Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14
Doctors and medicine are critical when we are sick. God has gifted doctors and nurses with the knowledge of how to help people get well when they are sick. While we turn to these incredible doctors and modern medicine when we are sick, we must also remember the power of prayer. You see, God wants to hear from us when we are sick, and He can bring healing.
This week, we have examined what Scripture says about prayer in James 5. So far, we have seen how James encouraged readers in this chapter to pray when they were struggling and needed help and when they were happy. Next, he encouraged them to pray when they were sick. He said, "Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord" (verse 14). When we are sick and need prayer, James encourages us to pray. Specifically, He encourages us to ask church leaders to join us in prayer. I love that this verse involves inviting others to pray when we are sick. While sicknesses cause us to withdraw, Scripture encourages us to reach out and ask people to pray for us. It is important to note that God always hears our prayers and responds. He may respond differently than we expect. He may respond with peace and spiritual healing. We can trust that God always hears and responds to our prayers for each other.
We are not alone when we are sick. God is with us, and other believers are also with us, joining us in prayer. So let's commit to praying when we are sick, asking others to pray for us when we are sick, and praying for others facing sickness as well.
Are you, or someone you know, currently facing an illness? Take some time to pray. Pray for yourself and the people in your life who need God's healing. Ask God to provide healing in the areas where healing is needed, and believe He has the power to bring that healing. Remember, the healing may look different than you may expect, but God will always answer your prayers according to His glory and your good.
James 5:13-18
"Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops."
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