“Is any sick among you? 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” (James 5:14).
TEXT — James 5:13-15
Message
Darrin Hunt narrated how an elder, a Christian surgeon, in the course of his professional duties used to share spiritual things with the young surgeon and indirectly share the gospel with his patients. “Years ago, when I worked in the hospital’s Emergency Room, the Chief ER doctor, who was also one of my elders in my church, loved to have me help him sew up his patients so we could “discuss” spiritual things between us. Obviously, the patients, who didn’t dare move, were obliged to listen to us. I can still see his grin as we “shared” Christ.”
Naturally some situations in life can be overwhelming for inexperienced people who may tend to panic and give in to perplexity. Apostle James tells us how Christians ought to respond to challenges and difficulties. The first thing the Christian ought to do is pray. In the event of illness, the believer is to reach out to the elders so that they can pray for him. This prayer of faith will not fail as there is an assurance that God will answer and there will be healing and relief.
When we fail to follow this simple rule, we tend to suffer. For many troubled Christians, prayers do not come first. What they think first is to try to find solutions on their own. Their money, wisdom, knowledge, doctors, consultants, connections and counsellors come first. It is when all these seem to have failed and things are beginning to get out of hand that they consider praying and reaching out to approved and anointed ministers of God.
How we need to learn to follow this simple but potent principle that the Lord has given us! This principle is given to us because God answers prayers. As we honour and respect our elders, their prayers of faith will work effectually in our lives.
Thought for the day
Effectual fervent prayers of faith are awesome and irresistible.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
