PRAYER FOR THE SICK
A very important area of the Elder's work is "binding up the injured and healing the sick."
Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your offenses to one another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effective, earnest prayer of a righteous man is powerfully effective. James 5:14-16. The doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies are competing for the authority in medical decisions. The patient has been left out and the assembly is not even considered. We must not leave God out of our medical decisions, because often an illness is the result of spiritual causes such as immorality, greed, worry, bitterness, and guilt.
1. THE REASONS FOR ILLNESS: * Sickness Unto Death: God has declared our normal life span to be 70 to 80 years. Psalm 90:10. Often an illness heralds death. This was true of Elisha who died of an illness, 2 Kings 13:14. But it was not true of Lazarus who died but Jesus said it was not an sickness unto death and raised him from the dead. * Sickness Unto Chastisement: This illness involves the physical consequences of violating God's laws. Observing the Lord's Supper in a wrong manner can cause illness, for one purpose of the Communion service is to examine one's self, 1 Corinthians 11:27-32. Sickness is often caused by eating the wrong foods. Bitterness, anger, and guilt will also cause illness. * Sickness For the Glory of God: This is a sickness that will cause people to glorify God because He will either heal the illness or correct the problem, as in the case of the blind man (John 9:2,3), or He will give the person more grace to be victorious through it, as in the case of Paul and his thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:9,10). * Sickness For Attention: These are those people who want to be sick. They use their condition to receive attention and to manipulate others for their own benefit and ends. They do not want to get well, although, to gain attention they may call the elders to anoint them and pray for them. Some may call for the elders but not want to confess their sins or take responsibility for them. One of the functions of the Shepherd is to teach his flock the importance of taking responsibility for their own sins and not blaming others or situations for their mistakes and sins.
2. BE UNDER AUTHORITY: The instructions in James 5:14-16 are to be carried out in connection with a local assembly. Every member of the local assembly has a function to perform and when one member is ill the entire membership is affected, 1 Corinthians 12:25,26. Therefore every member should pray for the ill and to provide loving care and service in every way possible. God has structured the local assembly to provide the same kind of hedge of protection to its members as was given to Job, his family, and his possessions.
3. THE PROCEDURE: * What Kind of Illness Is Referred To? The word for "sick" includes all types of illness, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. * Who Should Confess Faults and Sins? The Elders before going to the sick person should gather to cleanse themselves by confessing and prayer. The sick person should be asked, "Is there any sin in your life which may have caused this sickness or which might hinder God from healing you?" Also parents should confess their sins since this can have a direct affect upon the physical health of their children. A "house cleansing" may also be needed. * What Is the Prayer of Faith? Faith is not a blind leap in the dark, nor is it forcing our will upon the will of God. Faith is knowing what God's will is and cooperating with it. Faith requires action. Through faith the Elders must determine what kind of sickness is involved. The prayer of faith is the agreement of the will of man with the will of God. * What Is Anointing With Oil? After confession the sick person is anointed with oil in the name of the Lord. It is customary for one of the elders to take some oil and rub it on the forehead of the sick person. The word for "anoint" has a wide application and can include practical medical treatment. (See Luke 10:34). * How Often Should Prayer Be Made? Elijah prayed seven times for rain, Paul prayed three times about his thorn, and Jesus prayed three times in the garden. Prayer should be made until definite results are obtained. Determine which hindrance to prayer exists when there is no answer. It is important that the Elders keep a record of those who have been anointed and prayed for. This will be a means of teaching others about how to find healing. Also the Elders should be acquainted with the bulletins published by the Medical Training Institute of America and teach the principles presented there to the membership. Alexander Strauch in his book on Elders comments on James 5:14-16, "What blessing, help, and comfort is denied to God's people when this portion of Scripture is not taught faithfully! Most Christians have never witnessed or been taught to practice James' instruction to the sick.... In conclusion, I must point out a fact crucially important to our study of eldership that is uniquely illustrated by this passage: the elders of the church are not church board members, executives, or advisers to the pastor, as is the case in most churches today. Rather, this passage demonstrates that elders are shepherds of the people. Board members don't go to the bedside of the sick. They don't deal with people's sins. Indeed, they may not directly deal with the people at all. But church elders do pray for the sick. In fact, they must be men of strong faith and prayer. They must have spiritual perception and knowledge in order to deal with people's personal problems and sins. They must be caring and compassionate. They must be ready and willing to visit needy, hurting sheep. Thus, elders are shepherds of people. They care for the people's practical as well as spiritual needs." Biblical Eldership, pages 68,69.
Surely he has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4,5 WEB
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We highly recommend the books by Alexander Strauch on Elders and Deacons. They can be purchased at your local Bible book store.
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