Faith and Works
[
Health, Philanthropic, and Medical Missionary Work, 51-54
(1892).]
In praying for the sick, it is essential to have faith; for it is in
accordance with the word of God. “The effectual fervent prayer of
a righteous man availeth much.”
James 5:16
. So we cannot discard
praying for the sick, and we should feel very sad if we could not have
the privilege of approaching God, to lay before Him all our weaknesses
and our infirmities, to tell the compassionate Saviour all about these
things, believing that He hears our petitions. Sometimes answers to
our prayers come immediately; sometimes we have to wait patiently
and continue earnestly to plead for the things that we need, our cases
being illustrated by the case of the importunate solicitor for bread.
“Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight,”
etc. This lesson means more than we can imagine. We are to keep
on asking, even if we do not realize the immediate response to our
prayers. “I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that
asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh
it shall be opened.”
Luke 11:9, 10
.
We need grace, we need divine enlightenment, that through the
Spirit we may know how to ask for such things as we need. If our
petitions are indited by the Lord they will be answered.
There are precious promises in the Scriptures to those who wait
upon the Lord. We all desire an immediate answer to our prayers and
are tempted to become discouraged if our prayer is not immediately
answered. Now, my experience has taught me that this is a great
mistake. The delay is for our special benefit. We have a chance to
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see whether our faith is true and sincere or changeable like the waves
of the sea. We must bind ourselves upon the altar with the strong
cords of faith and love, and let patience have her perfect work. Faith
strengthens through continual exercise. This waiting does not mean
that because we ask the Lord to heal there is nothing for us to do. On
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