Are any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, James 5:14 WEB

Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray in his name. As we read in John 14:12-14, “Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father. Whatever you will ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it. WEB”

Praying in the name of Jesus, we acknowledge the righteousness of our Savior. In addition, petitioning God in the name of Jesus acknowledges that our access to God comes only through Christ our redeemer. As Jesus taught in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. WEB” 

Confess Your Offenses

James, the brother of Jesus, teaches members of the church affected by illness to call on the elders of the church to pray for healing in the name of the Lord. In doing so, he also mentions anointing their heads with oil. It was a Hebrew tradition at the time to anoint a guest’s head with oil when receiving them into their homes. When a man is sick, the righteous in Christ pray over him in the name of Jesus which brings the issue before the throne of God. This is the reason for the anointing. 

And so, if an individual is sick in a spiritual sense, physically, or both, James teaches us to take the issue to the Lord in prayer. As we pray over him or her, James encourages his readers by teaching that praying in faith leads to healing and forgiveness of sins. Further, he teaches in James 5:16, “Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective. WEB” 

Yesterday’s Devotional: That Which Is to Come