James 5:15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

One of the most counterintuitive actions on earth has to be admitting your faults to another person. Admitting you are wrong is never easy. This action becomes even more difficult the longer you live in a pattern of secrecy. James directly tied God’s supernatural healing to our willingness to get past superficial relationships and be honest with one another. God sets the bar extremely high but promises His intervention when His directives are followed. This plea for honesty opens the door for God’s healing in our lives.

The truth is that we live in a world that makes it easy to be superficial. One of the fastest growing segments of litigation is in the area of copyright infringement. Today you can buy name brand merchandise from the opposite side of the planet and have it delivered to your door in a matter of days. You have to be a savvy shopper online to make sure the products you buy are actually made by the manufacturer advertised. Counterfeits are everywhere. If you are concerned only about labels then this is a great day to live. If you are concerned about receiving genuine merchandise you have to be careful. This easy access to counterfeit merchandise has gotten into the heart of many people.

The spiritual focus of many has become more about outward labels rather than inward devotion to God. God created a standard that would separate His people as genuine. It was their willingness to rise above the superficial trappings of the culture and confess their need for Him. It is impossible to be honest with God while being dishonest with people. It is impossible to be right with God while being wrong to people. James says confession opens the door to God’s healing by bringing us into real relationships with people. As long as we are superficial with people, we will never enter into real relationship with the Father.

Today’s Challenge: Don’t settle for superficial living. Don’t settle for going through the motions without embracing God’s supernatural resources. Admit and repent of sin quickly and sincerely to a trusted Christian friend. This activity will draw you close to the heart of the Father and release His healing in your life.