194 James: Sickness and Healing

Does God still heal?  Can we...should we... pray for it?  And, if so, just how much faith does it take to get the miracle you’re looking for?

Here in James 5, we come to the topic of sickness and healing. And while I can’t give a comprehensive teaching on the subject in one message, we do get some insight from this passage that can help us.

Before we talk about healing, we need to lay a foundation by discussing sickness.


REASONS FOR SICKNESS

These reasons can be categorized under three headings:

1.     The fall of man.  Sickness and death were never part of God’s “very good” original creation. But because of their sin, deterioration came to the human race. We get sick, weaken, and eventually die simply because we are human.

2.     An attack of Satan. Though he was rendered a death blow at Calvary, the Evil One still prowls this earth and there are occasions when his attack comes in the form of sickness. 

3.     One’s personal sin.  Some sickness is part of God’s judgment or discipline for unconfessed sin.

Returning to James’ instruction, we find some…


GUIDELINES FOR HEALING

Verse 14 begins, “Is anyone among you sick?”  James is not speaking of a lightweight ailment here – a headache or a cold or the flu.  Praying about that sort of thing might fall under the instruction of verse 13.  What he has in mind here is a sickness or disease that incapacitates. 

In such serious situations, you should…

1.     Call for the elders or other spiritual leaders.

This first step appears to be an act of faith and point of submission.  The person who is sick takes the initiative: “I’m in trouble and I want to bring God’s power to bear upon this by asking His people for help.”

2.     Take a thorough spiritual inventory.

We noted earlier that personal sin can be a reason for sickness. Unconfessed sin robs prayer of its power. Is there any sin that would preempt what God might want to do? Are there any relational breakdowns that need to be addressed? Are there any behaviors that need to be confessed?

God desires our spiritual healing much more than our physical healing. Once the sin is dealt with, healing can flow.

3.      Receive anointing and prayer.

When the elders are called for, the text says they are to “pray over” the person. This could imply that the elders are to lay their hands on the person as they pray.

They are also to “anoint them with oil.” To anoint a sick person with oil might be a way of setting them apart for God’s special touch. It’s a way of saying, “Lord, give this person to You asking for their healing. Most of all may this situation result in Your glory.”

The elders are also to pray “in the name of the Lord.” To do something “in the name of “ a person invokes the authority and the will of that person. 

Thus, to pray “in the name of the Lord” not only calls upon the power of Jesus to heal, but it also surrenders to the prerogative of Jesus’ purposes. Whether the person is healed or not is a matter of His will, not ours.

4.     Leave the results in God’s hands.

Does God heal?  Yes!  Does He sometimes do it through medical means? Yes! Does He sometimes do it supernaturally as we pray?  Yes!

Does God always heal?  No – not always in this life. 

But no matter what the outcome, can we trust Him and the way He runs His business?

Text: James 5:13-18 

Originally recorded on June 13, 2010, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN