Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much. James 5:14-16
When is the last time you have seen a ‘church’ do this? Do we now just rely on doctors and pharmacists to be our healer? Do we even consider going to God or asking the ‘elders’ to pray for the sick? Is that directive now even considered as part of being an elder in the church? Or have we thrown this out with all the other Holy Spirit gift directives? God no longer does miracles or heals people?
Or is this just seen as a ‘last resort’ when people have tried EVERY other avenue of trying to recover from the sickness? When are we going to learn to go to Him FIRST!? Where is our faith? Oh yeah – that’s only reserved for Sunday mornings between 10am and noon. When you are sick do you ask the Lord for healing? Do you listen for His instruction after that request? Are there things He wants you to resolve in your life? Unforgiveness? Disobedience to His directives to you? Holding on to deep resentment over another? Is your soul health as important as your physical health? When you are sick where do you focus? Only on yourself? What do you do when you are immobilized or down in bed with sickness? Do you even consider asking the Lord what He wants you to do during that time? Or is it just a time to be ‘selfish’? How much of your life is yours and how much is His? When you are sick – and very weak and unable to do much – will show you how much of your life you are living and how much of His life is living in you. Not that you are instantly healed but that your spirit, soul, and body is at His directive and you are focused and looking to HIM. What can we do when we are so diminished in ability? Pray for others. Listen to Him. Relinquish our controlling ‘ways’ to Him. Rest in Him. Be obedient to His prompts.
How we move and live in these times of weakness and sickness is a good indicator of where we are with Him. Who really is directing your life? Who really is your refuge when you are weak and sick? Who or what do you seek when you really need rest and healing? Is Jesus always your first ‘go to’? Is the Holy Spirit the one you ask for advice on what you need to do? Do you even listen to Him? Or do you just default to the established modern ‘medical’ system / drugs / and therapies? Who knows your body better than anyone else? Who knows what you really need in the moment? Do you really trust Him? Is there evidence to back up what you just admitted?
Jesus …I give my body, soul, and spirit into your caring hands. You know best what I need. Holy Spirit instruct me as to what you would have me do in my diminished state. In whatever small, weak, capacity I have … it is yours … tell me what you want me to do.