It's All About the Access.

Christine DiGiacomo
30 minutes ago
5 min read

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/21e37fce/its-all-about-access-james-no27

You. Have. Access.

Access - what difference does it make? Oh, a lot. On my recent trip to Washington DC—actually, just my second visit to the grand city--I was once again awed by the beauty of her architecture, the power that is wielded therein. While I wished I could walk in to the White House and pray for the president, maybe hug Melania . . . of course, that was not possible, because why? I had no access. Access… hmmmm. Access... what difference does it make?

Today, I would like to give you the good news that you. have. access. You have access to the King of Kings, your Heavenly Father. Have you ever thought about the fact that God has granted you and I access to meet with him all on our own? 'Access to the president? Who cares?! Our positioning is with God himself. We do not have to have standing or position according to the world's shifting standards, just a pure desire to meet with God. And that access ... what does it afford us? Presence with God, and access to the. supernatural. power. of. God.

We learned that Camel Knees,1 James, fully understood that. He who had his feet under the same dinner table as his older half-brother, Jesus, fully recognized that because of Jesus' death on the cross and because he walked out of the tomb, he/James had direct access to his Heavenly Father. Wow! But then, so do we.

In the final words of his letter to the young Christians who were scattered, James doubled back to the subject of prayer. He was unyielding in his fervent desire that Christ followers know that prayer, coming directly to God was for all of them. And that prayer was meant to be a living expression of themselves in any state they found themselves whether suffering, joy-filled, sick, caught up in sin, needing a miracle, or reaching for a loved one pulled away from God. All, specific times you and I ought reach out to talk to God.

How about today--is it still true? Do these verses have application to us? Let's see.

Are you suffering? Go to therapy…No! the Word does not say ‘go to therapy’, it says 'if you are suffering, pray!' Yes, and Amen.

Are you happy, cheerful? Praise God!. Will do, God. "I praise you for your good gifts to me, Lord!"

-->No matter what you are experiencing, go to God.

Is anyone sick? Then pray! Go a step further, and have others anoint you with oil and pray in faith for healing.

Are you caught up in sin? Pray and also accept the forgiveness of God.

Come and let's look again at these last verses from the book of James:

"Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins."2

A couple mornings ago, a woman named Belinda called me. I had met her one time about 7 months ago, and she told me she was battling pancreatic cancer (ugh, that explained why she looked frail). Feeling the familiar surge run through me, I asked if I could pray for her. And so I did. Her husband on one side, her daughter on the other, I reached forward and placed my hand on her shoulder, and I prayed to the Great Physician to come and heal her... (now as per James' writing, my prayer fell in two categories: the need for healing, and in her case, a miracle - a supernatural act of God, such as Elijah asked for and received of God).

->Friend, you too could pray for someone who is sick or needs a miracle -

maybe your prayer would be something like I prayed for Belinda:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We know that you are the Great Physician. You know everything about us, even

before you 'knit us together in our mother's womb'. You told us to pray

for the sick, and in obedience, that is what I am doing today, praying for

Belinda. God, your Word says to come boldly to the throne of grace where

we will find mercy,3 so we are doing that now. Come and heal your daughter,

use the physicians if you will, but please God, through the power in the name of

Jesus Christ, come and do what only you can do--heal her completely.

In the mighty name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.

When Belinda called, she said, "I wanted you to know God is answering your prayer...I went to the doctor yesterday, and my numbers were normal. It is happening,"she said. I know firsthand that miracles do not always happen in an instant, sometimes it is over a little time. All I could say was, 'Wow! I am so thankful, and will continue to pray; thank you for letting me know!'

What was my role? To do what James said, "Pray."

What was God's role? All the rest. You know, sometimes healing comes through the medical field, other times supernaturally, or a combination of the two; and sometimes, God has another plan, and that person is healed completely in Heaven, but not here. I do not pretend to understand his ways, but I know he is good, I know that he is all powerful and all knowing, and he is always at work. I rest my case there.