If you look at any church prayer list, you will find a list of those who are sick. In my experience, it is the largest portion of the prayer list.
Interestingly, Jesus gave no instruction to spend our time praying for the healing of others.
My father-in-law once said, “Christians spend more time praying to keep other Christians out of heaven than they do praying for the lost to go to heaven.”
James 5:13-16 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Help me establish a foundation.
- God is sovereign.
- God’s “will” will be done.
- You and I cannot change the will of God.
If it is God’s will for someone to be healed of an illness, will your lack of prayer cause God to not accomplish His will? No
If it is NOT God’s will for someone to be healed of an illness, will your prayer cause God to go against His will? No
So, in all candor, regardless of how sincerely we pray, the size of our faith or the number of times we claim authority in Jesus name...
we will not change God’s will or cause God to do something against His will.
God does heal. In Luke 10, Jesus gave the disciples authority to heal as they preached the Gospel. In a group this size, I am certain we could share testimony about the unexplainable healing of a friend or family member. The fact is – God is all powerful and will heal those He will heal for His glory.
In 1 Corinthians 12:9, Paul lists the “gifts of healing” that are to be used to edify other believers and glorify God. As with any spiritual gift, it has nothing to do with the person, but everything to do with the power and purpose of God being accomplished through His obedient people.
Since it is gifts of healing (plural), commentaries have identified at least three ways this could be manifested: miraculous healing, the understanding and application of medicine or empathy toward those who are emotionally distraught. With our culture having such an interest in the dramatic, we tend to define gifts of healing in the miraculous sense, while overlooking the others.
James begins this passage with a call to an intimate relationship with God, regardless of the circumstance. If you are in a time of suffering, draw close to Him for strength. If you have reason to be cheerful, draw close to Him in praise. Then...
If anyone among you is sick
The Greek word for “sick” is used throughout the New Testament. When used in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – it most often refers to a physical illness. When used in the remaining books – it largely refers to weariness. Does the context of James help us understand to what he is referring? Yes!
First, James was writing to persecuted Christians who were meeting trials of every kind.
Second, James uses a different word in the next verse to identify the same person. This word is used only one other time in Hebrews 12:3 and is defined as weary or fainthearted.
Warren Wiersbe comments: “James was not referring to the bedfast, the diseased or the ill. Instead he wrote to those who had grown weary, who had become weak both morally and spiritually in the midst of suffering.”
From this passage, we have developed somewhat of a recipe for healing. When all else fails we call upon the Elders for prayer and anointing. I have participated in such events – sometimes people got better, sometimes they remained sick.
Why do some stay sick if this is the way in which we are supposed to bring God’s healing?
You may hear something like, they did not have enough faith. This is a lie because our faith does not change the will of God. Or, they must have had unconfessed sin in their life. This is a lie because God’s favor comes by way of the righteousness of Christ, not our confessed sin.
The reason why some remain sick and some are healed is we do not tell God what to do.
We do, however, submit ourselves to His authority and seek His perspective.
If we are weary, we call on the pastors to Pray over and anoint. (let’s first talk about the anointing, then the prayer)
There are two words used in the New Testament for anointing. One is the religious word for ceremonially anointing, while the other is the common word for rubbing with oil.
The word used here is the regular word.
In his book Calling the Elders to Pray, Daniel Hayden says, “James is not suggesting a ceremonial or ritual anointing as a means of divine healing; instead, he is referring to the common practice of using oils as a means of bestowing honor, refreshment and grooming.”
Those who are weak and weary among us are to be encouraged and refreshed as they experience God’s love through His obedient people. The prayer over them is not a prayer for healing, but one of seeking God’s direction and perspective. One of encouragement.
Verses 15 and 16 affirm the subject is spiritual healing rather than physical healing by specifically referencing being saved, in addition to the forgiveness and confession of sins that bring about renewal and refreshment.
In Hebrews 10 and Ephesians 4, we are commanded to encourage one another and build each other up as we serve with His gift. In this passage, James reiterates our mutual roles in the Lord’s church.
I am personally convicted that the majority of my prayer life and the prayers of His church are primarily on the areas Jesus did not indicate as most important!
If we are not praying in the way Jesus says we should pray, what is the expected result?
NOT a place that is shaken.
NOT a people who are impacting His kingdom.
NOT a people that are effectively accomplishing the will of our Father.
NOT a people who reflect the character of God.
What is prayer? It is two way communication with our Father in heaven where we lay down our burdens, cast aside our distractions and listen for His perspective, guidance and commands.
From there, we accomplish His ministry and mission as we walk in obedience.
If prayer becomes something other than what Jesus provided as our framework in Matthew 6:9-13, we are dangerously approaching a religious activity that accomplishes nothing.
