Standing in the Gap - Praying for the Sick

James 5:14 - 15

Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

Sunday, July 23, 2023, will go down as one of the more special days of my ministry! In fact, I told Gina on the way home from church that my heart was full. That simply means that I am at rest. My heart is encouraged and I am grateful for how God is using me. I hope from time to time, you have these kinds of days as well.

Let me tell you about Sunday. Yes, we had a great day at church! Yes, we had a larger crowd than normal and yes, there is a spirit of victory and joy in the church. But something else happened yesterday that makes me say my heart is full. I had the privilege and blessing of praying over a very special lady.

There is a lady in the church where I am currently serving as Transition Pastor who is dealing with a very serious cancer diagnosis. She has faithfully seen her doctors and followed their medical directions and protocols. After several months of treatment and doctor visits, she and her husband decided that it was time to formally ask the church to pray over her. Now, be sure you know that this church family has already been diligently praying for her and will continue to do so. But this is a more intense request. And so, I was asked to pray over her and to anoint her with oil.

So after church, the deacons, their wives, and Gina and I met briefly with this kind and gracious lady and her husband to pray over her. This is not the first time I have participated in a time of focused prayer and anointing over someone; in fact, there have been many. And each time, my heart is always full. It reminds me of the importance of praying for those in our church family that are sick.

If you have ever been in a church prayer meeting, then you will understand what I mean, when I refer to a church prayer list. It is a list of those, mostly church members, that are dealing with special and unique needs. And often those needs center around the physical needs of older members of the church.

I write this today convicted and challenged to stop and give closer attention to the ones on that list. In James 5:16, the passage we looked at last week, we saw clearly that we are to pray for one another. I hope you have begun to stand in the gap for the three people you identified last week. But right before vs. 16, James 5:14 - 15 reminds us we are to pray for the sick.

Now, don’t be confused by this blog today. I am not calling on your to carry a bottle of oil around and begin holding anointing services every time you encounter a sick person. However, I am saying that we have been called to pray for one another, and according to James 5:14 - 15, the sick are among those who need our prayers. Let me give you a few examples.

Right now Gina and I are praying with a friend who recently had total knee replacement surgery. We are praying for the total restoration of her health. We are also praying over this precious one burdened with cancer I spoke of earlier. We are praying over an older saint in the same church who recently had several heart bypasses. He is a Gideon who loves to hand out Bibles and share the Gospel. We are praying over him and his wife as well, for the complete restoration of their health.

We are also praying over a young lady, a teenager, that is dealing with an injury to her leg. For several weeks, she has been walking with crutches and we are praying for total healing. We are praying for a dear friend, a gentleman a few years older than me, who has recently had some health challenges. We are praying over another dear friend who has lost a kidney and is now working through the health challenges accompanying that.

Let me say it this way, it is a joy for us to pray for and to stand in the gap for our friends and acquaintances who are sick. It fills our hearts to pray for them and watch how God works. So before we go today, I encourage you to take out another piece of paper and write down the names of 2 - 3 people in your circle of influence dealing with sickness or injury. Pray over them; stand in the gap on their behalf before God. Then sit back and trust God to work.

It is true that not everyone we pray for receives healing in this life, and that is hard to understand, especially when we have prayed. Still, God invites us to stand in the gap for those who are suffering from physical illness. And we can experience fullness in that standing whether the person is healed here on earth, or in the presence of God for eternity.

If you are dealing specifically with a sickness or an injury about which I can pray for you, please let me know. I would count it an honor to pray for you!! You can email me at david@davidsmithministry.com.