The power of confession

“ confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. (James 5: 16 KJV)

One day, we had an all night prayer service in the local church. I remember having invited a friend whom also brought his sick elder brother to participate to the meeting. Moreover, because I was in charge of leading the prayer service that night, I decided to ask people to tell me about their issues so that we would intercede about them. Late in the night, as we were all in prayer, suddenly that friend informed me that he needed prayer for his sick brother. In fact, he asked me if we could pray for his brother to be healed from mental and generic disorder. 

I replied, yes of course!  Then I asked his brother to kneel down and invited all those who were with me to join in prayer also. Just when we started singing, I noticed that the sick person began to feel uncomfortable. His face expression began to change. Because of that, he started moving from one corner of the room to another. He started shaking and crying aloud. His voice was like the sound of wild animal. Suddenly, when I looked at his face, I realized that as long as he opened his mouth wide, the corner of his mouth was able to reach up to his ears. Because of that, all the people who were together with me got afraid.

 As I was in Spirit, the Lord began to explain to me the causes of his sickness. I found out that he was possessed by demons and needed both healing and deliverance. Then God told me that he had a personal issue with his uncle and that what caused him to be sick. In addition, the Lord said to me: “As long as he was not going to forgive his uncle, he was not going to be healed from that sickness, even if we prayed for him”. 

Later before I decided praying for him, I asked him to confess about that issue and forgive those who hurt him in the past.  As he was on his knees, he looked at his brother and said: “I am forgiving everyone who`s done me wrong, but I will never forgive my uncle!”.

I insisted once more and urged him to open his heart and release the things that were hidden inside his heart, but he refused. For that reason, unfortunately we were not able to pray for him to be healed from that sickness just as the Lord said to us. Then he left the building where we were praying without being healed from his infirmities.

      Dear reader, Confession and forgiveness are one of the principle keys to open the gate of heaven and release infinite favour and blessing upon us.

Of course, I know how hard is to face rejection by the people you love, to experience betrayal or abuses. How challenging is to be accused when you are recognized being innocent.

How testing is, accept humiliation in front of all.  To be taken for granted while you are doing good to others.

Despite all that, you can still be imitator of Christ by forgiving those who mistreat you.

The word of God teaches us to be doer of good. Alike Christ, even though he was rejected, abused, beaten and crucified he didn`t open His mouth to curse, but to bless instead.