Gospel Light Society Podcasts

Gospel Light Society Podcasts

By Daniel Whyte IIIReligion & Spirituality
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Gospel Light Society Podcasts episodes

  • The Prayer of Faith, Part 7 (Praying Through the Bible #405)
    TEXT: James 5:13-18
    Second, we are given instructions of prayer for those who are sick. James 5:14-15 says, “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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” There is some debate among scholars over whether James meant healing from disease or healing from spiritual weariness. We know that God can heal both physical sicknesses and spiritual sufferings. When we are dealing with these, James instructs the sick person to call for the leaders of the church and have them to pray over him in faith. David Guzik said, “James also said that the elders of the church, as they pray, should anoint the sick person with oil in the name of the Lord. This anointing with oil has been interpreted as either seeking the best medical attention possible for the afflicted (oil massages were considered medicinal), or as an emblem of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. Many have wondered if James guarantees healing here for the sick who are prayed for in faith. Some interpret this as a reference to ultimate resurrection. The reference to sins being forgiven adds to the idea that James is considering a spiritual work and healing, not necessarily a physical healing. Yet the context of the statement demands that James does not exclude physical healing as an answer to prayer, though he does seem to mean something broader than only a physical healing. We should pray for others in faith, expecting that God will heal them, then leave the matter in God’s hands. Clearly, God does not grant immediate healing for every prayer of faith, and the reasons are hidden in the heart and mind of God. Still, many are not healed simply because there is no prayer of faith offered. The best approach in praying for the sick is to pray with humble confidence that they will be healed, unless God clearly and powerfully makes it clear that this is not His will. Having prayed, we simply leave the matter to God.” God responds to prayers that are made in a spirit of faith in Him. Ray Fowler said, “It’s not the oil that brings the healing here but the prayer of faith. Whose faith? The elders! We cannot blame a lack of healing on a lack of faith on the sick person’s part. They already demonstrated faith in calling the elders. Now it’s the elders’ job to pray in faith. In response to the prayer of faith, James says the Lord will raise the person up. This is resurrection language, but probably refers to the person getting out of their sick bed. Notice it is the Lord who raises the person up. Once again, it is not the elders, not the oil, not even the prayer of faith that is ultimately responsible for healing, but the Lord. Only God can heal. Sometimes God will heal miraculously and immediately. Sometimes God will use doctors and medicine to heal. Sometimes God will speed up the natural processes of healing he has already built into your body. And sometimes we just need to trust God while we wait for his answer.”
    51 min

About Gospel Light Society Podcasts

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Gospel Light Society is a global ministry that seeks to present the Gospel to all people, in every language, around the world, over the internet. People all over the world need to hear about the love, peace, and joy that only comes through Jesus Christ. For many people, they are not free to practice their Christian beliefs in their country. For others, they do not feel comfortable in a public place of worship. Because of this, millions of people search for God on the internet. In many languages, GLS seeks to share the Gospel of Christ to those who contact us and then help them to grow in the saving knowledge of Jesus by connecting them with a church or a home Bible study group.