Christian Natural Health

Dr. Russell Witte is a Professor of Medical Imaging, Optical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona. Dr. Witte's Experimental Ultrasound and Neural Imaging Laboratory (EUNIL) devises cutting-edge imaging technology, integrating light, ultrasound and microwaves to diagnose and treat diseases ranging from tendinopathies and arrhythmias to breast cancer. By integrating different forms of energy, special effects are created that enable ultrasound imaging of optical absorption deep in tissue, mapping current source densities in the beating heart, and elasticity imaging of human muscle and tendon for quantifying tissue mechanical properties. Dr. Witte's research further extends into nanotechnology and smart contrast agents, which have applications to functional brain imaging, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Dr. Witte works closely with collaborators in the Colleges of Engineering, Optical Sciences and Medicine, as well as industry, to develop cutting-edge imaging technologies that potentially improve patient care. To contact Dr Witte: rwitte@protonmail.com 1) "Russ' Favorite links to government + peer-reviewed studies on Microwaves + Health + Safety": https://bit.ly/Russ5GLinks 2) "Sample References Describing Adverse Biological Effects of Low-level Microwave Radiation " https://tinyurl.com/yc23ravs 3) Updated review of 3000 peer-reviewed studies from a panel of scientific experts regarding "low-intensity microwave/electromagnetic radiation" and recommendations for rationale for biologically-based exposure standards. https://bioinitiative.org/ 4) "Hidden Dangers of 4G/5G Microwave Technology.” May 27, 2021 [15 min] (my shortest presentation on health effects of low-level microwave radiation) https://youtu.be/0y8ixJFQDjo Download slides: https://bit.ly/Witte_052721_Slides 5) 13-page letter sent to the City of Tucson demanding an moratorium on the deployment of 5G Cell Towers. The city did not respond to this letter or a followup letter sent in July 2020. https://tinyurl.com/3pacba4k Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr Christie Fleetwood earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, in 1988. After practicing as a retail pharmacist in the greater Richmond area for a decade, she attended Bastyr University, earning a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine in 2004. Because of her unique education and training, she effectively branded herself as “medically bilingual”. Her current passions and projects include renovating her crazy-cool house in unlicensed Virginia—where she ADORES practicing vitalist naturopathic medicine, riding her new touring bicycle, motorcycling with her husband and adult sons, eating great food, listening to great music, chasing her favorite band…. Oh! And for those who’ve been asking for her Book, the first one is underway: The Cardiovascular SYSTEM, combining both “Diseases of the Drugs” and the “Disease Reversal/Deprescribing” portions! “The Disease Reversal Project”, as a website and a podcast has already been published (currently on Spotify)! To learn more about Naturopathic Medical Institute or to help with their vision, visit naturopathicmedicineinstitute.org Or, you can reach out to director@naturopathicmedicineinstitute.org or to Dr Fleetwood directly at: president@naturopathicmedicineinstitute.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post of the same title. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Mark Walker's story is one of humble beginnings and extraordinary success. Raised in Spokane, Washington, he pursued his education at the University of Washington before embarking on a remarkable entrepreneurial journey. In 1980, Mark founded Walker's Furniture with a clear purpose: to build a successful business that could make a positive impact on society and advance the kingdom of God. What started as a modest venture has since flourished into a thriving enterprise, with thirteen furniture stores and over 200 employees. With annual retail sales exceeding $70 million, Mark's business acumen and dedication to his vision have made Walker's Furniture a pillar of the community. Beyond his professional endeavors, Mark finds fulfillment in his role as a devoted husband to Pam, a loving father to two daughters, and a proud grandfather to seven grandchildren. Together, Mark and Pam are passionate about supporting ministries that are making a difference, both locally and globally. As a sought-after speaker, Mark shares his insights on partnering with God in life and business at conferences across the nation and around the world. To learn more about Mark or to get a copy of his book, The Multiplication Factor, see restore7.org or you can pick up a copy on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Multiplication-Factor-Truths-Partnering-Business/dp/1957616458/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N5L8KUCSRF3L&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PwOpiII7ijiXYZjXzoqrxQ.Q1fCSDXRBYz6gjhatyI4mzPaI_RfoKN8J1Swk-dkyLI&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+multiplication+factor+mark+walker+book&qid=1711743395&sprefix=The+Multiplication+Factor%2Caps%2C265&sr=8-1 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Russell Witte is a Professor of Medical Imaging, Optical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona. Dr. Witte's Experimental Ultrasound and Neural Imaging Laboratory (EUNIL) devises cutting-edge imaging technology, integrating light, ultrasound and microwaves to diagnose and treat diseases ranging from tendinopathies and arrhythmias to breast cancer. By integrating different forms of energy, special effects are created that enable ultrasound imaging of optical absorption deep in tissue, mapping current source densities in the beating heart, and elasticity imaging of human muscle and tendon for quantifying tissue mechanical properties. Dr. Witte's research further extends into nanotechnology and smart contrast agents, which have applications to functional brain imaging, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Dr. Witte works closely with collaborators in the Colleges of Engineering, Optical Sciences and Medicine, as well as industry, to develop cutting-edge imaging technologies that potentially improve patient care. To find antennas in your area if you're in Tucson, see safetechtucson.com Dr Witte mentions Aman Jabbi - find a presentation on this subject by him here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL_JQjjkOMY To contact Dr Witte: rwitte@protonmail.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We all have disappointments in life - things our hearts were set on that just didn’t pan out. God does promise to give us the desires of our hearts if we’re following Him (Ps 37:4), but He doesn’t promise to give them to us on our time table, or through the avenues we choose. His way is always best in the end, but that doesn’t make the immediate disappointments hurt any less. Then there are those times when bad things happen to us that God had no part of. These are the things that God specifically lists as a curse in the Old Testament - things like disease, death, destruction, destitution, and the like (Deuteronomy 28:15-38). They are listed as part of the curse of the law - but Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law, so God doesn’t do these things. When these things happen now, it is because there is an enemy who “prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8-9), or because the world itself is fallen and waiting for redemption (Rom 8:20-22), or because of the free will of sinful people (Ps 37) - either our own or that of others who hurt us. There are usually only a few ways that most people handle disappointments and sorrow: 1) they lie to themselves and pretend they never wanted (that thing) very much in the first place; 2) they run away, keeping themselves otherwise occupied so that they never feel the loss (and this includes addictions of all forms); 3) they get really mad, either at God or fate or whatever they blame; or 4) they grieve. The last one is the only path to true healing. Lying to Yourself (Denial) This is the “sour grapes” approach... “Well, fine, I never wanted it that much anyway!” It seems to work on the surface for awhile... the problem with this is simply that, well, it’s a lie. Pretending you feel one way when in fact you feel another way entirely is suppression. And the thing suppressed doesn’t go away... it gets buried deeper. It’s like getting a splinter in your foot, and instead of having it removed, you shove it down inside the flesh so you can’t see it anymore, and just learn to walk with a limp. This is often where emotional handicaps (such as depression) come from. We are injured and isolated, and we don’t see that there’s anything we can do except learn to live with it - the “stiff upper lip” approach. We move beyond blaming our needs to a denial of our needs. There’s something we’re not admitting to ourselves, and the depression is a symptom of it. It’s trying to remind us that we need to enter the healing process. The solution, of course, is to submit to having your foot cut open so that the splinter can be extracted and the cut can heal. Jesus says in Mark 8, If you try to preserve the things you want in life (by pretending everything is okay when it isn’t) then you will lose them. But if you willingly lay them down for the sake of the Kingdom, then they'll be given to you. As long as the splinter is still there, coping and “getting by” is the best you can ever do. But that isn’t God’s best for you. In “The Law of Happiness,” Dr Henry Cloud writes, “...grief allows you to let go of what you cannot have in order to make room in your heart for what you can have. Those who don’t feel safe enough to grieve find themselves holding on to lost hopes and relationships. Then it’s difficult for them to seek out new attachments, since the ghosts of the past still occupy their emotional life”. Jesus promises that when we let go, the exchange he offers is beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3). Running Away (and Addictions) An addiction is anything that we run to in order to escape from unpleasant thoughts or emotions. (That’s usually how all the physiologic addictions start, too.) The obvious ones are substances, food, sex, gambling, shopping, and work (or busyness in general). We can also be addicted to a person (that’s called codependence). We can compulsively fill our lives with noise so that silence never has the opportunity to ask its uncomfortable questions....

Dave Stetzer has been an electrician by training, education and experience for over 30 years. He joined the United States Air Force, attended electronics school at Keesler Air Force Base—at the time, the world’s #1 electronics school, and was given top-secret military clearance, as much of the electronic equipment he worked on was, and still remains, highly classified. In 1975, Dave founded Stetzer Electric, Inc, specializing in power control in industry, municipalities, and motor control centers, focusing his attention on power quality analysis and troubleshooting. This led to the founding of Stetzer Consulting, LLC and the development of the STETZERiZER (Graham-Stetzer) Filter and Microsurge Meter in conjunction with the late Professor Martin Graham. Dave has been an Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Member since 2000. For his extensive and exemplary work and research, Dave was nominated for, and now holds IEEE Senior Member status. To learn more about Dave, see stetzerelectric.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The scripture says a lot about seeking the Lord and getting wisdom from Him on the direction He wants you to go. But what about that most dreaded in-between stage, when you’re praying for wisdom and getting nothing, and no doors seem to be opening, and you feel unsettled - like you know your time in a particular circumstance or life stage is short, but you have not yet been released? In a word, what about waiting? The Fruit of the Spirit Patience is a fruit of the Spirit... but it comes as a result of a process. Paul lists the “fruit” that we bear when we’re walking with God’s spirit as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). Peter gives a similar list, but he doesn’t call them fruit. His list looks like this (2 Peter 1:5-7): Add to your faith, goodnessfaith is the seed that produces the fruit of goodness.And to goodness, knowledgeknowGoodness therefore leads to knowledge - And to knowledge, self-controSo knowledge is the seed that produces the fruit of self-controlAnd to self-control, PERSEVERANCE. And to perseverance, godliness. patienceknow godlygodly.And to godliness, brotherly kindnessThe fruit of kindness is joy, And to brotherlykindnesslove What this tells me is that we can’t just pray for patience and get it, in the same way that you can’t just pray for a Ph.D. and get it without putting in the necessary time and effort. It happens as a result of a process - that’s how God set it up. We have to first believe God, then follow after Him, then get to know Him, and then we gain His power to control ourselves and persevere, even in the face of hardship or long delays. Once we learn how to do this, we bear the fruit of patience. That’s when we can “sleep in the boat,” as it were. We’re not worried about the circumstances - now we can “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7), because we know it’s gonna work out just fine in the end. David: Waiting for Deliverance David was anointed to be king when he was 17. Then the current king, Saul, got (understandably) jealous, and tried to kill him... so David was on the run for thirteen years. Almost anybody else would have given up long before that... but David had this principle down. He knew God would come through if he waited for God to act. And God always did. waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait Why Waiting? Personally I hate waiting. I hate anything slow. I walk fast, I eat fast, and some people say I talk too fast. If I wasn’t a naturopath I’d be all about microwaves. But James says that we should rejoice when we face trials (including delays) because “you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:3) - there’s that word again - and perseverance is the seed that produces the fruit of patience. Notice that all of the fruit before patience are about us - they’re about our growth in faith, in knowledge, and in controlling ourselves. But patience is the one that allows us to start to produce for others - godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. That’s where God wants us. So James goes on to say that “perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4) - in other words, not lacking any of the other fruits of the spirit. But it means more than that too - those fruits of the Spirit also bear physical results in our lives. For example - Abraham’s patience eventually “bore the fruit” of Isaac (Heb 6:15). The farmer who patiently waits for the appropriate season will eventually “bear the fruit” of a harvest (James 5:7). Had the farmer tried to reap prematurely, he would not have had a harvest at all - he absolutely had to be patient, recognizing the season he was in and doing the work associated with it (Prov 20:4; Ecc 3:2). Do Not Despise Small Beginnings The same is true of us. God reminds us not to “despise the day of small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10) - everything great started out small. We all start out as babies. Every harvest begins...

Sally K. Norton, MPH is a distinguished expert in dietary oxalates with 35 years of health education and research experience. She holds a nutrition degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her path to becoming a leading expert on dietary oxalate includes a prior career working at prestigious medical schools in medical education and public health research. Sally championed a five-year, National Institute of Health-funded program at the UNC Medical School that educated students and faculty about holistic, alternative, and integrative healing. Her personal healing experience inspired years of research, culminating in the release of her groundbreaking book, Toxic Superfoods, which was released in January 2023 and is available everywhere books are sold. Toxic Superfoodshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593139585?tag=randohouseinc7986-20https://sallyknorton.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Your words have tremendous power to influence the course of your life. Jesus teaches it this way. In Matthew 15, the Pharisees are arguing with Jesus because he and his disciples eat food that is considered “unclean” by Jewish law. Jesus explains to them, “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean’... But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’” (Matt 15:11-19). Jesus has connected three things here: thoughts, words, and actions. They go in that order: your thoughts are seeds, and they get planted in the “soil” of your heart. They don’t necessarily change the environment right away, but when that seed has been planted, it will germinate, and will spring up and become a tree, which will eventually bear fruit. So you’d better be careful what you’re planting. Round and Round We Go When I was in my early 20s, I realized my life was on a merry-go-round. I was living essentially the same story over and over again. The names and details might change, but the characters and circumstances were basically consistent. I wrestled with this for years; I had an intuitive sense that it was a spiritual principle somehow (because everyone’s story seemed to repeat itself, not just mine!), but I could not for the life of me figure out why. I was 25 when I finally understood (and wondered why it had taken me so long, because it seemed so blatantly obvious in retrospect). In all of those iterations of the same story, there was only one common denominator: me. I realized that my beliefs were essentially, “My life will always be this way. I will never get out of this cycle. I will always repeat this pattern.” I bitterly said something to this effect every time I told my tale of woe to a sympathetic friend. I wrote about it every day in my journal. I prayed about it every day to God - but despite the biblical promises that God had something better for me, I never actually believed what God said my future held. Instead, I told Him that my future would be exactly the same as my past. I gained a twisted sense of satisfaction by complaining, little knowing that my words were actually prophetic. I was planting seeds, and those seeds were bearing fruit - unfortunately, the fruit they bore was exactly the same fruit I was already harvesting in my life. Instead of recognizing this and changing what I planted, I’d cut open that fruit, pull out the seeds, and plant them right back in the soil of my heart. For years. Jesus compares the Word of God to a seed in the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:1-23). When it falls on good soil and isn’t choked out by the cares of this life and deceitfulness of wealth, Jesus said that seed will germinate, sprout and bear fruit - thirty, sixty, and a hundred-fold. But this process is indifferent: your heart will grow whatever you plant in it, whether the seed is good or bad. “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit... For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:33-34; Luke 6:43-45). Guard Your Heart The first five books of the Bible contain extremely detailed laws that the Jews had to abide by in order to be “right” with God. The Pharisees had even added hundreds of additional laws of their own by the time Jesus showed up. But their laws were all about external actions. Jesus’ laws went much deeper - his dealt not just with wrong actions, but with the wrong thinking that eventually produced wrong actions (Matt 5). Jesus said it’s not enough to not commit murder - don’t even think about murder. It’s not enough not to commit adultery - don’t even look at a woman lustfully. What’s he saying? Guard your heart. He knows that the heart will grow whatever you plant in it. The thought will...

Rafaele Joudry has dedicated her life to helping people overcome auditory problems and enhance their lives through better brain performance. She was guided to introduce her mother to Sound Therapy, which proved life-changing for fatigue, insomnia, sound sensitivity and difficulty hearing in social situations. As a result, Rafaele and her mother developed the self help Sound Therapy program which helped thousands of people to find relief for tinnitus, dizziness, anxiety and sleeplessness. As a world leader in self help Sound Therapy, Rafaele has enabled individuals from all walks of life to benefit from unique discoveries about how the ears can enhance the performance of the entire nervous system. She has authored three best selling books, and helped many thousands of listeners to improve communication, learning, focus, sleep, creativity and brain performance. To contact Sound Therapy International go to www.mysoundtherapy.com/podcast Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

David Bahnsen is the founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of The Bahnsen Group, a national private wealth management firm with offices in multiple states, managing $4.5 billion in client assets. Prior to launching The Bahnsen Group he spent eight years as a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and six years as a Vice President at UBS. He is consistently named as one of the top financial advisors in America by Barron’s, Forbes, and the Financial Times. He is a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, and Fox Business, and is a regular contributor to National Review. He hosts the popular weekly podcast, Capital Record, dedicated to a defense of free enterprise and capital markets. He is the author of several best-selling books. Today he’s here to talk about his upcoming book, “Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life.” To learn more about David, see fulltimebook.com or bahnsen.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Kim Shapira M.S., R.D. is a celebrity dietitian, nutritional therapist, and author, with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Tulane University and a Master’s degree in Human Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition from Boston University. Kim has spent over 25 years helping people lose weight and keep it off (with a giant emphasis on keeping it off), both in her private Los Angeles practice, in hospitals, sports clinics, addiction centers and universities. When she's not helping her clients take back their relationship with food, she is a wife and mother of three children and three pups. Kim often appears as a guest expert for Yahoo!, Just Jenny, Sky News, Vanity Fair, Pop Sugar, Podcasts, and will be happy to pop in and be a guest speaker for your book clubs. To learn more about Kim, you can find her on any social media platform, at kimshapiramethod.com or you can check out her book, "This Is What You're Really Hungry For," here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Peggy Ployhar is the SPED Homeschool Founder & CEO, an organization that empowers families to home educate diverse learners. She is also the owner of Eternal Aerial Arts where she teaches aerial arts classes and coaches a student performance team. Peggy is a speaker, aerial performer, podcaster, author, breast cancer survivor, and 19-year retired homeschool veteran. She and her husband Doug live in League City, TX and enjoy paddle boarding, hiking, and camping in their classic Airstream. To learn more about Peggy, go to www.spedhomeschool.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Paul Harding is the owner of Total EMF Solutions in Tucson, AZ. Total EMF Solutions started as a personal journey and a fight for his life. He experienced a complete breakdown in his sleep after a smart meter was installed on his bedroom wall in the beginning of 2011. After further research he found that smart meters produced frequencies on the home wiring and electric field correlated with those that are used to open the sodium and potassium ion channels. His symptoms began to abate once he started sleeping in an area with very low levels of exposure. Once he found relief, his focus in life became studying the source of the problem. To learn more about Paul, see www.totalemfsolutions.com If you are on the east coast, Paul mentioned contacting Dave Stetzer: https://www.stetzerelectric.com/about/ To find out if there are cell phone towers in your area, see: https://www.antennasearch.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Mike Van Thielen is a bestselling author on optimizing productivity and focus, a sought after speaker, and an entrepreneur who has owned several anti-aging clinics in central and northeast Florida. He was the CEO of an innovative stem cell clinic, treating top athletes including NFL players and heavyweight boxing champions. He is also a treating physician for Boston Neuro Pain and Psych Centers, helping tens of thousands of patients with chronic pain and mental health conditions. To learn more about Dr Mike, see biohackingunlimited.com You can also find his latest book, The Izod Method, here: https://www.amazon.com/IZOD-MethodTM-Superpower-Productivity-Stress-Free/dp/B0BR9GJLK1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3K1QAJUQD4G4G&keywords=The+Izod+Method&qid=1702672674&sprefix=the+izod+method%2Caps%2C221&sr=8-1 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Brant Hansen is a bestselling author, syndicated radio host and advocate for healing children with correctable disabilities through CURE International Children's Hospitals. His award-winning radio show, The Brant Hansen Show, airs on top stations in the U.S. and Canada. His podcast, The Brant and Sherri Oddcast, has been downloaded more than 15 million times. He has been named "Personality of the Year" multiple times by Christian Music Broadcasters and is called "Christian music's most beloved radio personality" by Christian Voice Magazine. Brant writes about varied topics related to faith, including masculinity in his book, The Men We Need, and forgiveness in Unoffendable, about which he was recently interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America. Brant’s new book, ‘Life is Hard, God is Good, Let’s Dance’, releases January 16. For Brant's book, see here; https://www.amazon.com/Life-Hard-Good-Lets-Dance-ebook/dp/B0BYYXTNQ2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1702662446&sr=8-1 For more about CURE, go to cure.org To learn more about Brant, go to: branthansen.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sonia Gomez at Abundant Acres.com is focused on helping families design regenerative food systems, family compounds, and profit centers on their property to live healthy, happy, and free. Sonia Gomez has advocated for alternative health, has been a voice for freedom, and a community leader in alternative health education for the past 12 years. Recovering from a serious life-altering accident, Sonia discovered the secrets to eliminating synthetic medications and holistically rebuilding her health. Food was the first, and most important medicine. When Sonia isn't chasing rainbows and telling jokes, she is a wife and mom passionate about projects that are good for people and the planet. To learn more about Sonia, see http://soniagomez.tv and to learn more about Abundant Acres, see abundantacres.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

So far in this series, we've looked at prayers for ourselves, for which we must find the scriptures to stand on, we must have faith, and we must maintain our primary focus on the Lord. But how does this apply when we are praying for other people? We can't make others do or believe anything. God won't violate our free will, and we can't violate the free will of others in prayer, either. So how does this work? It depends upon the context. The default position is that we should be praying for all people at all times (1 Tim 2:1-6, Eph 6:18), as well as for the cities we live in (Jer 29:7). Just as for ourselves, this gives God "legal" entry into the affairs of men, so that He can intervene and do what He wants to do on the earth. The Old Testament priestly blessing was, “'The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace’” (Numbers 6:23-27). This was what God wanted to do for the children of Israel, and the priests were to invoke this, to give Him permission on earth to do it. In the New Testament, Jesus made this explicit in Matthew 16:19, and also in Matthew 18:18, when he said to his disciples, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." The spiritual realm is the greater reality compared to the physical. Paul tells us that "we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor 4:18). We are to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7), using our position of authority in heavenly places through Jesus to change what we see here and conform it to the will of the Father in prayer. Some examples of effective prayer of one individual for others in scripture: We pray for others, as individuals, for the same reason that we pray for ourselves: so that God can do what He wants to do on the earth. How does the prayer of agreement fit into this? Jesus said in Matthew 18:19: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." Why do we need anybody else to agree with us; can't we simply ask and receive all on our own? I don't totally understand how this works, but I think it's similar to what Solomon said in Ecc 4:12: "a threefold cord is not quickly broken," or to the story of Aaron and Hur physically holding up Moses' arms when he got tired, to ensure that the Israelites achieved victory in battle (Ex 17:8-16). It's why we need the body of Christ to come around us, to bear one anothers' (crushing) burdens, even though we should each carry our own (light) loads (Gal 6:2, 5). It's very possible for one person alone to grow heartsick rather than patient in a long wait (Prov 13:12); that's why we need others to "hold up our arms" in prayer and encouragement. When our own faith is strong, perhaps (this is my speculation), the prayer of agreement is less necessary. It's when we are losing strength or growing heartsick, that the prayer of agreement becomes important. This may be why James tells us that if we're sick, we should ask the elders of the church to anoint us with oil (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) and pray over us, to receive healing (James 5:14). The assumption is that the church elders are strong in faith, as they should be. The request itself would constitute an act of faith on the part of the person asking; the elders in this example would simply be in agreement. There are many examples of people receiving healing on their own faith alone (Mark 5:34, Luke 17:19, Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 10:46-52), so this isn't always necessary--but sometimes it is. When we are weak, God gave us each other, so that others who aren't as weak, frustrated, or discouraged as we are can join their faith with ours, and...

Dr Jacob Teitelbaum is a board certified internist and nationally known expert in the fields of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, sleep and pain. He has authored numerous books including the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic! (now in its 4th edition). He is the lead author of numerous studies on effective treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and one study on effective treatment of autism using NAET. He also developed the popular free smartphone app “Cures A-Z.” Dr. T lives in Kona, Hawaii. To learn more about Dr T, you can email him at fatiguedoc@gmail.com or see vitality101.com or endfatigue.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.