TUESDAY February 4, 2020

Prayer for the Sick

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 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. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
James 5:13-15

James instructed those who were suffering to pray. The word suffering or afflicted was not a word confined to bodily illnesses; it also referred to anyone who was suffering hardships. James wanted to make sure people understood that many Christians were suffering hardship because of the rich who had oppressed them.

The apostle told those in good spirits––cheerful–– to sing to the Lord. Christians suffering sickness were instructed to call for the elders of the church. They would anoint the sick with anointing oil on the forehead and, by faith, pray for them in the name of the Lord––the oil was symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Notice, everything they did was according to the Scriptures. It is important to understand that healing was according to God’s sovereign will (1 John 5:14).

James’ words should cause us to think about all the different situations we can face in our individual lives. What should we do when someone becomes sick in our family? What happens when we do suffer the loss of a child, a home or a job? The answer is simple––pray. Know that affliction and suffering will come into your life, but when it happens, you must pray. Prayer is very powerful––it will help you through.

David called out to the Lord many times in prayer. He prayed when his child died (2 Samuel 12:20). Many of his prayers are recorded in the book of Psalms. David knew God answered prayer, and he came to this incredible conclusion: The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles (Psalm 34:17).

The man who kneels to God can stand up to anything.
~Louis H. Evans~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!