1.5-Confession when done with honesty and sincerity always works to help.

 1.5-Confession when done with honesty and sincerity always works to help.

Today I was visiting with man at my health club and he told about a woman in 

Africa who was very ill and needed prayer.  He called together some other men to come and pray over her and in the meeting they not only wanted to pray for her but anoint her with oil.  They also confessed their sins to each other and prayed for the entire group.  He told about how powerful the open honesty in the group had been for spiritual healing for all that were present.  The next morning he found out that the woman who had asked for prayer had been moved to heaven by Jesus the next morning.  His point was that regardless of the outcome being different from what they had hoped that there was spiritual healing for all in the meeting.

James 5.

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [k]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer [l]offered in faith will [m]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [n]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective [o]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed [p]earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the [q]sky [r]poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.