Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence…Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darknes; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday…With long life will I satisfy Him, and show Him my salvation.
—Psalm 91:3, 5-6, 16
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.
—Psalm 92:14
An objection is often made to the words of the apostle James, “The prayer of faith shall save the sick” (James 5:15), in this form: If we have the promise of being healed in answer to prayer, how can it be possible to die? And some add, How can a sick person know whether God has not decided that we will die by such a sickness? In such a case, would not prayer be useless, and would it not be a sin to ask for healing?
According to the Word of God, our heavenly Father wills to see His children in good health so that they may labor in His service. For the same reason, He wills to set them free from sickness as soon as they have made a confession of sin and prayed with faith for healing. For the believer who has walked with his Savior and under the influence of the Holy Spirit, it is not necessary that he should die of sickness. The death of the believer is to fall asleep in Jesus Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 15:18.) For him, death is only sleep after fatigue, the entering into rest.
It is God’s will to heal His children after the confession of their sins, and in answer to the prayer of faith. They are healed of it because it attacks the body, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. The sick one should then desire healing, so that the power of God may be made manifest in him, and that he may serve Him in accomplishing His will. In this, he clings to the revealed will of God.
Remember that faith is the confident attitude of a child who honors his Father and counts on His love. He knows His Father fulfills His promises and is faithful to communicate the new strength that flows from redemption to the body as well as to the soul, until the moment of departure comes.