PRAYING FOR THE SICK

James 5:13-16
13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; 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 is powerful and effective.

One of the joys of being a church leader is to care for and show compassion toward people by praying for their physical and emotional healing. Because the biblical teaching of anointing with oil and praying for the sick has been misunderstood and abused, many believers tend to shy away from the teaching and practice. But James 5:14-16 is unmistakable in its instruction. There are at least five concepts that should guide our practice of anointing and praying for the sick.

1. Anointing with oil and praying for the sick is taught in Scripture and was practiced in the early church. If the practice
does not fit within our grid of thinking and experience, we should study the Bible for greater understanding.

2. Elders have been given authority to act on behalf of Jesus in some matters. Elders in the church possess no special gift of healing or special righteousness. They are given the privilege and responsibility to anoint and pray in faith for the sick in the name and by the authority of Jesus.

3. The oil itself has no special power, but it probably had a couple of purposes. It was a sign of faith, and it was a symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit providing healing, comfort, and assurance.

4. We should pray confidently (in faith) for complete healing until it is obvious and evident that God has chosen to heal or to do otherwise. God heals supernaturally and He heals naturally through physicians and medical breakthroughs.

5. God is sovereign. He is not obligated to heal everyone or anyone. However, some will be healed and some will not. Instead of attempting to manipulate and bargain with God, we should ask for healing in faith.

If God chooses to heal someone we pray for, all praise, honor, and glory should be given to Him. --Marvin Williams

DESTINATION POINTS

* What do I believe about anointing and praying for the sick?
* Whenwas the last time I prayed for someone who was sick?
* How does thefact that God is sovereign affect my thinking about praying for those who are ill?

LINKS:
Does God Want Me Well?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0104

God's Word Of Life On Prayer
http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/syatp/features/prayer.html

bottom line: God can heal our souls and our bodies.

soul journey