By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.

Would ye not have been led to make distinctions among yourselves, and have become judges with wicked reasonings?

And one of you were to say to them--"Go, and peace be with you; find warmth and food for yourselves," and yet you were not to give them the necessaries of life, what good would it be to them?

But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless?

you would not obtain it, because you wickedly request to have your passions gratified.

Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.

But the right thing to say would be, If it is the Lord's pleasure and if we are still living, we will do this and that.

And if their prayer is [offered] by faith, [God] will heal the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up [from his sickbed]. And if he had sinned, he will be forgiven for them [Note: This may imply that the man's sickness was the result of some sin. In any event, his forgiveness would follow his repentance].

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.