A prayer of faith moves heaven. It is effective when we believe in who God is and that he will answer (Heb 11:6). James encourages us to seek God in prayer for our afflictions, “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. (15) And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” In this text, James puts a spotlight on two types of sicknesses we shall experience in the fallen world:
- Physical. James has in mind someone who has bodily weakness due to internal or external ailment of some sort. We do not know specially which he refers to.
- Spiritual. As a human being, we are both Body and Soul. We have spiritual needs as well as physical ones. James highlights a prayer for someone who confesses sins, for the healing power of forgiveness is available to such a person (cf., Prv 28:13).
The remedy to both ailments is prayer of the church elders (and the church congregation). Remember, elders do not have a special status in the eyes of God over the laity. However, they do steward a higher level of responsibility and accountability before God within a community of faith. Elders are men (1 Tim 3:1-7, Tit 1:5-9) whose primary role in the church is the administration of pastoral oversight with a focus in the areas of preaching the word and prayer for the saints (Acts 6:1-4). James calls those who suffer sicknesses to seek the elders to pray over them, and, “…anointing him [them] with oil in the name the Lord” (v14). While olive oil has various practical and medicinal qualities, James statement is to be interpreted emblematically. In other words, taking the words “oil” and, “in the name of the Lord,” symbolizes the healing power of our Lord Jesus in our physical and spiritual lives. We should be cautioned that James emphasis is on prayer, not on oil here.
Further, there is an interrelation between body and soul. Sometimes sin in our lives can have a negative effect on our health. For example, if anger consumes me, it can drive my blood pressure up, stress my heart, and possibly put me at a high risk for brain injury due to stroke or aneurysm. At the same time, sickness in the body is not always the consequence of any sin. Sometimes God allows physical afflictions to test our faith like in the case of Job.
Here is the truth of James’ words: God is the only cure to what ails us. Only in Christ is our help. The church has been gifted to us as his means of grace in this area. Place your trust in God for the healing you need. If prayer is the phone line to heaven, then faith is the power the Spirit harnesses to energize transmission to God, for James declares, “…the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick…” Hallelujah!! Amen.
Blessings,
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D.
www.springoflivingwaters.com