Is God still willing to give direct answers to prayer, as in the days of Christ's earthly ministry, when a specific demand was made for healing, and immediately the answer came, "Your faith has saved you"? There was no pain attached to the cure, and "Your will be done" was left out of the petition. How much may faith demand now?
What is written in the Word? "How do you read?" (Luke 10:26) Does God still live? And, being alive, has He changed His nature and disposition? or is He still the same as ever? Does He not say, "I am the Lord, I change not?" (Malachi 3:6)
And is not His unchangeability the reason why we have live at all? "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)
For, "In Him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:28)
We are to follow those whose faith was, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8)
Therefore just as Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the afflicted, hungry multitude, even so He is today. "For we have not a High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;" (Hebrews 4:15) therefore we are to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
Have you never thought why the Scriptures were written, with all their "exceeding great and precious promises," (2 Peter 1:4) and the record of the "mighty works" (Luke 19:37) done by the Lord? It was not for the sake of those on whom the miracles were wrought, but for our sakes. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing you might have have through His name." (John 20:30-31)
Remember that "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope." (Romans 15:4)
The Bible is the Word of God, which "lives and abides for ever." (1 Peter 1:23)
It was written for all time, and is just as fresh and full of life and power today as it ever was. Its promises are just as sure now as the day they were made; for they are all in Christ; and: "How many soever be the promises of God, in Him is the yea; wherefore also through Him is the Amen, unto the glory of God through us." (2 Corinthians 1:20)
And what does He say? "Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13-14) "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth astouching anything that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)
There is no limit to what we may ask of God; for: "[He] is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," (Ephesians 3:20) and we may be sure that He will do all that He is able to do; for if He should do less than He is able to do, He would be denying himself.
Power That Heals
The 5th chapter of James has special and unmistakable reference to the last days; for we read of judgments to come upon those who have gained wealth by fraud and oppression, and the downtrodden are exhorted to be patient, "for the coming of the Lord draws nigh." (James 5:8)
Then directly afterward we find this: "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 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 have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James 5:13-15)
Have we a right to expect the forgiveness of sin? Does the promise of the resurrection of the dead still hold good? You know full well that "He is able to save them evermore that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25)
Well, the very same power that forgives sins is the power that heals disease. Jesus caused the paralytic to rise and take up his bed and go to his house, in order that the people might see and know that He has power on earth to forgive sins. (Matthew 9:2-7) He who forgives all iniquities is the One that heals all diseases (Psalm 103:3); therefore as long as we may expect forgiveness of sins, we may likewise expect healing of disease, and as there is no sin too great to be forgiven, so there is no disease that we may not ask Him to heal, with confidence that He will do it. And why? Because "He ever lives," (Hebrews 7:25) and, "In Him we live, and move, and have our being." (Acts 17:28)
It is by His life that we are saved, even by "the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." (1 John 1:2)
It is His blood that cleanses us from all sin, (1 John 1:7) even His life within and upon us. But, "the Lord our God is one Lord," (Deuteronomy 6:4) and He has but one life, perfect and infinite. He is not divided into many. Therefore in the forgiveness of our sins by the life which we lay hold of by faith, we have the healing of all our diseases, if we but grasp the fact. The Spirit that seals our adoption as sons of God, is the same Spirit that quickens our mortal bodies, (Romans 8:11) and of this He gives us assurance, in that He gives us "life, and breath, and all things." (Acts 17:25)
Our daily bread, which nourishes our bodies, the life of the Lord renewing our bodies day by day, is God's message to us, telling us that He is our life, and that as the Father with Him freely gives us all things, we cannot make any demand on Him that is beyond His, power or willingness to supply. "My God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory." (Philippians 4:19)
The Will of God
But what about His will? You say that in the days when Christ was manifest in the flesh, there was no "Your will be done" in the petitions for help. What do you mean by this?
• Do you think that Jesus ever healed anybody contrary to the will of God?
• Do you think that it was ever against His will that He healed diseases?
• And do you mean that by leaving out the words, "Your will be done," we are to expect or even compel Him to do something whether He wants to or not? Can you imagine that this ever was the case?
Not by any means. "[He] works all things after the counsel of His own will." (Ephesians 1:11)
His will is done on earth, whether we will or not; the only question is, "Shall it be done with our consent, or in spite of it?"
If our wills coincide with His will, it is well for us. The words, "Your will be done," (Matthew 6:10) do not mean that we ask Him to do some good thing for us provided He is willing to do it. If we think that, then we greatly misjudge Him. Will an earthly father supply all the needs of his children, as far as lies in his power? Does he not plan not only for their bare necessities, but to surprise them with things that they did not expect? Does he not live for them? Well, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" (Matthew 7:11)
We wrong God grievously when we imagine that it is ever necessary for us to overcome His reluctance to do us good, or that it is ever not His will to do every good thing for us. Why, He has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) "Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17)
Mind this, every good and perfect gift comes down. The text says not only that every good thing that we have comes from above, but that every good thing that heaven has to bestow, has already come to us. In the gift of Christ not only all heaven, but the whole universe, is poured out to man. "For in Him were all things created, in heaven and upon the earth, things visible, and things invisible, And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." (Colossians 1:16-17,RV)
What then means the talk about asking according to His will? It means that we are willing to come into harmony with His will. It is a mistake to say that those who were healed in days of old did not ask for His will to be done. The leper said, "Lord, if You will, You can make me clean;" (Matthew 8:2) and Jesus replied, "I will; be clean;" (Matthew 8:2) and everyone that asked showed by the asking that he had confidence that it was the will of the Lord to heal him. The trouble with the most of us is that we want healing as a matter of course,--we want to be well,--but we want it not in God's way. We want God to deny himself, in healing us by His life, when we are rejecting and trampling on that life--transgressing nearly every phase of it.
Do you not see how unreasonable we are? We ask Him to send His Word and heal us, and yet we do not yield to that Word when He sends it. "The prayer of faith shall save the sick;" (James 5:15) but, "Faith comes by hearing ... the Word of God." (Romans 10:17)
Therefore if we do not give diligence to find out how the word of life acts, and come into harmony with it, our request for healing is but mockery. We must not deceive ourselves; God is not mocked. (Galatians 6:7)
All this is what the record of the miracles is meant to teach us. They were done to show God's desires for mankind. He can, it is true, snatch us instantaneously from the very jaws of death, and indeed, He often does, even though we deny Him, and go on ignoring His life; but which would you prefer: Instantaneous healing, and a relapse into the same disease, or slower healing that is permanent?
Even though God brings us up from the gates of the grave, we cannot expect that He will hinder the same causes that produced the disease in the first place from having the same effect again, if they are continued. That would be to reverse "the laws of nature," that is, to act contrary to His own Being; and that is not what miracles are. Miracles are not acts contrary to God's laws, or a suspension of natural law, as is commonly supposed, but the natural, free, and full action of God's life, which is the law of nature.
God wants us to become acquainted with "that eternal life ... which was from the beginning, ... and was manifested unto us." (1 John 1:2,1,2)
Thus as we recognize it, and gladly hold ourselves subject to it, healing of all our diseases is as sure as His forgiveness of all our sins; and whether the healing be effected instantaneously or gradually, it will be permanent. Then do not think that the age of miracles is past, or that God's power or willingness is diminished in the least. "This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petition that we desired of Him." (1 John 5:14-15) "Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things that he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." (Mark 11:22-24)
Law and Prayer
The following question also comes in very naturally for consideration in this connection:
Does law leave room for prayer?
Most certainly it does. Law--unalterable law--is the only thing that gives positive assurance to prayer. If it were not for unchangeable law, no one could pray with any confidence. Suppose, for instance, that there were no fixed law; that is to say, that there were not a God, "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17)
If such a thing were possible, we should have a chance world; for even allowing that God ruled, but ruled capriciously, it would be the same to us as though the universe were governed by chance, which would be no government at all. In such a case prayer would be utterly useless.
Of course there could be no such condition as we have supposed; for without law there could be no existence. If it were possible that law could cease, speedy or instant destruction would follow. And why? Because law--the law of the universe-is the life of God that pervades and upholds all things; and if that were suspended, that is, if God ceased to be, instantly everything would cease to be. So you see that a chance world is an impossibility; and if there is any true prayer at all it must be in accordance with law.
Just here comes in an objection that is often put forward, namely, that inasmuch as there is fixed law, there is no necessity for prayer, because everything will come in its time whether we ask for it or not. This is, in reality, the question that we started with. But this objection is based on a misapprehension of what prayer is.
Prayer is not begging, but acceptance. It is either a statement of the fact that we are in harmony with God's will, or a bringing of our minds into harmony with it. We pray that God's will may be done in us, not in spite of us. His will is not something to be endured, but something to be enjoyed. God is the Saviour; His work is always to create, to build up, to uphold, and to restore. Destruction comes only when God's will is ignored or defied. It is this truth which enables us to "come boldly to the throne of grace," (Hebrews 4:16) "in full assurance of faith." (Hebrews 10:22)
One thing, however, must not be overlooked, and that is that God's life--His law--is infinite, and thus capable of an infinite variety of expression. We must not fall into the error of supposing that natural law, which is in reality spiritual law, since it is God's life, is limited to the little range of our experience. We have heard only the faintest whisper of Him, and know only the smallest part of His ways (Job 26:14); and this is why there may be phenomena and workings so varied that to our narrow and uninstructed vision they may seem to be even contradictory, and yet all be perfectly harmonious parts of His life,-phases of unchangeable law. Thus may we expect Him to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20)--Present Truth, April 16, 1903.