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

The Bride of Christ…the Body of Christ…Oh, what a beautiful thing! You, me, and all of our brothers and sisters in Christ – all put together in such a complimentary way that we can actually be analogized as a body – working, breathing and living together in total harmony and synergy so that we may complete tasks, accomplish goals, and serve our Bridegroom, Jesus Christ! And we must not forget that part of serving our Master is serving and encouraging each other. Just as my shoulder and arm would work to bring my hand and fingers to my ear to scratch an itch, so must we in the Body of Christ move and labor together to meet one another’s needs.

To accomplish this, however, becomes more and more difficult as the Body is spread out over all the earth! It is difficult enough to know and respond to the needs of folks in our own country, so how can we know the needs of our brothers and sisters if they are on the other side of the globe?

First, we must realize that communication is the key to enabling members of God’s Church to serve each other. God said through James, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Although physical needs are of utmost importance at times, our much greater need is to be in fellowship and in a constant confession/prayer cycle with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be confessing our faults to one another and praying for one another regularly!

In this modern world of “cyber-everything”, it seems natural to talk about “cyber-prayer”. If you’re anything like I am, you might admit that your first reaction to cyber-prayer, cyber-fellowship, or “cyber-anything” is that it just somehow seems to be less spiritual! The term “cyber” is so often used that it may minimalize or trivialize that which we desire to hold to a higher spiritual plain. But remember that communication is a key in staying connected with the members of the Body of Christ, and computers have made this world even smaller when it comes to letting our partners in Christ know our needs. Websites, chats and emails can help us to know what our fellow Christians need, what prayer concerns they have, and what we can do to help – INSTANTLY! I believe that the key to maintaining a level of “realness” on the internet is to simply remember that it isn’t about computers, screens, modem dialing speeds, DSL connections, video-cams, etc., it is about PEOPLE. Remember that the computers aren’t talking to each other, PEOPLE ARE. We must NEVER lose sight of the fact that behind the computer screen is a real, flesh and blood person with a beating heart and real spiritual needs. The computer is nothing more than a “go-between”.

With the help of tools such as the internet, the body of Christ can share needs, prayer requests, prayers, devotional thoughts, Bible studies, and much more with the touch of a button and the click of a mouse. How awesome this is illustrated through “The Prayer Life” magazine! Thousands of people have been inspired by the articles by dear Brother Martin and others, but what is even more amazing to me is the amount of prayer emails he receives! Truly, the Body of Christ is connected in a new and fresh way, and there is a brand new avenue for ministry.

As I sit and watch the beautifully falling snow here in the Virginia countryside, I am reminded of how many folks cannot leave their homes – not because of the snow, but because of disease, sickness, old age, and many other infirmities. Through cyber-prayer, these sweet folks have a wonderful new way to stay “connected” to the Body of Christ!

Amidst the newness of such helpful technology, I do believe that we need to be soberly aware of something. Our new-fangled methods of reaching folks all over the world and even in our own backyards should never, never take the place of personal contact and face-to-face visits. Deuteronomy 15:11 says, “For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” While this verse is referring to financial help, it also applies to what I am saying. Sharing a friendly smile, holding a person’s hand while we pray, looking at the Bible WITH each other, caring hugs and laughing together are still some of the best ways to show our Christian love to one another. With the advent of new and better technology, we must never forget the personal touch. How shameful for a sweet Christian from Germany to be cyber-praying with someone in Beaverdam, Virginia, when I haven’t even taken the time to drive across town to minister to them in person! Cyber-praying should be a wonderful, God-given supplement to our Christian walk and fellowship, not a substitute for personal interaction. The internet should make our world smaller and enhance communication with brothers and sister everywhere, not bring an end to local gatherings and fellowship of believers!

As with many luxuries in our world today, I really believe that technology can, should and will be used to the glory of God. Just the fact that you are reading this article is in itself a testimony to the awesome power that is generated by the use of the internet to serve our Heavenly Father. Oh Lord, let us use it wisely, with discretion, with love and honour, and with maturity. And most of all, may we use it to encourage and edify the saints of God!

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