by which sin could be atoned and fellowship with God restored and maintained (Genesis 4). Abel believed that and was accepted by God (Genesis 4:4). Cain brought another type of offering, which God would not accept (Genesis 4:5-7). That was the problem then, has continued to be throughout the centuries, and the problem is now. Do we accept what Christ has done, or do we attempt to add things to what He has done?

The Question

Many argue that this is not the question at all. However, if it’s not the question, then what is the question? No, that is the question. Either the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin or else it doesn’t (1 John 1:7). We cannot have it both ways. If it does, then we don’t need to look to other things. Also, if we try to add other things, we invalidate the cleansing effect.

A Testimony

Many years ago, something happened in a particular church that pretty well explains what we are addressing. A young man in the church, who happened to be the pastor’s son, fell in love with a young lady in the church, and they proposed marriage. The situation caused a tremendous rupture in the church, which threatened to split it. Why? The young lady in question, who had a tremendous experience with Christ and was now living a dedicated life that was obvious to all, had formally been a prostitute before she gave her heart to Christ. With the church knowing this, the split ensued. Some stated that they would not have their pastor’s son marry someone of this nature. As stated, the situation was quickly going from bad to worse. On a particular Sunday morning, at the great height of the terrible controversy, a dear lady, aged in years, stood to her feet and asked if she could say a word. The pastor gladly consented, knowing her life and walk with The Lord were impeccable. As the audience grew quiet with every eye fastened on her, she began to speak. She said, “I have watched the situation as it has developed, actually threatening the future of the church. We all know the young lady in question, that her life is impeccable, and she has had a tremendous experience with The Lord. No one can deny that.” And then she said, “In reality, it’s not the young man who wants to marry this young lady who is on trial. And neither is it the young lady as it regards her life and living before coming to Christ that is on trial. What is on trial here is the precious shed blood of The Lord Jesus Christ. Does the blood of Jesus cleanse from all sin, or does it not cleanse?” The silence filled the building. You could have heard the proverbial pin drop. In a few moments’ time, the entirety of the church knew they had heard the truth. In fact, it was the blood of Christ that was on trial, and those who had felt that the young lady was not good enough to marry the pastor’s son suddenly realized the wickedness of their thinking. Every believer should understand that the child of God has no past, and we might quickly add, the devil has no future.

And Pray One for Another, that Ye May be Healed

The heading tells us two things. Number one, if we have wronged someone, and we refuse to confess our fault to the one we have wronged, we can forget about prayer for healing. Number two, if we have, in fact, sinned by wronging someone, and we properly confess our fault to him, the way is then opened back up for our prayers to be heard by The Lord and for Him to answer. God does not demand perfection from saints. If he did, where would any of us be? However, He does demand that we have faith in Christ and what Christ did at The Cross on our behalf and, in fact, that we continue to do that all the days of our lives. If such is done, The Holy Spirit will help us only as He can according to Romans 8:11. Several things will then happen:

• Sin will not have dominion over us according to Romans 6:14.
  
• Constant looking to The Cross (Luke 9:23) will develop humility in the heart and life of the believer, who will be quick to confess a fault, if, in fact, such has been committed. The Cross demands that.
  
• The only place of victory for the child of God is faith in The Cross of Christ, which guarantees the help of The Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:18).
  

All healing is found in what Jesus did at The Cross. Peter plainly said, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree (Cross), that we, being dead to sins (due to having been crucified with Him [Romans 6:3]), should live unto righteousness (by having continued faith in what Christ did at The Cross): by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

The Effectual Fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man Availeth Much

The heading presents several things about this that we should note:

• First of all, The Holy Spirit is the One Who said this through James, which means that it is perfectly valid.
  
• The righteousness here addressed is that which is given freely by God upon one’s faith in Christ and what He did at The Cross and which shows itself in righteous works.
  
• Prayer from such a source avails much.
  

However, this is so important that we need to look at it a little more closely. First of all, we must define righteousness. The simple fact is that much prayer is coming from many Christians that stems from self-righteousness rather than the righteousness of God. There is an addendum to that. Due to the fact that such prayers are never answered, there simply isn’t much praying in the church at the present. This that James tells us is really the reason.

True Righteousness

Let’s see what true righteousness actually is. God has always had righteousness and, in fact, is righteous. As a definition, righteousness is simply that which is right. However, the definition of what is right is that which is given by God and not by man. The definition, in totality, is The Word of God. At the same time, fallen man, and that includes all, has no righteousness (the Scripture plainly says, “…There is none righteous, no, not one:” [Romans 3:10]).

Righteousness to Sinful Man

So, the great question is, how does God transfer His righteousness to sinful man? Of course, God being God, there may have been many other ways that such a thing could be done. However, the way that He chose is by becoming man Himself and paying the price that must be paid in order for this work to be accomplished (1 Peter 1:18-20). I might add that He actually chose the way before the foundation of the world, in other words, before man was ever created. The price was high. It would require His taking of the penalty of sin for every human being, and that penalty was death. In other words, the very reason that God would become man is that He might die on The Cross, thereby satisfying this terrible sin debt. In His life, Jesus kept the law perfectly in every respect, which, of course, was an absolute necessity in as much as He was our substitute. However, that, within itself, would not redeem anyone. The penalty for man’s terrible crime had to be paid, and, as stated, that penalty was death (Romans 6:23). When Jesus died on The Cross, thereby shedding His life’s blood and satisfying the claims of the broken law, God The Father accepted the payment. What did that mean? That meant that for anyone who would register faith in Christ, God would award such an individual the perfect righteousness of God. To register faith in Christ means that a person accepts God’s verdict of guilty about himself and God’s verdict about Christ that His payment is accepted. It is called imputed righteousness, which means that it is righteousness awarded as a free gift.

The Gift of Righteousness

Paul said, “For if by one man's offence (Adam) death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” (Romans 5:17) As plainly stated, it is the gift of righteousness, which actually refers to imputed righteousness. This is the only type of righteousness that God will accept. If we try to present to Him any other type of righteousness, God will not accept it at all. By that, I’m speaking of something that we think we’ve earned or goodness that we think we have attained by our good works, etc. So, when someone accepts totally and freely what Christ has done for him at The Cross, that man is looked at by God as righteous because the righteousness he has is the righteousness of God. This refers to that for which Christ paid the price at The Cross and not the righteousness of his own making. God will heed the prayer of such a person but only such a person.

Elijah Was a Man Subject to Like Passions as We Are

“Elias (Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:17-18) The Holy Spirit gives this example because He wants us to know that what is in the reach of one is in the reach of the other. James is illustrating the effectiveness of prayer. In doing this, he refers to an undoubted case where prayer had such effectiveness. However, this might be objected to on grounds that Elijah was a distinguished prophet, and it was reasonable to suppose that his prayer would be heard. It might even be said that his example could not be used to prove that the prayers of those who were not favored with such advantages would be heard. To meet this, the apostle said that Elijah was a mere man and that, therefore, his case is one that should encourage all to pray. Elijah was no super-human. In fact, immediately after the prayer of verse 18 was answered, which was a tremendous miracle, this very prophet grew so discouraged that he even prayed to God that he might die (1 Kings 19:4). We have a tendency to think of these prophets of old and the apostles of the New Testament as being super-human. To counter that erroneous direction, The Holy Spirit picked one of the greatest prophets of all, Elijah, to serve as an example of what he was saying.

So, What is the Lesson He Wants Us to Learn?

These men did not see great things done for God because they were of a different fiber than we are. In fact, they were all of the same family of frail humanity, men of passions with us, but this is what made the difference. Despite their frailty, these men dared to believe God, and, as well, they gave to Him full control of their lives. Because of erroneous teaching, we, as Christians, little understand faith or righteousness, for that matter. Thinking of either one, faith or righteousness, we look to ourselves, which is the wrong place to look. It’s the source of faith and righteousness that makes the difference. Of course, that source is Christ and, more particularly, what He did for us at The Cross. This is the very story of the Bible and, in fact, the total story of the Bible. We know that “…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) And we also know, as stated, that the Bible is the story of man’s redemption. The problem is that we make ourselves the source of faith and righteousness, which is backward. The source, as stated, must be Christ and Him Crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2). As well, we sometimes think that faith and righteousness are attributes that we can use as we choose. That is not the case at all. These men and women of God, outlined in the Bible, who performed great things for The Lord, were doing what God wanted them to do. Faith will only function in this capacity.

And He Prayed Earnestly That It Might Not Rain: and It Rained Not on the Earth by the Space of Three Years and Six Months

The heading refers to the apostle here using a part of the whole. Even though it uses the word earth, it is not speaking of the entirety of the earth but, rather, that part of which it speaks, which was the northern kingdom of Israel. It was that part of the earth of which he spoke. The Bible does not exactly record that Elijah prayed concerning this thing. However, neither does it say in the 1 Kings 17 account that he did not. Of course, considering what The Holy Spirit said in James, we know that Elijah did pray as it regarded this matter. There is a side issue here that we must address as well. The strength of a nation is those who know how to pray, which means that they know God. As Elijah was able to change events in Israel, events can be changed according to the will of God in any country by individuals who truly know God. In fact, the most powerful weapon on earth is faith-filled prayer, but, despite all the talk about prayer, the truth is that there is actually very little praying at the present in the modern church. By the erroneous teaching of false faith in the last several decades, the modern church has almost been destroyed, at least as it regards the single most important aspect of the Christian experience. It hasn’t been faith in The Cross that is being taught but, rather, faith in something else altogether. If it’s not faith in The Cross, then it’s not faith that God will recognize (Romans 5:1-2).

And He Prayed Again

The heading presents the prophet asking The Lord now to change what had been done. Three and one half years earlier, he had prayed that the rain would stop, and now he prays that it will, once again, come upon the earth. In the midst of all of this, God was showing Israel something. The physical drought was a portrayal of their spiritual condition. The gathering of the people at Mount Carmel, with Elijah repairing “the altar of the LORD that was broken down” portrays The Cross (1 Kings 18:30). The bullock laid on the altar and then the fire falling, which must have been a spectacular sight, was a portrayal of what Jesus would do at Calvary when He took the judgment of God upon Himself that should have come upon us (1 Kings 18:38). Elijah praying and the rain then coming after some 3 ½ years was a type of The Holy Spirit coming back to a spiritually parched area (1 Kings 18:41-46). Unfortunately, it did not turn out that way in Israel. Nevertheless, The Lord, in effect, was telling Israel that, as the rain came and restored the land, He could likewise restore the people spiritually if they would only believe Him. Unfortunately, they little responded. 

And He Prayed Again, and the Heaven Gave Rain, and the Earth Brought Forth Her Fruit

The heading refers to the effect of one man’s prayers. This is the power of prayer that comes from a consecrated heart and prayer that is prayed in the will of God. We do not know how much the people of Israel knew and understood what was behind all of these events. Likewise, it is for sure that the world does not know the cause of most events presently. However, I think I can say with Scriptural and Spiritual authority that many of the events that transpire on the earth presently, whether negative or positive, are influenced greatly by prayer. When one considers that the number of individuals in the world whom God can use in this manner, which, no doubt, is very small, we are then made to realize, not how great and wonderful these individuals are, whomever they might be, but how great and wonderful that God is. That’s the reason I implore everyone who reads this book, who truly loves God and truly believes that God hears and answers prayers, to pray for us. I earnestly solicit your prayers because I earnestly need your prayers. Pray that God will help me to ever do His will and to finish this course of world evangelism, the responsibility of which (at least our part of the responsibility) He has given to us. So, as it regards divine healing, we are to understand that God still answers prayer. We are to understand that God still heals. Consequently, we should earnestly seek His face and do so constantly as it regards our needs and especially divine healing. While there are not any divine healers as it regards men, there is a Divine Healer, and His Name is The Lord Jesus Christ.

Our times are in Thy hand

Oh God, we wish them there

Our lives, our souls, our all we leave

Entirely to Thy care

Our times are in Thy hand

Whatever they may be

Pleasing or painful, dark or bright

As best they seem to be

Our times are in Thy hand

Why should we doubt or fear?

A Father’s hand will never cause

His child a needless tear

Our times are in Thy hand

Jesus the Crucified

Whose hand our many sins have pierced

Is now our guard and guide

Our times are in Thy hand

We’ll always trust to Thee

Till we possess the Promised Land

And all Thy glory