The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

James 5:13-16, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises.

14 Is anyone among you sick? 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; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, 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 prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

There are many ways to suffer. One may be suffering physically; another may be suffering emotionally. Prayer is the answer to both. There is nothing to be compared with prayer to the LORD –prayer for help from the Great Physician.

Once prayer to the LORD has delivered us from suffering, our anxiety is gone and we are naturally cheerful. We then have increased courage, and sing praises to the LORD, Who has delivered us. If our suffering is due to sickness, we are to call for the leading men of the Church to pray for us “anointing as a means of healing…” There are no limits that can be set on the power of prayer. It is the channel through which the strength and grace of God flows.

Tennyson wrote, “More thing are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” Prayer is the believer’s first line of defense against all matters of spiritual and physical concern. We ought always turn first to Him. He may then directs to another for assistance. It was Luke the physican who travelled with the Apostel Paul. Surely, he would not have been mentioned as a physician, except that he ministered helpful healing among others who likewise believed upon Jesus. To say that the LORD does not use others and that He does not commend those whom He has called to the medical field, is to deny their faith that He has indeed called them to it.

Oil was frequently used in healings in New Testament days. Yet, James notes that it was “…the prayer offered in faith (that) will restore the one who is sick…the LORD will raise him up….” Thus, whatever sources may be utilized for whatever ailments one may have, the LORD is to be the primary One upon whom we are to rely.

Sufferings are often the result of our sin. Thus, James advocates our confession of our sins and the offering of prayer for others’ healings. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Note that there are two elements that constitute the fulfillment of prayerful requests: one is that we be righteous. We must be emptied of sin. God does not hear the feeble prayers of unrighteous people. Another element of effective prayer is that we must believe as we pray. Still another element of prayer is that we must be genuinely concerned for others. It must be forceful, energetic prayer (???????, energeo). All too often, our most energetic praying is offered for ourselves and our needs. We must be concerned and show it toward others.

There is no situation where the prayer of a righteous person is uneffective. God always answers prayer! Sometimes, He says, “No.” Sometimes, He says, “Yes.” And sometimes, He says, “Wait.” Patience, therefore, is always required as we pray. Has this helped your praying? Sometimes we pray, but ask wrongly. It’s not the words we use, it’s the clean and earnest heart we possess when we ask the LORD’s intervention.

We endeavor to pray for you and for those who are under your care,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

James 5:9-12, “Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.

10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

11 Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment.”

Have you ever noticed that the closer you get to someone, the more you learn about them; and the more you learn about them, the greater the insentive to complain about them? Especially is this true within the church. We know too much about about others and become critical, when often the things we don’t like is others are the very things that are resident in our own lives. That is why James warns us against complaining, saying that the LORD Himself is watching us and standing ready to judge us for our own sins.

If all of this seems strange, he reminds us of the suffering and patience of others. Job is James’ prime example. Job was indeed a wealthy man. He was also a spiritual man. His children used to get together often, and Job warned them against the evil that would like to compromise their lives. At the same time, Job was physically afflicted and suffered terribly.

Satan dared to challenge the LORD to put His hand against Job and insisted that Job would “curse Thee to Thy face” (Job 1:11). Job thereafter lost everything: his sheep, his camels, his oxen, his donkeys –yes, even his children. To make matters worse, Job’s wife urged him to “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). Barnes believes “…she supposed that by indulging in blasphemy Job would provoke Him to cut him off at once… She expected that God would at once interpose and destroy him…nothing but death was to be expected, and the sooner he provoked God to cut him off from the land of the living, the better. But instead of turning away from the LORD, Job praised the LORD and rebuked his wife, saying, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10).

What was the result? Complete Restoration! “And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, and he had 14,000 sheep, and 6,000 camels, and 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 And he had seven sons and three daughters…And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his grandsons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man and full of days” (Job 42:12-13; 16-17).

In the light of the example of Job, James warns us not to add to our words by swearing oaths, such as “by Heaven I will do it!”; or “as sure as God is in Heaven, I will…” Just simply say, “yes” or “no” and leave it at that. Otherwise, we may say something for which the LORD will judge us. I have often been forced to remember James’ admonition –and more often than not, I’ve forgotten. Don’t fall into Satan’s trap. Just remember the old saying, “If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all.”

You are remembered in our prayers; may we be remembered in yours,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

P.S. Rose Marie is progressing nicely. Her appetite is increasing and her strength is returning.

We heartily rejoice and thank you for your prayers.

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”