Common Good

James 5:¹⁶ “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.”

When God instructs us not to forsake the fellowship of the brethren, it is for our own benefit. There is healing in community, we are better together. If you fall ill, do not isolate yourself; find a brother or sister and talk to him or her. Confess your sins one to another, pray for one another and God says, you will be healed. There is a communal healing effect and God wants you and I to make the best of it.

Isa.33:²⁴ (KJV) “And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.” This is just so powerful, and I want you to personalize it over your family, your sphere of influence, and your community of faith.  For example, “And the (Church of Jesus Christ) shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell (in the Church of Jesus Christ) shall be forgiven their iniquity.” There is a communal effect of healing that is upon the Church, upon our homes, and upon our lives in the Name of Jesus. The New International Version puts the same Isa.33:²⁴ this way, “No one living in Zion will say, “I am ill”; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.” Again, I urge you to personalize this scripture.

When you come into God’s presence, there is a corporate anointing, a communal grace and it affects you. Some years ago, we were having praise chain, leading up to a God Will Do It Again. A lady with an issue of blood flowing non-stop for ten years came to church. She could not see the Pastor and none of the other pastors prayed with her. She joined in the praise and worship and an issue of blood that had been flowing non-stop for ten years stopped to the glory of God. It did not stop because anybody prayed with her or anointed her with oil. It stopped because there was a communal effect, a corporate anointing and there was (and is) a river flowing.

If you are part of a community, you must make yourself available to all that God has released in that community. The truth is this; corporate anointing and community grace affect you, most times, whether you like it or not. If you fellowship with us long enough, it will be impossible for you to have small dreams. In fact, small dreams will start to irritate you. If you fellowship with us long enough, it will be impossible for any sickness to stay in your body in the Name of Jesus. If you fellowship with us long enough and you do not know Jesus, you will give your life to Him.

Prayer: Jesus, my soul blesses You! May I never forget how You have crowned me with Your goodness; forgiving all my iniquities and healing all my diseases, in Jesus Name. Amen!