DEVOTION – DAY 326

James 5:14-16 “God’s Healing”

James 5:14-16 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

When we fall sick or ill, it is natural to want to be healed. The apostle James tells us to call the church elders to pray for those who are sick. The sick should also seek to be anointed with oil by the elders. The oil served two purposes. In Biblical times, oil was used as an ancient form of medicine. The other reason for the use of oil was that it was a visual aid to faith. It was an outward sign of healing to be brought by God in response to prayer offered in faith.

But from the Lord’s perspective, it is more important for a person to be healed spiritually rather than be healed physically. This is because no matter how physically fit a person can be, he or she will ultimately die. It is just a matter of time. It is more important that a person is spiritually healed by having their sins forgiven so that the way is open for a person’s spirit to spend eternity with the Lord. That is why in v16, James called the people to “confess their sins to one another, and to pray for each other.”

A man slept with a woman whom he was courting. Later, they broke up. The man knew that he had sinned before God by sleeping with someone whom he was not married to. He was troubled. He tried to shrug off his sin but his guilt remained. In the end, he asked to speak to his pastor and he confessed his sins to his pastor. His pastor anointed him with oil and prayed for the Lord to forgive him of his sins. This man felt the weight of his sins lifted off from him. He felt relief and he knew that the Lord would not count this sin against him anymore.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, you are gracious and merciful. You forgive our sins when we confess and repent before you. We humbly ask that you heal us not only physically but also of all unrighteousness. We pray this in the Holy name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. What physical and spiritual healing do you need from the Lord? Share. Pray for one and another for healing.
  2. What happens if someone does not confess and repent of their sins? Discuss.
  3. How can you help someone who has yet to confess and repent of their sins and to seek spiritual healing from the Lord?
  4. Who do you know, who is currently physically unwell? Will you visit this person and pray for him or her?