Does Christianity Stand on Faith or Evidence?

By Dan Delzell, Christian Post, Oct. 23, 2011

I had an interesting e-mail exchange with an agnostic this week. He wrote: “If there were good evidence to corroborate the Bible, would you need faith? Correct me if I am mistaken, but faith lies at the core of the Christian worldview, not reliance on evidence.”

That is an excellent question and one that I suspect lies at the heart of why many agnostics and atheists have yet to seriously evaluate Christianity. If they only knew that the core of the Christian worldview is actually evidence rather than faith, many of them might finally look at the evidence with an open mind. It is only after one is presented solid evidence that he is invited to place his faith in the facts of the Gospel. Christian faith stands on something permanent and proven.

I am talking about mathematical and statistical evidence that any jury would hear about if the Bible was put on trial. The Bible can be judged as being either miraculous or man-made.

There are over 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The statistical probability that Jesus of Nazareth could have fulfilled even 8 such prophecies would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.It is impossible that the Bible did not come from God. No scheme of man could have pulled it off over those many centuries. In order to reject the Bible, a person must have a strong predisposition against it from the outset. Otherwise, the evidence makes it a “slam-dunk case.”

To tell you the truth, I don’t think it takes very much faith to believe that “all Scripture is God-breathed.” (2 Timothy 3:16) How much faith does it take a jury to come back with a verdict in the midst of overwhelming evidence? What if a jury had 300 pieces of evidence that all pointed to the same person the way 300 biblical prophecies all point to Christ?

Skeptics will say, “You are using the Bible to validate the Bible.” True. But we are really dealing with 66 books written over hundreds of years. There is no dispute among scholars regarding the historical accuracy of the Bible. William Albright was a biblical and archeological scholar who mastered more than 26 ancient and modern languages. Albright wrote, “The excessive skepticism shown toward the Bible by important historical schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, certain phrases of which still appear periodically, has been progressively discredited. Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.”

I love the way Charlie Campbell lays out 10 solid reasons to completely trust the Bible. He goes into detail on each one, but here are the basic categories:

1. Fulfilled Prophecy

2. Archaeological Verification

3. The Bible’s Internal Consistency

4. External Verification

5. The Bible’s Amazing Scientific Accuracy and Foresight

6. The Manuscript Evidence

7. The Bible’s Forthrightness about Its Author’s and Hero’s Failures

8. The Willingness of Jesus’ Disciples to Suffer

9. The Bible’s Transforming Power for Good

10. The Testimony of Jesus, the Son of God

Christianity stands on facts. It stands on evidence. Christianity is entered into through faith. It is not a blind faith. It is faith in the facts. It is faith in something concrete. Christianity builds on past events and believes for the future fulfillment of all of God’s prophecies and promises. Without the Bible, we would only have mystical experiences to rely upon. How trustworthy would that be?

You will never find evidence like what we have in the Bible. Try to find one “holy” book of any other religion that has even ONE fulfilled prophecy. Where is the mathematical evidence in any of those religions? Where is the statistical and mathematical certainty to stand on when stepping out in faith for future events and for the eternal well-being of your immortal soul?

The order is for Christianity is: (1) Evidence; (2) Faith; and then (3) Assurance. Christianity stands upon evidence. It is personally received through faith that Jesus died for your sins on the cross. It brings comforting assurance to those who have stepped out in faith to trust Christ. You will never have the true assurance of salvation until you take a step of faith based on the evidence. Some non-Christians have a false sense of assurance without Christ, but in the end it tragically disappoints. Their assurance is not based on solid evidence, but only faith in someone or something other than the Jesus of the Bible.

God made you as a rational human being. God has given us rational reasons to know that He is trustworthy. Just look out into the universe. It is rational to believe that only God could have created such majesty. “The heavens declare the glory of God.” (Psalm 19:1) Are you listening to His voice in the heavens? Are you evaluating the evidence reasonably?

There was a once a man whose religion stood on faith rather than tons of evidence. His name was Abraham. The Bible tells us, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (James 2:23) What history did Abraham really have to go on before he was asked to trust God? What prophecies had been fulfilled? What evidence did he have to stand on? Very little compared to what you and I have been given over the past 6000 years of biblical history. Abraham was a man of tremendous faith.

If Abraham could believe God with little history to go on, you can certainly do it once you have studied the evidence for the Bible with your rational mind. God can be trusted. He always comes through and does what He says He will do.

Original article found here: https://www.christianpost.com/news/does-christianity-stand-on-faith-or-evidence.html

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Don't Worry About Anything!

By Dennis Edwards

I was thinking and praying about what I should share during a meeting that was coming up at which I needed to give a talk. I had talked to my son and he had suggested that I tell a story. He said, 

“Dad, everyone likes stories.” 

So here goes my story for you.

I remember the other night when I was not able to sleep because of the worries I had. I was going to bed. It had been my birthday. Someone had made a cake for me and my family had sung Happy Birthday. We had had a nice meal and fellowship together and yet, when I lay down to sleep, I was feeling worried about certain situations in my family, our finances, the future, my children, etc. Why do I not have that peace that passes all understanding which it speaks of in His word? 

I picked up my Bible to try to find the passage in the New Testament with those words. I flipped through the four small epistles of Paul, where I thought I should find it, but did not. As I lay my head back down on the pillow, the voice of conscience, God’s voice, said to me; 

“You need to commit all those things to me in prayer.” 

And so I did. I prayed with all my heart and threw my worries and concerns onto the Lord’s shoulders.

As soon as I had finished praying, His peace came upon me and I was able to rest in peace. The Lord had showed me the importance of bringing everything before Him in desperate prayer.

In the morning, I used Google search and found the passage I was looking for the night before in Philippians: 

“Be careful for nothing,” or in other words, do not worry about anything, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord.”¹ 

In order to find that peace that passes understanding, we need to bring all our requests to God in prayer. And in the next verse it says: 

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, and whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” 

In other words, keep your mind on the positive. Keep fighting the good fight of faith in your mind, “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”²

Well, I had done that the other night and it had worked. I had prayed and had poured out my heart to the Lord. But why was I back in the same place again a few days later? Why was I having anxious thoughts once again?

In the Psalms we read something similar. 

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?”³ 

“Disquieted” means to be uneasy or anxious.The psalmist is expressing the same  idea. "Why am I worried?"

That's when the Lord brought to my mind, the penultimate verse in Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, which talks of all the great heroes of faith in the Old Testament. It says, 

"And these all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.”⁴ 

They did not receive the promise. Many of them went to their death for their faith and God did not save them. Sr. Thomas More, for example, would not confirm and sign the oath saying that he agreed that King Henry the 8^th was legal head of the Church of England. He refused to sign because of conscience to God, and God did not save him. He lost his head.

Nevertheless, how was he able to have such conviction even in the face death? How was he able to place his head on the block and lift up his arms as a sign to the ax man to chop off his head? Well, we need to look back to the beginning of that passage in Hebrews to find the answer. We find, 

“Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”⁵ 

Thomas More and all the martyrs of the past had to keep looking unto Jesus. We today need to keep looking unto Jesus.

How many times do you read in the Bible about crying unto the Lord with all our hearts? In the Psalm it says, 

“As the hart pants after the water brook, so pants my soul after thee oh God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God.”⁶

And it continues with, 

“When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me.”⁷ 

Are you pouring out your soul to God? In Jeremiah we find,

“You shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart.”⁸ 

Jesus said, 

"Seek and ye shall find,”⁹ 

and that those who 

“hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.”¹⁰ 

Are we really seeking the Lord with all our hearts? Or are we letting the cares and the riches of this life choke out our time with God so that we become unfruitful for His kingdom?¹¹

In the book of Samuel, we see Hannah, the wife of Elkanah weeping bitterly before the Lord in the temple for a son, as she was barren. It says, 

"And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.”¹² 

Eli, the high priest, sees her and thinking she is drunk, rebukes her. She responds, 

“No, my Lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.”¹³ 

He tells her, 

“Go in peace and the God of Israel grant you your petition.” “So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.”¹⁴ 

 And so she returned with her husband to their home and the Bible says,

“And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.”¹⁵

How many of us are pouring out our hearts to the Lord in desperate prayer? Let us just look at some of the Psalms. How many times do they speak of crying out to the Lord in prayer, seeking the Lord, calling upon the Lord? We will go through a few of them for you to meditate upon.

“I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears. This poor man cried and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”16

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God. He heard my voice… and my cry came before him, even into his ears.”17

“I called unto the Lord in my distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.”18

“I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he has inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold of me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord. I beseech you, deliver my soul.”19

“In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.”20

“Unto you lift I up mine eyes, O you that dwells in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.”21

“Out of the depths have I cried unto you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice: let your eyes be attentive to the voice of my supplications.”22

“As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice.”23

I guess there must be something about crying out loud in an audible voice.

“Hear my cry, O God, attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto you, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”24

“O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; … Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you. Thus will I bless you while I live: I will lift up my hands in your name. …When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the middle of the night. Because you have been my help, therefore in the shadow of your wings will I rejoice. My soul follows hard after you.”25

How many of us are following hard after the Lord, with all are heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind? For the Lord has said,

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in the end.”26

So remember when you are cast down and disquieted within you the words of the psalmist,

"Put your hope in God: for you will yet praise him for the help of his countenance, and your God.”27

We are going to close with a thought from James and then with a prayer. James tells us,

“Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, pray one for another that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”28

Let us pray and commit our problems, our worries, our finances, our families and our future into the Lord’s hands. He has promised to keep us, to be with us and give us that peace that passes all understanding, so that we can walk in faith without fear, without doubt and without worry. In Jesus name we pray!

Notes:

1 Philippians 4:6-7

2 Philippians 4:8

3 Psalm 42:11

4 Hebrews 11:39

5 Hebrews 12:1,2

6 Psalm 42:1,2

7 Psalm 42:4

8 Jeremiah 29:13

9 Matthew 7:7

10 Matthew 5:6

11 Matthew 13:22

12 1 Samuel 1:10

13 1 Samuel 1:15

14 1 Samuel 1:17,18

15 1 Samuel 1:19

16 Psalm 34:4,6

17 Psalm 18:6

18 Psalm 118:5

19 Psalm 116:1-4

20 Psalm 120:1

21 Psalm 123:1-2

22 Psalm 130: 1-2

23 Psalm 55: 16-17

24 Psalm 61:1-2

25 Psalm 63:1,3,4,6,7,8a.

26 Jeremiah 29:11

27 Psalm 42:11b

28 James 5:13-16

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Finding Strength and Help in Difficult Times

by Dennis Edwards

Eight years ago my twenty-seven year old son died suddenly from a swimming accident. At midnight the 17th of March, Saint Patrick’s Day, I received a call from my son’s roommate. My son had gone missing and his clothing had been found on a nearby beach. 

My first reaction was to get down on my knees and cry out to the Lord in prayer. As I did, much to my surprise, I had a vision of my son entering into Heaven to the joy of my parents and other departed loved ones. I immediately knew he would not be found alive. Five days later his body washed ashore and was found by some German tourists. 

What helped me through those difficult days? What was the healing balm that enable me to continue on? Of course, having a relationship with the Lord and being able to hear His still small voice in prayer was a great help and stabilizing affect at that time. The words of encouragement that others had received in prayer for me were also very strengthening. Reading God's word, especially the Psalms, where I receive comfort from the written word was, also, important. Crying out to the Lord with all my heart in prayer was another important aspect of the healing and helped me in ways I probably do not consciously understand. 

But perhaps the most important key to my healing in a tangible, physical way, that I remember most clearly above all the rest was the love and encouragement I received from others. For that to happen, I had to confess and share my heartache. The Bible says, “Confess your faults one to another. Pray one for another that you may be healed.”[1] Confessing to others what I was going through enabled me to receive the encouragement that I needed and was perhaps the key to victory and healing.

I remember my first day in Bermuda where my son had died. While asking for directions at a shop, I mentioned to the shop girl that I was the father of the young man who had recently drowned. “You poor thing,” she sighed. “Can I come around and give you a big hug.” On numerous occasions I received encouragement from strangers that I met in this way.

God promises to comfort us in our times of tribulation.[2] Jesus said He would send the comforter, the Holy Spirit, to us. He wants us to be comforted. But if we keep our troubles locked inside, if we keep the pain in, we won’t receive the love and encouragement we need and our healing process will be longer and perhaps never complete.

Therefore, do not keep those emotions hidden. Let the tears flow. Share your pain. Share your sorrow. In doing so, others will respond with the balm of love you need. Do not suffer in silence. Share your hurt and others around you will help heal it. God works this way to draw us closer to one another and be His arms and His hands and His lips and His ears to one another. 

When we receive the love and encouragement that we need in our time of anguish, we are able later to return that love and encouragement to other needy or suffering souls that pass our way. “Blessed be God…who comforts us in all our tribulation, so that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” [3]

You can watch the memorial my daughter Marie made of Martin here.

[1] James 5:16
[2] 2Corinthians 2:4
[3]2Corinthians 1:3-4

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Are You Standing for Godly Convictions?

By Dennis Edwards

I was reading Psalm 94 today and came upon some interesting verses all in the same psalm which really got me thinking. “Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frame mischief by a law?”[1] Governments often pass laws which are contrary to the laws of God. Just because the government passes such a law does not make it right. I would interpret that to mean that we as Christians should not have fellowship with that kind of government or political party that promotes that violation of God´s law.

The next verse in the psalm goes on to say, “They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.”[2] What soul in its natural state could be more righteous than the soul of an unborn child? What blood could be more innocent than the blood of an unborn child?

Earlier in the same psalm we find the verses, “Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things? And all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless?”[3] How often, these small ones killed in abortion are “fatherless.” A woman has conceived a child out of wedlock or has been raped. Therefore, to avoid shame and scandal the child is aborted. The child is paying for the sins of the parents. He or she has done nothing wrong. Nevertheless, he or she is punished with death.

The Bible tells us, “Thou shall not kill.”[4] Jesus went on to say, “In as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”[5] He also said, “As you would that men should do unto you, do you likewise to them also.”[6] And in the Gospel of Luke we read, “It was better for him that a millstone was hanged about his neck, and he was cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”[7]

The psalm continues, “Yet they say, ‘The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.’ Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see?”[8] In other words, God is looking and sees and hears what we are doing. We will ultimately be required for our wrong doing, if not in this life, in the world to come, unless we confess, repent and change. Even then, we often suffer and others suffer because of our sins and mistakes, although God can bring this together for good, like He has promised in His word. “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”[9]

The Psalmists goes on later to implore, “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”[10] He is pleading for others to stand with him and speak out against the injustice that is happening around him, even if it is framed by law and is lawful, like abortion and homosexuality or the deportation of immigrants. Just because something is legal does not make it right in the eyes of God. Some countries like Holland have legalized euthanasia, but that does not make it right in the eyes of God. We need to go back to God´s book and find out what He thinks and make our judgments based on what He says, not the biggest political party or most popular opinion of the day.

“Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.”[11] It is not easy to speak up about these controversial questions and one would probably rather just keep silent. But God´s spirit within us will push us to be a testimony for truth. It is not a popular route, but it is a route we must take if we want to sincerely please our Maker and defend the rights of the innocent which we are all required by God to do. In the Old Testament we read, "These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates."[12] In the New Testament Paul tells us we should be "speaking the truth in love."[13]

The psalmist finishes the psalm with this warning. “And He shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off.”[14] There will be a judgment day for each of us. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.”[15] Or as we read from the book of Hebrew: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."[16]

It behooves us to take account of these things and do our best to love and help others and speak out against wrong doing. If we do not, who will? Is God´s voice calling you to stand up with conviction and lovingly point others to God´s truth? Do not be ashamed. God will help you. In turn, you will help others and they and you will be glad you did! “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”[17]

God bless you as you as you lovingly stand up for convictions based on His Word.

Notes:

[1] Psalm 94:20
[2] Psalm 94:21
[3] Psalm 94:3-6
[4] Exodus 20:13
[5] Matthew 25:40
[6] Luke 6:31
[7] Luke 17:2
[8] Psalm 94:7-9
[9] Romans 8:28
[10] Psalm 94:16
[11] Psalm 94:17
[12] Zechariah 8:16
[13] Ephesians 4:15
[14] Psalm 94:23
[15] 2 Corinthians 5:10
[16] Hebrews 9:27
[17]Matthew 10:32

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Why “You’re in my Thoughts” Doesn’t Bake the Cake!

Recently I have noted several of my friends commenting on someone’s bad health or personal problem with the words, “You’re in my thoughts.” I have even seen political figures use those same words. What exactly do they mean, “You’re in my thoughts?” Well, I suppose it is the politically correct way of saying something to this affect, “I’m thinking about you and I’m caring about you, but since I don’t believe in God, I can’t say I’m praying for you, like all the others did. So, therefore, you’re in my thoughts. I wish I could do more, but since God is not a reality, or I don’t know for sure if He is, I’m not going to be foolish enough to stoop to pray, when I don’t even know if He’s there.”

To me, that’s a pretty sad commentary on the politically correct Western nations who have one after another abandoned their faith in God. Though Catholicism and other Christian faiths do exist, the general atmosphere in high school and university is scientism, naturalism, reason over faith, or intellectualism. Faith is deemed a modus operandi of the past. Today we have the scientific method and don’t need to rely of the opium of the masses for moral support. Reason and critical thinking based on naturalism, or the precept that there is nothing more than our physical existence, is our foundation belief. All the spiritual beliefs are just a bunch of baloney.

That leads us to respond when our friend writes that he’s going in for a serious operation that, “I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts.” As though our thoughts had supernatural powers of healing and protection. The truth is thoughts lead to words, and words are real things. They can bless, or they can curse. They can left up, or pull down. They can lead to truth or lead to error. That’s why Jesus said that in the day of judgment we would give account for every idle word, for by our words we will be justified, or by our words we will be condemned.[1] But this post is not about the how our words affect others and therefore have power to give life, or power to kill. Today, I want to talk to you about prayer.

You see, when you get a thought about someone, it’s like you are a telephone operator of the old days at a switch board where all the calls are received and then forwarded to the correct land line. Your job as operator is to receive the calls and then pass them on to the correct person. A thought about a friend who is going through a difficult time is just like the beginning of a call for help. You as the operator, receive the call, but since you don’t really believe that the telephone equipment works, you don’t pass on the call and make the connection. The call ends with you. You fail to make the connection and the call for help isn’t heard.[2]

When you get a thought about someone, instead of just thinking about them, realize that the thought is a call coming through which needs to be connected. You are the operator. It is your job to connect the call. Who are you going to connect that thought of your friends problem to? Yourself? No, you don’t have power to heal and solve your friends problems, especially if he or she lives a long distance away. There is really not much you can do. But, yes, there is. You can pray.

Thank God, many are still praying for their friends and family. The latest scientific studies on people having serious operations, or serious illnesses show that those who have others praying for them have a higher percentage of recovery and faster recoveries.[3] Therefore, when we receive a thought for a friend in need, don’t just sit on that thought, like a lazy operator day-dreaming about her boyfriend. Connect the call and pray. Ask God to intervene in the life of your friend or loved one. God answers prayers, but we’ve got to do the interceding.

God’s word say, “The righteous cry and the Lord answers and delivers out of all their afflictions.”[4] The Apostle James, the brother of Jesus, wrote, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much.”[5] Jesus Himself admonished His disciple to pray and said, “Whatsoever ye may ask the Father in my name, He may give it you.”[6] You may even change the mind of God.

Moses fervently sought the Lord and at times it says in God’s word that God changed His mind.[7] Jacob wrestled with the messenger angel until he got the blessing, although he came out of the match handicapped for life with a limp.[8] King Hezekiah prayed desperately and God heard his prayer and healed him and gave him 15 more years of life.[9]  Jesus prayed desperately in the Garden of Gethsemane and angels ministered unto him giving him physical and spiritual strength to face the soon coming crucifixion.[10] The Shunamite woman sought for healing for her son, and God answered her prayer. Let’s read what happened.

The Shunammite’s Son Restored to Life

One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”

One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”

She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”

“What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”

Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”

“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”

But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. He said to his father, “My head! My head!”

His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”

“Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.”

“That’s all right,” she said.

She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.

When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”

“Everything is all right,” she said.

When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

“Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”

Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”

But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”

When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.[11]

So please don’t tell me, when I am sick and in need of healing, “You’re in my thoughts.” I don’t want your thoughts, I need your prayers. Intercede for me at the throne of God with strong tears and crying and God will answer. He has to, because He has promised to. He says, “Call upon me and I will answer you: I will be with you in trouble; I will deliver you, and honor you. With long life will I satisfy you, and show you my salvation.”[12]

God bless us as we pray for one another. And by prayer, I don’t mean “Our Father and Hail Mary.” I mean pouring out your heart by talking to God as you would talk to your most intimate friend or counselor. Let it all hang out. Get mad if need be. Cry, yell, plead, talk, reason, and then listen. Do it all in Jesus’ name and God will answer. Be a good operator. Connect that thought with the powerhouse of God. Then tell me, “I’m praying for you, Dennis” That’s what I want to hear!

Notes.

[1] Matthew 12:36-37
[2] From a sermon by D. Brandt 

[3] http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2018/01/strange-scientific-journeys-into-the-mysterious-power-of-prayer/

[4] Psalm 34:17

[5] James 5:16

[6] John 15:16

[7] Exodus 32:7-14

[8] Genesis 32:22-32

[9] Isaiah 38:1-6,  2 Kings 20:1-7

[10] Luke 22:39-46

[11] 2 Kings 4:8-37 (ESV)

[12] Psalm 91:15-16 

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