God's Design For Healing
Introduction
The Condition For Healing
The Call For Healing
When Prayer for Divine Healing Should Be Offered
The Promised Outcome of Prayer for Healing
The Final Healing
Introduction
Among the several Names for God found in the Scriptures is included the Name Jehovah-Rapha, "the Lord who heals thee." God's invitation to His family to ask Him for healing is one of the most wonderful, loving and caring provisions He had made for us. One author has called it the "Children's Bread." In earlier messages of this series we have examined how God has called His Church to be His instruments in the continuing healing ministry of Jesus Christ, why His family experiences sickness and difficulty in this world, and the relationship between divine healing and the will of God.
Sadly, divine healing is a dimension of the Christian life that many never personally experience, though professing a belief in the Bible What is God's design for healing? Under what conditions does He do it? What is the biblical prescription? How are Christians to seek God's healing and enablement? A careful study of James 5:13-16 gives us the wonderful and encouraging answers to these questions:
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he 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 man is powerful and effective.
Because this passage has been interpreted in a variety of ways, some leading to "faith healing" sensationalism and even exploitation of hurting and vulnerable people, it is important that we study it carefully to see both the promise and the balance of the passage. Our study will include:
1. the conditions cited for which prayer should be offered for divine healing;
2. the instructions about the call or request for prayer for healing;
3. the ministry of when prayer for divine healing should be offered; and
4. the promised outcome of prayer for healing and the final healing.
It is my sincere hope that this message helps open the door of faith and enabling grace to you as we seek together to discover what the Bible says about God's design for healing.
Under what conditions are we to pray for divine healing? Let's first look at the condition for which this wonderful passage on divine healing is based in verses 13-14: Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick?
In the original Greek language in which this passage was written, the word "sick" in verse 14 is the word "astheneo." Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, astheneo is used thirty-four times in the New Testament. Twenty times it occurs in the Gospels and is translation into English in reference to divine healing of the physical body. Astheneo appears fourteen times in the Epistles, the teaching/doctrinal portions of the Word of God. In these instances, astheneo is translated in reference to restoration from discouragement, weariness, and despair associated with spiritual and emotional defeat. Hence, astheneo refers to physical, emotional and spiritual sickness and difficulty.
Clearly the reference in James 5 is not just to physical healing, although it includes physical healing. The broader reference is to spiritual discouragement, depression and emotional despair. This is made even clearer in the word "sick" which appears in verses 14-15:
"Is any one of you sick ? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven."
The English word for "sick" in verse 15 is not "astheneo," but the Greek word "kamno," which refers to a condition of weariness, discouragement, and despair. Kamno is found in only two places in the Bible, here and in Hebrews 12:3: Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary (kamno) and lose heart.
In short, James 5:15 relates to both physical sickness and to the larger matter of spiritual discouragement, weariness, and physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion. This is an important point. Often people feel that God has made a provision for physical illnesses in James 5, but no similar provision for discouragement and despair. But, He has!
Why are so many people today so spiritually and emotionally discouraged and exhausted? Why are so many weary and tired? Friends, it takes energy to live the Christian life in this world today. There are several general reasons for this:
First, some are discouraged and defeated because they have deliberately yielded to sin. One of the prices of accommodating sin is weariness and spiritual defeat, discouragement and guilt. Doctors tells us that guilt is a major underlying cause of many physical and emotional disorders.
Secondly, people can become spiritually discouraged and weary in simply resisting sin and doing spiritual battle with the forces of evil in this world. For them, times of refreshing and renewal are needed.
Thirdly, many people can become discouraged and weary emotionally and physically because of the every day stresses of living in the pressure cooker of life - work pressures, deadlines, budget squeezes, threats of employment layoffs, repairs that are needed for your car or house, flooding in your basement, stresses in relationships with a spouse, children, parents, roommates, work associates, neighbors, etc.
I want to remind you that the Devil does not want you dead. If you know the Lord as your personal Savior, at your death you will be wonderfully, gloriously and immediately ushered into the presence of your Lord and Savior! So, the Devil doesn't want God's people to die, but instead to be alive and defeated, miserable and discouraged. He wants you saying things like: "Where is God in all of this? How come this is happening to me? I'm not even sure God loves me any more!"
It is well known that the worst part about physical sickness is not the illness itself, but the emotional discouragement and defeat that comes with it. Many of you have had that same experience. James 5 is for you! God's provision for His children addresses the whole range of human difficulty.
Let's look at how the Bible instructs us to call for prayer for divine healing. Note in verse 14 the instructions as to who should issue the call and to whom the call should be issued: Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him.
Who is the one who issues the call for prayer for divine healing? It's the one who is sick. There is no suggestion here that any one should go about telling other people to call the elders for their sickness. You see, that is a decision that the sick and discouraged person needs to make! Although we are constantly visiting people from the Grace Church family in hospitals or counseling them in personal crises of discouragement, weariness and despair, Grace pastors and elders will not tell an individual to ask for anointing and prayer by the elders. While we will direct men and women to the Scriptures, including James 5, the request for prayer must come from the one who is in need.
After a recent morning service a man approached me and said, "Pastor, would you pray that my wife will be willing to call the elders for prayer and anointing for healing?" He is demonstrating excellent understanding that his wife, not he, must be the one to issue the call.
As a practical matter, there are two exceptions to this general principle. First, as God's guardians, parents should call for prayer for young children who are sick and unable to call for prayer themselves. Some months ago, a baby in our congregation was very, very sick. The mother called us and asked if we would bring the elders and anoint her baby with oil in the Name of the Lord according to James 5. We gladly did, and that baby experienced a remarkable recovery. Physicians later said they could not even find evidence of the original problem. Bless the Lord! The second exception is that family members can certainly call for prayer on behalf of an unconscious loved one.
Why is it important for the one who is in need to issue the call for prayer? There are three basic reasons: First, the one who is sick physically, emotionally or spiritually is the one who knows whether or not he or she needs a special touch from the Lord. Not all discouragement or physical illness does. God has built into our bodies and hearts remarkable recuperative abilities. Not every difficulty requires anointing with oil by the elders of the church in the name of the Lord.
The second reason that the one who is sick must be the one who calls the elders for prayer is that it is a step of personal faith in God, our Jehovah-Rapha, who can effect divine healing in our hearts and bodies. Friends, you can't take a step of faith for someone else. I can't do this for my wife or for my children. I can only take a step of faith for myself, and only you can take a step of faith for yourself. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is impossible to please God, and James 1 clearly states that unless we pray with faith we cannot expect anything from the Lord. The one who is in need of a special healing touch from God must be the one who exercises faith in calling for prayer from the elders.
Thirdly, the one who is sick must personally issue the call for prayer because it is a step of personal obedience to God's Word in James 5:13-16. When someone in the family of God needs a special touch of divine healing for their life, God's Word instructs us to call the elders for anointing and prayer. Following through on this is an act of faith obedience to the Lord.
Who should we call for prayer for divine healing? Traveling faith healers? Two or three of our friends? Our Scripture text clearly instructs us to call the elders of the church. Why the elders? One of the great dangers of divine healing is that the human instruments through which healing comes can end up being the object of people's worship. For example, the apostles were wonderfully used by God in various ministries of healing, and in at least one case the people tried to worship the apostles and they had to flee the scene! It is so easy for divine healing to distract people away from Christ to themselves.
It seems to me that the Bible instructs us to call the elders because nobody is going to worship elders - not in this church or any other church! Right? We know the elders! They are sinners saved by grace just like the rest of us. They are just part of the family. We're not going to be distracted from Christ, but directed to Him, through their ministry.
In the Scriptures, the elders are given spiritual responsibility for the family of God. All of us need a place of spiritual refuge. We need a group of people to gather around us after we have stumbled to help us recover and renew. Elders are the servants that God has planted in the church to be the lovers of the lives, souls and hearts of the children, men and women of the church on behalf of Jesus Christ! This understanding fits the larger understanding of James 5 that it is not just a physical issue at hand. It is also the larger issue of the vitality of our Christian experience as a whole.
It is our practice as a church family to have a special time of prayer at the conclusion of each celebration of the Lord's Table during which the pastors (who were the elders in the New Testament) and elders make themselves available for any prayer need of the church family, including prayer for the sick. This time of special prayer occurs at the end of the service as those wishing to be prayed for come forward while the rest of the people quietly leave.
There are three aspects to the ministry of the elders in praying for healing according to James 5:
1. They are to pray.
2. They are to anoint with oil.
3. They are to do both in the Name of the Lord.
First, note that the "prayer of faith" is the prayer offered by the elders. I am so irritated by those who say that if you are sick and if you have enough faith your prayer of faith is guaranteed to make you well. First of all, that statement is not true for anyone's faith. Secondly, it is not the sick person's faith that James 5 speaks about: "He shall call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord." Who does the praying? It's the elders! Friends, we do not need perfect elders. We wouldn't have any, just as we wouldn't have any perfect pastors. But what we do need are elders who believe the Lord, who are people of faith through whom God will touch the church. So they are to pray in faith.
What is the "prayer of faith"? It is an unshakable, trusting confidence that Jesus Christ is your Savior Who loves and cares for you, that He is able to heal you, and that, as we seek Him in prayer, He will heal you according to His perfect will for your life.
Do we call because we are absolutely certain we will be physically healed? No! The sovereignty of God reigns supreme. Why, then, must we call the elders for prayer? We call because it's God's way of placing our sicknesses in His hands.
Many Christians have never considered calling elders for their sickness. Many Christians respond to their sicknesses with private prayer, or by gathering two or three other Christians together to pray. It is, of course, wonderful to pray privately and with a small group of other followers of Jesus, but this is not the scriptural means of placing our sicknesses in God's Hands. Only as you are obedient to James 5 can you say you have placed this biblically in the Hands of the Lord.
Secondly, James 5 instructs elders to "anoint with oil." What kind of oil was prescribed for use? Olive oil was commonly used in the Scriptures for anointing, and is likewise commonly used today as well. In the Old Testament anointing with oil was a common practice in commissioning people for service. When young David was discovered to be the Lord's chosen one to be the next king, he was anointed with oil in the Name of the Lord. Often persons being sent out on missionary journeys were commissioned with the anointing of oil. In the Bible, oil is a symbol of the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit.
There is no magic or mystical power in the oil. The power of divine healing is the power that is to be found in the blood of Christ. We anoint with oil in recognition that healing comes from God and not ourselves. Furthermore, the use of oil is an act of obedience to God's Word.
Finally, elders are to pray in the Name of the Lord. This is not some cold, sterile formula. It is the calling upon the active presence of Almighty God. It is drawing up the Name that is above every name. It is in the wonderful Name of Jesus Christ that people are rescued from their sin, brought into the eternal family of God, and healed from our physical, emotional and spiritual wounds. It is a revelation of His whole character, and the ultimate purpose of any prayer, including prayer for divine healing, is to bring glory to the Lord.
When Prayer for Divine Healing Should be Offered
When should a person respond to James 5 and call the elders for special prayer? Should you call over every illness? I knew if I started a series on healing, I would get sick! This last week I came down with a cold and really was "wiped out" by it. Did I call for the elders to be anointed with oil in the Name of the Lord? No. Why?
Although there have been times in my life when I've been discouraged because of physical difficulty, in this case I was not discouraged or oppressed so there was no need to call. Prayer for divine healing is in order when the conditions of a physical affliction cause you to need a special touch from the Lord, when your own heart is so discouraged that you need to have your vitality restored. If you walk out of here this morning and break a leg, should you call the elders after having it set by a physician? The answer is "not normally" unless in your private, personal life these conditions prevail for which you need a special touch from the Lord. Then call the elders.
The Promised Outcome of Prayer for Healing
What is the outcome of prayer for the sick? James 5:15-16 states:
"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess yours sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
The intended outcome is that the sick person will become well, not"might" but "will"! You may say, "Well, Pastor, I know of someone who prayed for divine healing and they weren't healed." What is the nature of God's promise here?
The Greek word for the word "well" is "sozo" which means "to save or restore." The King James translation of this passage says "will save" the sick person. The New American Standard translation says the sick person will be "restored." This study from the Greek could produce the following paraphrase of verse 15: "And the prayer offered in faith will make the weary person restored to vitality. He will be raised up."
Whether or not you are physically healed is ultimately left to the sovereign will of God. But, friends, listen to this wonderful promise. The promise of the Lord is nothing less than this: "Are you discouraged? Are you physically hurting? Are you sick? Are you weary? Are you exhausted? Are you tired? Are you in need of the restoration of the vitality of the joy of the Lord in your life? Call for the elders! If those elders are men of faith, as they pray over you and anoint you with oil in the Name of the Lord, you will be restored." Praise God for His provision in our lives!
What is the final healing? Nowhere does God promise to heal us from "old age." The Lord uses that as well as terminal illness to bring His people home to heaven. If in your spiritual journey you have not yet received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you may think this next verse is bizarre! If you do know Christ as your personal Savior, you have asked Him to come into your life, you have confessed your sin to Him and given Him control of your life, this verse will sound wonderful to you: Psalm 116:15 declares: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." It does not say "precious are His saints," but "precious the death of His saints." How can death be precious to God? It is precious to Him because it is the means He employs to brings those in His family home to their eternal place in His glory.
Some years ago I received the following letter from a woman in our congregation, who has great insight about divine healing:
"Dear Pastor: What a joy to stand up and give Jesus Christ glory for His wonderful deeds. My dad was diagnosed as having cancer at the beginning of the summer. I'd seen him shortly before, and I hugged a 145-pound man 'good-bye.' Two weeks later, I greeted a 108-pound man. The doctors gave him two or three years with chemotherapy. We naturally ran into the Father's presence with requests for healing. His answer fell on earthly ears - 'No.' It takes more faith to receive a 'no' from God than a welcomed 'yes.' In less than two and one-half months, my dad received a new body, a spiritual body. I stood by him as he took his last earthly breath and [then] all became celestial What appeared to be a 'no' from our limited perspective was to me a divine 'yes' disguised in earthly garb. If God would have healed my dad as we count healing, he would have been in a 75-year-old body with all its infirmities. My mother was healed instantly, wondrously, temporarily. But my dad was healed perfectly, eternally. God is so good."
This godly woman's letter prompted memories of a brother in the Lord I knew a number of years ago. After a lifetime of missionary service, he returned home and eventually became an elderly man. One night at about 3 o'clock in the morning, he awoke, and awakened his wife. They woke their two high-school children, turned the light on in the kitchen, sat around the table, sang hymns, took hands, and read from the Scriptures. He told them how deeply he loved them, how proud of them he was and how much he looked forward to being with them for an eternity with the Lord. They sang a song of praise and celebration to the Lord, and he put his head on the table and died. Finally, he was perfectly healed and "home."
The Lord has a great interest in healing you, but I honestly believe a greater concern to Him than physical healing is restoring the joy and vitality of your Christian life that sickness can take from us. God is your Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord Who heals you physically, emotionally, spiritually. Bring your sicknesses to Him according to His instructions, and trust the One who loves you to restore you to joy and renewal, all for His glory.