James - “Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.” (James 5:14-15)
In yesterday’s devotion, we learned that when we are empowered by the Spirit, we can and should assist in helping people be freed from strongholds. In a similar way, when the Holy Spirit empowers us, we can and should also assist in healing others from their physical and emotional illnesses. As we read earlier, Luke writes, “One day Jesus called together His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. Then He sent them out to tell everyone about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:1-2) Even though we’re Disciples in the 21st century, we’re to be about doing what Disciples in the 1st century did.
Many have asked, “How can we be involved in helping people experience emotional and physical healing? We can do so as we pray for and with them, encouraging them, connecting them with Christian counselors and doctors, and bringing them to the church elders for prayer. James writes, “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well.” (James 5:14-15)
Others have asked, “Will everyone we pray for in faith be healed?” Sadly, the answer is no. We see people not only being sick today but also in the Bible. The Apostle Paul, in his correspondence with Timothy shared “I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.” (2 Timothy 4:20). If it was simply a matter of faith, Paul could have easily healed Trophimus for he was certainly a man of faith. It became even more personal for Paul because of the thorn of Satan he was given in his flesh. We don’t know exactly what the “thorn” in Paul’s flesh was, but we can read his words about it. He writes, Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9) While it is not the Lord’s will for everyone to experience healing both physically and emotionally, many more will certainly be healed by God’s power when we take time to pray for and encourage them. And if healing doesn’t come, like Paul, we can still rejoice in the grace of the Lord that works best in our weakness.
Followup Activity - In your journal or on a piece of paper, make a list of those you may know who need to experience either physical or emotional healing. Begin praying for them on a regular basis and make plans to reach out to each one to pray personally for their physical or emotional healing.
Prayer for Today - Lord, when I encounter those who need physical or emotional healing, help me remember to pray for and encourage them however I can. In Jesus’ name, Amen.