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.
—1 Corinthians 11:30-32
James 5:14–15, above all other scriptures, most clearly declares to the sick what they have to do in order to be healed. The Bible teaches us that it is the will of God to see His children in good health. The apostle James had no hesitation in saying that “the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.”
Notice, first, that James made a distinction between affliction, or suffering, and sickness. In the previous verse, he said, “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray” (verse 13). He definitely did not say to ask for deliverance from suffering. No, suffering that may arise from various exterior causes is the portion of every Christian.
But in dealing with the words, “Is any sick among you?” James replied in quite another manner. He said with assurance that the sick one may ask for healing with confidence that he will obtain it. There is, therefore, a great difference between suffering and sickness. Suffering comes to us from without, and will cease only when Jesus triumphs over the world. Sickness is an evil that is in this body saved by Christ, that it may become the temple of the Holy Spirit. This body should be healed as soon as the sick believer receives the working of the Holy Spirit, the life of Jesus in him.
What course did James instruct the sick to follow? Let him call for the elders of the church to pray for him. He did not tell the sick believer to turn to physicians. The elders were the pastors and leaders of the churches, called to the ministry because they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Couldn’t he pray for himself? Couldn’t his friends have prayed? Yes, but it is not so easy for everybody to exercise the faith that obtains healing. That is one reason why James desired that men should be called whose faith was firm and sure.
Finally, there is a promise of healing. The apostle spoke of it as the consequence of the prayer of faith.“The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.” As we receive these words, shouldn’t we see in them an unlimited promise that offers healing to whoever will pray in faith? May the Lord teach us to study His Word with the faith of a truly believing heart!