Putting faith to work!

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Putting Faith in Action!
By Joyce Pelletier
July 12, 2026
 
James 5:13-16 The Prayer of Faith
     Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them, and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
     It is a humbling experience to ask for prayer, but it is also a commonplace for us to be. The older I get the more I recognize the need for prayer. Even though we are Christians, we still make blunders.
     When I do things wrong and hold back from asking for prayer for forgiveness, it is sometimes rather difficult to accept that I am forgiven. As long as we are sincere, it’s a done deal.
     Mistakes happen. I like to think of them of golden opportunities for learning how to forgive and accept the human part of self. It does get easier as we grow in the Lord. He knows us and our sins. He knows when it’s going to happen. There is no preparation for sin. It sneaks up on you in a fastidious moment wherever we might be.
     I was driving along the Beltline from Colchester to Burlington. There were no other cars around in the area where slower drivers are to stay to the right so faster drivers can swish by you.
     We were halfway through that section and a black animal (no idea of what he or she was) and as it sauntered across to the island that divides the highway, it was rolling on his chest and next thing I new he was just under my car. There was no place for me to stop. It’s a rather tricky area when you never know if a car is coming up behind you or not.
     I didn’t hear any thud, so I assumed that I miss this little critter. However, as I kept going I saw it still moving, in the rearview mirror. I could not tell if it was still doing his fancy gait or not. It was not safe to stop, plus no place to pull over. Last I saw him he was still moving, so I assumed he was ok.
    I continued towards our destination and forgot all about the incident. Later that evening, I started to think of this poor critter and hoped that he had not been hit, he was in a very precarious situation. Then the guilt plundered on my heart and head.
    I love animals and we watch vet shows a lot on TV. I went from guilt to hope the rest of the night. I really don’t know if he made it or not. Because I didn’t hear the dreaded thud, my hope was on God protecting this creature.
     At bedtime I asked Maurice to pray for me. He reminded me that I needed to forgive myself. Truth be told is I am the hardest person to forgive.
     I thought about the book I’m preparing for our Bible Study group about the cross by Max Lucado and it brought me to thinking about Judas. He couldn’t forgive himself. He gave up his life because he didn’t want to face the truth.
     God knew this would happen before the beginning of time. Judas took things in his own hands and judged himself then took his own life. I know that this was not what God wanted him to do. The Father knew he’d betray Jesus, but he was also eligible for forgiveness. He could have experienced healing forgiveness and gone on to witness to the amazing presence of God. However He chose to run away scared, and his life was done.
     When I think of that kind of possibility, I know when I do wrong things, God knows about it and he’s more than ready to forgive me with the click of a finger. After considering this, God knew I did not mean to hurt this critter, he had for me a new lesson about forgiveness. It’s not okay to sin, but the greatest alternative is to “forgive myself” and allowing God to take the glory.
     I regret when these things happen, but I also know that forgiveness is intended for all who turn back to the one who has power to save us. That is the greatest lesson. The moral of this is keep my eyes peeled wherever I am. God has another lesson for me. Also, lest I won’t forget the value of prayer from a loved one, and reminders of the joy of forgiveness. 

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