Clay City FMC

01/27/2026

No UP tomorrow!

01/25/2026

Due to the extreme weather, service is cancelled for tomorrow morning.

12/13/2025

Due to the extreme weather, service is cancelled for tomorrow morning. Please read and pray at home and rest in God’s peace

12/02/2025

Each Sunday from November 30th through December 21st, we will be celebrating the Advent season with messages focused on the themes of the Advent celebrations. Please join us as we worship our Savior.

10/04/2025

Bible study at 9:30 on the 1st & 3rd Sunday each month! All are welcome. This week we begin studying Romans.

09/17/2025

Have dinner when you pick up the kids! All food & drinks provided by Clay City FMC

08/19/2025

08/19/2025

Looking forward to seeing everyone again!

06/24/2024

Clay City Free Methodist Church
June 23, 2024
Marion D. Schafer, Pastor

Read James 5: 17-18

James has left out a lot of the story of Elijah in what he stated above, but that is okay, because the point James was making was about the power of prayer. So, let’s look at the actual story in I Kings, chapters 17 and 18.

Read I Kings 17: 1, 7

Elijah’s statement about there not being any rain or dew for the next few years was not something he thought up on his own. Elijah was a prophet of God and got messages directly from God. God was unhappy with the evil that was occurring in Israel during the reign of Ahab, and God wanted to make the point that He was still in charge, so He told Elijah to go to Ahab and tell him what was to come. So, while James makes the point about Elijah praying that it would not rain, he was in effect praying for what he knew was God’s will for Israel. Does that mean that the prayers of Elijah had no effect, because that was God’s plan anyway? No. That is not the conclusion we should come to. We must remember how close Elijah was to God. God spoke directly to Elijah and shared with him what He planned to do to get the attention of Ahab. Elijah confirmed God’s plans through his prayers.

Read I Kings 18: 1-2, 41-46

In between Elijah telling Ahab that there would be no rain for years and him telling Ahab that tremendous rains were coming, Elijah did many things that illustrated God’s power. You should read about them. God took care of Elijah during that drought, but He also took care of many other believers who did not succumb to worshipping Baal. God had Elijah put on a contest between Baal and God to convince the people that Baal was nothing but an imaginary god, and that the practices of those worshipping Baal were evil. Elijah told Ahab to gather the 450 priest of Baal and have them build an altar, cover it with firewood, and place a sacrificial bull on the top. They were then told to not light the fire, but call for Baal to send down fire to burn up the sacrifice. Those priests prayed, and danced, and cut themselves, for hours, but nothing happened. Then Elijah built an altar, covered it with firewood, placed a sacrificial bull on top, then had jug after jug of water poured over it all, until the wood was soaked. Then Elijah prayed for God to send down fire to the offering, and HE DID! The fire from God burned up the bull the firewood, and even the stones that formed the altar! God answered Elijah’s prayer. But was it only because Elijah prayed that it happened?
Think about the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples. The key phrase in there that Jesus emphasized was, “Thy will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven.” Jesus told His disciples, and now is telling us, that we are to pray for God’s will to be done, not our own desires. We say that we want God’s will to be done when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, but then we pray for our own wants, and our own desires. We pray for healing for someone, and we expect that how God will choose to heal that person will be in the way that we are thinking about that healing.
When I prayed for my two friends, in my mind that healing would be in the form of getting rid of the cancer, and the resumption of a somewhat normal life. So far, for one, that is what has happened. He is free of cancer and is healthier than he has been in years. For the other man, on the other hand, one cancerous area was removed, but the other area is still unknown. He is awaiting results of the latest tests to see whether it will be possible to remove the cancer from the other area, or if it has spread. I do not understand how the first man received complete healing from his cancer while the second has not. The diagnosis for the first man was more dire than for the other, yet he received healing. He proudly praises God for that healing and knows that it was due to all the prayers that people said for him, but, ultimately, it was because it was God’s will that he be healed in this way. Maybe God knew that this man would share his joy and testimony with many people, and chose this physical healing for that reason. We will never know for sure, because we do not have the mind of God. For the other man, who has not received that physical healing, we may ask why God has not so favored him as well. Again, we do not, and cannot know the mind of God, nor understand His will. Yet we must have faith that God will exercise His will to bring about what is best, even when that does not match exactly what we have been praying for.
Too often we pray for selfish things. We know that sports fans, and teams often pray that their team will win the game. But when both sides are praying that they will win, what should God do? Would it be better if both sides prayed for God to help them do their best in their game? What about gamblers who pray that God will let them win this bet? Think about those who were serving and leading the military in our Civil War? Historical documents tell us that there were people on both sides of the conflict who believed that God was on their side, and that He would help them win. Can we say that the South lost because God was not on their side, or that those in the North were better at praying for victory? I don’t think so! Both sides were really praying for their own interests. The South were praying for their right to do things the way they had been doing them, and they used passages in the Bible to justify those practices. The North were praying for keeping the United States as one country, not two, and for ending the practice of slavery, which they could justify as being against the Bible. So, we see both sides really believed they were fighting for what was right, but they did not want to have to bow to God’s will, if it disagreed with what they thought.
Today we see some of the same thing happening around us. It has not resulted in a civil war, so far, but there are opposing sides on important issues that both sides believe they are on the right side of. Take the issue of abortion. The Supreme Court has struck down the earlier ruling that enabled abortion to occur everywhere in the United States. The court has taken it back to the former way where each state can decide whether to allow abortions in its borders. Those proponents of abortion are fighting to make it so that individual states may not have the right to choose restrictions on abortion within its borders. Those who want to see an end to abortions are fighting within individual states to save the lives of those babies through state legislation. Each side believes they are correct. In this case, it seems only those wanting to end abortions are saying that the Bible is on their side.
There are many other polarizing issues in our country today. Most of them are clear enough that we should not have trouble deciding which side we support. But it is critical that we remember to first pray about any controversial issue in our world. It may be easy for us to decide what we think is best or right, but we first need to pray to ask God to show us His will, so that we can know that we are on His side, and not just praying for our selfish desires. Then we can be sure that God will answer our prayers in the best way—God’s way!
Dear Heavenly Father, We are so often focused on our own little sphere in the world that we fail to see the big picture, as only you are able. Help us to know your will, Lord, so that we may focus our prayers in the way that You know is best for all. Thank you for ALL Your answers to our prayers, no matter what that answer may be. In Jesus Holy Name we pray, Amen!

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06/10/2024

Clay City Free Methodist Church
June 9, 2024
Marion D. Schafer, Pastor

Read JAMES 5: 15-16

Last week we looked at verses 14 & 15 which discussed healing. We talked about how prayers offered in faith will make the sick person well because the Lord will raise them up. In the end we emphasized that, while James talks about prayers offered in faith, it is not us that cause the healing, but God! We can have all the faith in the world, but we are still not God, and do not have God’s powers. That said, Jesus does tell us to pray for healing, and to have faith that they will be healed. This is something we are to do, and there are good reasons for it.
First, we must pray for the healing of others to show obedience to our Savior, Jesus Christ. How can we say that we love God, and put our complete trust in Him if we are not willing to obey Him. We must obey by doing what He commands, but not because that will save us. Jesus already assured us that accepting Him as our Savior, because He already paid the price for our sins, and loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength is all that is required for our salvation. So, when we do the things God tells us to do, it is not to strengthen our salvation, or earn a better mansion in Heaven. We do the things God asks, because we love Him and want to obey. By doing the things that constitute obeying God, we demonstrate to others what God has done for us.
Second, we must pray for the healing of others because we truly love them as Christ loves them. Christ commanded us to love others, and think of their needs ahead of our own. When we make the effort, and take the time to pray for others, we are thinking of their needs. We are telling God, not only that we care about that other person, but that we truly have faith to believe that God has the power to heal anyone at any time. God allows us to exercise our free will to ask Him for anything we choose. When we are asking for things for others, that demonstrates to Him that we are not thinking of our own selfish desires first (Assuming that we are not thinking of our own selfish desires first). By the way, God knows when we are thinking of our own selfish desires, even though we may be praying for someone else. So, make sure that if you are going to pray for the needs of someone else, whether it is for healing or other needs, you clear all those thoughts of yourself out of your head, first. Then, after you have done so, you can fully concentrate on the person, or persons you are praying for.
Then we must remember that even if we have all the faith in the world, God is God, and we are not. God does not have to always agree with what we pray for, even if it seems good to us. God may have a different way of handling situations than we might think of. God may have a different timeline than we think is good. God may define healing in a way that does not look like healing to us. I think of Johnnie Erikson Tada, who became a paraplegic as a teenager. For nearly sixty years, she has been confined to a wheelchair, unable to do anything for herself. Yet, in spite of her disability she has been an inspiring voice for her Savior by speaking to groups, speaking on the radio, and writing books of inspiration. I am certain that many people prayed for her to be healed so that she could walk and take care of herself, but God did not choose to answer those prayers in that way. If He had, she may have still been an inspirational speaker, but her message would not have been as powerful as it is now. Just knowing what her life has been, when you hear the joy in her voice as she praises her Savior Jesus Christ, you have to know that the Holy Spirit is living in her.
How many people do you know who can express pure heavenly joy, in spite of all the trials of life? How many preachers have you listened to in your lifetime that you can honestly say demonstrate the joy of the Holy Spirit living within them, both in the pulpit and away from it? How about yourself? Do you demonstrate joy from the Holy Spirit living within you? Do you even feel that joy? Let your mouth know sometimes. You might be surprised how much better you feel when you are smiling that when you are frowning.
Then we get to verse 16, where James tells us to confess our sins to each other, and pray for each other, that we might be healed. We are okay with praying for each other—especially if we can do it silently, so nobody hears us—but confessing our sins to each other is another matter. If we admit that we did something sinful, or thought something sinful, everybody will look down on us as terrible people, won’t they? At least, that is what we think. How about that? If I confessed to something that I felt was sinful, would you think to yourself: “Hah, I knew he wasn’t what he pretends to be!” Or would you think: “Hey, I’ve done a lot worse than that, maybe I need to ask God for forgiveness before I pray for him to heal!”
This is difficult, isn’t it? Yet this is something John Wesley and the early Methodists practiced every week. They divided the church up into “classes” similar to what large churches call “small groups” to meet together and hold each other accountable as they tried to live the life Christ taught us. When a church is already a small group, it seems that this practice of inquiring into each other’s walk with the Lord each week could be done as the whole group, but I don’t think we would be comfortable with opening up in front of everyone that way. But, should we consider forming accountability groups like that for the purpose of building us up in our Christian faith? Maybe! It would probably have to start with two or three meeting together like that, outside the normal church service times. If that worked, those two or three could start new groups of two or three, and expand that way. Over time, we would probably be amazed at how we could grow in our Christian faith, as well as our closeness in fellowship with each other.
I find that two or more people praying for each other is a very rewarding thing to do. James tells us that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, so the prayers of multiple righteous people must be more powerful, and more effective. This is why we pray together during our worship services. As we are all praying at the same time for the same requests, our prayers are stronger, and we believe God listens to them.
But what if we are distracted during the time of prayer. It is so easy for other thoughts to pop into our heads while someone is leading us in prayer. “Where should we go for lunch?” “Did I lock the car?” “I hope the preacher doesn’t talk too long or my casserole will be ruined.” “I wonder if it is going to rain.” Yes, we are easily distracted. I don’t think God is going to strike us down for not paying complete attention during prayer, but I am sure He knows. So, can our corporate prayers be powerful and effective if we are not all concentrating as one? Yes! Could our corporate prayers be more powerful and effective if we were all concentrating and praying along with the leader? I believe they could. So, maybe we could try that sometime. I am joking! I do trust that we are all trying to pray along together, but I know that it is easy for me to get distracted sometimes, so I imagine you do sometimes, too. Let us pray together now.
Dear God, our Father in Heaven, there are not sufficient words to tell you how much you mean to us, or to thank you for sacrificing yourself in Jesus, just so that we sinners can be cleansed of our sins, so that we may spend eternity with you. Help us, Lord, to be open and honest with each other, so that we may know how to support each other and love each other with the love that only You can provide. We ask you to use your wisdom to heal those who are sick, and help give us the bravery to lead others to accept Christ as their Savior, as we have done. In the blessed name of Jesus we pray. Amen!

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06/09/2024

Clay City Free Methodist Church
June 2, 2024
Marion D. Schafer, Pastor

Read JAMES 5: 14-15

Do you believe that! James is saying that to heal a sick person, all that is required is for the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil. Haven’t we prayed over sick people many times that didn’t get well? What did we not do the right way? Did we not hold our hands on the person the right way? Did we not stand in the right position? Did we not say the right words? Maybe we didn’t anoint them with oil. Maybe we didn’t use the right kind of oil. Maybe the oil has to be blessed by someone. Maybe we put the oil in the wrong spot. Oh, but he said the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. Maybe we didn’t have enough faith. What was that Jesus said about having the faith the size of a mustard seed when the disciples asked Him why they could not drive out demons?
Luke 17: 6 “He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

So, do we just need more faith when we pray so that we can heal the sick, too? What do we need to do to have more faith? Are we forgetting something? Are we not trying hard enough? What can we do?
Maybe that is the problem. Maybe we are thinking that this is something we should be able to do. Maybe the reason we cannot heal the sick with our prayers is because we think it is us that is doing it. Maybe we are hoping that we can pray someone to wellness. If we just had a little more faith, we could do it! But could we? Do we really believe that someone is going to be healed because of what we say over them, or what we put on their head? WHO DO WE THIINK WE ARE? Do we think that we are God? Well, we aren’t!
Yes, God has told us to pray for the sick that they may be healed, but it is not our prayers that do the healing—it is God! James tells us that “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.” We have all seen this come true in people we have prayed for. But, sometimes we do not see that sick person get well. Sometimes that sick person gets worse. So, does that mean that we did not pray properly, or we did not have enough faith? Or does it mean that sometimes we pray for things that are not what God knows is best? Yes, Jesus chided the disciples for not having enough faith, but Jesus also taught us to pray: “Thy (God’s) will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven.” So ,we have to realize that when our prayers seem to be unanswered, it may be because we are praying for one thing, when God knows there is a better thing.
So, what are we to do about that? How can we know what God knows is best so that we can pray for that? Haven’t people been trying to know as God knows throughout history? When will we ever realize that we are not GOD, so we cannot, and will not know as God knows. Yet, the Bible tells us to pray for the healing of the sick! So, therefore, we must pray for the healing of the sick.
In the early church, it was the normal practice to pray for the sick, anoint them with oil, and expect that they would be healed. This was similar to what was practiced by the Jews before them. People would not go to a doctor for healing, they would go to the Rabbi for prayer and anointing. We do not know the success rate of the Rabbis in this respect, but the alternative was usually some homemade herbal remedy concocted by a “doctor” of the day. Cures coming from those “medicines” were probably more through faith than the actual curative properties they contained. So, when we look at the circumstances, it makes sense that prayer for healing, backed by strong faith of the person praying, and the faith of the patient would bring more positive results, because God would be doing the actual healing, and God would—or should—receive the credit for it.
Historical documents testify to people being healed by prayer and anointing in the early church—during at least the first century or two. Justin Martyr wrote that numerous demoniacs were healed when Christians prayed, after all the non-Christian exorcists had done all their rituals, and doctors had exhausted all their drugs in their efforts in trying to heal them. Irenaeus told of the sick being healed by the laying on of hands by Christians. Tertullian told how the Roman Emperor, Alexander Severus was healed by being anointed with oil by Torpacion, who was a Christian at that time. A book from the second century A.D. titled Canons of Hippolytus stated that men who have the gift of healing are to be ordained after they have been examined to determine that they really do have the gift of healing, and that it comes from God. This was something that was expected from the leaders of the early church. Anointing the sick with oil was seen as an important duty of the early church, along with fervent prayer from the leaders, as well as the rest of the people in the church.
So, what has changed? Yes, sometimes we do anoint with oil as we pray over someone, but do we do it because we believe it is an important part of the process that will enable healing? Do we see it as part of a ritual? If we don’t anoint with oil, will God not honor our prayers? How about the prayers. Do we have to put our hands together and bow our heads with our eyes closed, or should we have our hands reaching up to heaven as we pray? Should we be kneeling, or standing? Can God hear if more than one person prays at the same time? How hard do we need to concentrate on the person we are praying about to make it work?
So many things we can worry about that serve to distract us from the task at hand. If we remember when Jesus told the Disciples how to pray what we call “The Lord’s Prayer,” He did not tell us how to stand, how to hold our hands, whether to have our eyes open or closed, whether we should stand or kneel, He just said to pray, and gave an example of things to include in a prayer. Do we know how the Disciples were positioned when they prayed—no! I think it is because those things do not matter to God. God just wants us to pray! He wants us to pray for healing for those who are sick, not because He needs our prayers to be able to heal them. God can heal, or not heal anyone, at any time He pleases. So, would He heal all the sick without our prayers? That is not for us to know. God asks us to pray, and we are to obey.
Today, we have doctors who have tools and medicines that were beyond our imagination 50 years ago. Doctors understand the way the body works that the doctors during the early church did not. Consequently, today, we place our trust in those with a degree in medicine, before even thinking about praying to God about a health problem. That is not to say that we should not consult a physician and use the modern medicines, and procedures that are available to us. All these things have come about because of God. All the elements of the medicines come from God’s creation—doctors and scientists have just figured out ways of combining and modifying things to do what is needed for specific maladies. All the breakthroughs in devices have come from using materials and principles ordained by God. Modern medicine is truly a wonderful gift, but that does not mean that we do not need to go to God, as well! Medicines are getting more specific in targeting particular diseases and illnesses, but each human body is not exactly the same, so things don’t work exactly the same for every person. Only God can completely heal a person, and we need to remember that so that we always pray for each sick person that becomes known to us.
So, why do we need to pray for others when God already knows the needs of each person, and can heal them without our input? I think here is where I have to go back to the commandment of Jesus that I have repeated so often—“Love your neighbor as yourself,” put that person’s needs ahead of your own desires. When we take the time to pray with the faith that God will answer that prayer, for the needs of someone else—whether that person is following God’s will or not—we are taking our eyes off ourselves, for at least that time, to think about, and to care about the needs of someone else. When a group of Christians prays together for the needs of someone else, aren’t they doing what Jesus has commanded by focusing God’s love on that person? By sharing that love, are we losing any of the love we have? NO! When we share our love by praying for others, the love grows larger within us! The more we do this, the more love we have to share, and the closer we are to the holiness that God requires of us.
I can cite examples of people that I know have been healed after the doctors gave no hope, because of the fervent prayers of faith filled Christians. This is happening now! Not just in the early church! But let us not get puffed up thinking that it is because of us. It is only through the power of our Holy God, and the work of the Holy Spirit within us that healing comes. We must pray for healing to show our love for others, and our faith in our Savior Jesus Christ to accomplish His will on Earth. May we always remember this, and praise Him for ALL these blessings.
Dear Lord and Savior, Holy God and Father of us all, we thank you for allowing us to participate in your work by offering our prayers and anointing for the sick among us. Let us always remember to give you the glory for all that we receive from You, Lord, and draw us closer to You each day. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray these things. Amen!

Clay City Free Methodist Church
June 2, 2024
Marion D. Schafer, Pastor

JAMES 5: 14-15

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them 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 them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
Do you believe that! James is saying that to heal a sick person, all that is required is for the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil. Haven’t we prayed over sick people many times that didn’t get well? What did we not do the right way? Did we not hold our hands on the person the right way? Did we not stand in the right position? Did we not say the right words? Maybe we didn’t anoint them with oil. Maybe we didn’t use the right kind of oil. Maybe the oil has to be blessed by someone. Maybe we put the oil in the wrong spot. Oh, but he said the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. Maybe we didn’t have enough faith. What was that Jesus said about having the faith the size of a mustard seed when the disciples asked Him why they could not drive out demons?
Luke 17: 6 “He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

So, do we just need more faith when we pray so that we can heal the sick, too? What do we need to do to have more faith? Are we forgetting something? Are we not trying hard enough? What can we do?
Maybe that is the problem. Maybe we are thinking that this is something we should be able to do. Maybe the reason we cannot heal the sick with our prayers is because we think it is us that is doing it. Maybe we are hoping that we can pray someone to wellness. If we just had a little more faith, we could do it! But could we? Do we really believe that someone is going to be healed because of what we say over them, or what we put on their head? WHO DO WE THIINK WE ARE? Do we think that we are God? Well, we aren’t!
Yes, God has told us to pray for the sick that they may be healed, but it is not our prayers that do the healing—it is God! James tells us that “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.” We have all seen this come true in people we have prayed for. But, sometimes we do not see that sick person get well. Sometimes that sick person gets worse. So, does that mean that we did not pray properly, or we did not have enough faith? Or does it mean that sometimes we pray for things that are not what God knows is best? Yes, Jesus chided the disciples for not having enough faith, but Jesus also taught us to pray: “Thy (God’s) will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven.” So ,we have to realize that when our prayers seem to be unanswered, it may be because we are praying for one thing, when God knows there is a better thing.
So, what are we to do about that? How can we know what God knows is best so that we can pray for that? Haven’t people been trying to know as God knows throughout history? When will we ever realize that we are not GOD, so we cannot, and will not know as God knows. Yet, the Bible tells us to pray for the healing of the sick! So, therefore, we must pray for the healing of the sick.
In the early church, it was the normal practice to pray for the sick, anoint them with oil, and expect that they would be healed. This was similar to what was practiced by the Jews before them. People would not go to a doctor for healing, they would go to the Rabbi for prayer and anointing. We do not know the success rate of the Rabbis in this respect, but the alternative was usually some homemade herbal remedy concocted by a “doctor” of the day. Cures coming from those “medicines” were probably more through faith than the actual curative properties they contained. So, when we look at the circumstances, it makes sense that prayer for healing, backed by strong faith of the person praying, and the faith of the patient would bring more positive results, because God would be doing the actual healing, and God would—or should—receive the credit for it.
Historical documents testify to people being healed by prayer and anointing in the early church—during at least the first century or two. Justin Martyr wrote that numerous demoniacs were healed when Christians prayed, after all the non-Christian exorcists had done all their rituals, and doctors had exhausted all their drugs in their efforts in trying to heal them. Irenaeus told of the sick being healed by the laying on of hands by Christians. Tertullian told how the Roman Emperor, Alexander Severus was healed by being anointed with oil by Torpacion, who was a Christian at that time. A book from the second century A.D. titled Canons of Hippolytus stated that men who have the gift of healing are to be ordained after they have been examined to determine that they really do have the gift of healing, and that it comes from God. This was something that was expected from the leaders of the early church. Anointing the sick with oil was seen as an important duty of the early church, along with fervent prayer from the leaders, as well as the rest of the people in the church.
So, what has changed? Yes, sometimes we do anoint with oil as we pray over someone, but do we do it because we believe it is an important part of the process that will enable healing? Do we see it as part of a ritual? If we don’t anoint with oil, will God not honor our prayers? How about the prayers. Do we have to put our hands together and bow our heads with our eyes closed, or should we have our hands reaching up to heaven as we pray? Should we be kneeling, or standing? Can God hear if more than one person prays at the same time? How hard do we need to concentrate on the person we are praying about to make it work?
So many things we can worry about that serve to distract us from the task at hand. If we remember when Jesus told the Disciples how to pray what we call “The Lord’s Prayer,” He did not tell us how to stand, how to hold our hands, whether to have our eyes open or closed, whether we should stand or kneel, He just said to pray, and gave an example of things to include in a prayer. Do we know how the Disciples were positioned when they prayed—no! I think it is because those things do not matter to God. God just wants us to pray! He wants us to pray for healing for those who are sick, not because He needs our prayers to be able to heal them. God can heal, or not heal anyone, at any time He pleases. So, would He heal all the sick without our prayers? That is not for us to know. God asks us to pray, and we are to obey.
Today, we have doctors who have tools and medicines that were beyond our imagination 50 years ago. Doctors understand the way the body works that the doctors during the early church did not. Consequently, today, we place our trust in those with a degree in medicine, before even thinking about praying to God about a health problem. That is not to say that we should not consult a physician and use the modern medicines, and procedures that are available to us. All these things have come about because of God. All the elements of the medicines come from God’s creation—doctors and scientists have just figured out ways of combining and modifying things to do what is needed for specific maladies. All the breakthroughs in devices have come from using materials and principles ordained by God. Modern medicine is truly a wonderful gift, but that does not mean that we do not need to go to God, as well! Medicines are getting more specific in targeting particular diseases and illnesses, but each human body is not exactly the same, so things don’t work exactly the same for every person. Only God can completely heal a person, and we need to remember that so that we always pray for each sick person that becomes known to us.
So, why do we need to pray for others when God already knows the needs of each person, and can heal them without our input? I think here is where I have to go back to the commandment of Jesus that I have repeated so often—“Love your neighbor as yourself,” put that person’s needs ahead of your own desires. When we take the time to pray with the faith that God will answer that prayer, for the needs of someone else—whether that person is following God’s will or not—we are taking our eyes off ourselves, for at least that time, to think about, and to care about the needs of someone else. When a group of Christians prays together for the needs of someone else, aren’t they doing what Jesus has commanded by focusing God’s love on that person? By sharing that love, are we losing any of the love we have? NO! When we share our love by praying for others, the love grows larger within us! The more we do this, the more love we have to share, and the closer we are to the holiness that God requires of us.
I can cite examples of people that I know have been healed after the doctors gave no hope, because of the fervent prayers of faith filled Christians. This is happening now! Not just in the early church! But let us not get puffed up thinking that it is because of us. It is only through the power of our Holy God, and the work of the Holy Spirit within us that healing comes. We must pray for healing to show our love for others, and our faith in our Savior Jesus Christ to accomplish His will on Earth. May we always remember this, and praise Him for ALL these blessings.
Dear Lord and Savior, Holy God and Father of us all, we thank you for allowing us to participate in your work by offering our prayers and anointing for the sick among us. Let us always remember to give you the glory for all that we receive from You, Lord, and draw us closer to You each day. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray these things. Amen!

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