Good morning, Friends! Thank you all for coming today!
We’ve been talking here for the last 6 weeks at worship about prayer.
It’s a big subject, and as Christians, we’re supposed to know all about prayer. We talked about the Lord’s Prayer, and quiet prayer, and singing prayer, and how prayers come in different sizes. Last week we talked about how prayer makes us strong.
There are many more things we can talk about. All of them are important. But there’s one area we haven’t talked about very much in this series, which is praying for healing.
We all have experience with this. Some of you can tell stories about how your prayers were answered. Most of us could also tell stories about how we prayed really hard for someone, and they didn’t get well right away.
I want to back up just a little bit, and take a look at the whole subject of healing prayer. Because it’s a really big area. And we all need to know as much as we can about it.
One of the first things that stands out, is that in Jesus’ time, and way back into the Old Testament, there weren’t a lot of options. They didn’t have doctors the way we think of them. There were no medical schools. There were no hospitals.
There weren’t any of the tests we have today. None of the antibiotics and medicines. If you got sick, you asked your parents and neighbors what to do.
You might be able to find someone who had the same illness and got through it. You might be able to find someone who knew what to do with a broken arm or a broken leg. But there just weren’t the kind of x-rays and treatments we have today.
People in Jesus’ day suffered from SO MANY illnesses – fever and malaria, typhoid, cholera, leprosy, blindness, mental illness – which today we consider treatable. Childhood diseases were really common, as was death for women in childbirth. Indoor air pollution from cooking fires, as well as lead poisoning were also very common.
On the average, people just didn’t live too long back then. Most died in their 30’s and 40’s. Today in the US, men live to an average age of about 75. Women about 80.
That’s an average, of course – people who eat right, take care of themselves, keep moving and stay safe often live longer. People who don’t watch their diet, abuse drugs, hang out with gangs, and do other foolish things, often live much shorter.
You should congratulate yourselves, because you came to church today. Research shows that going to church regularly is one of the things which contributes to living longer. It’s not just the spiritual benefit, but just getting out, having friends, having an attitude of love and hope. Those help you live longer, and enjoy life more!
My point is, people were helpless back then. They had nothing to fall back on, except prayer.
We still pray, but we also have a lot of other things we can do. That’s not saying anything against prayer. But we’re in a very different situation.
There are so many stories in the gospel about Jesus healing people. And those stories are probably just the tip of the iceberg. Jesus undoubtedly healed many others as well.
Let me read a short section about healing prayer from one of the early letters of the church.
Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.
If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:14-16
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Praying for healing is good. I do it all the time. In hospitals, in homes, here at worship, wherever, I always pray for people to be healed, whatever problem or illness they have. My prayers aren’t always answered the way I wish they were. That doesn’t stop me from praying.
I always mean it when I pray. My faith in God isn’t shaken, when things take a different direction. I believe that God loves every one of us. I don’t believe that God holds back because he hates us.
I believe that prayer makes a difference. And we don’t always understand why God does things a different way.
But there are a whole lot of things we do understand. And that’s a blessing. One of the biggest turnarounds in human history, is that we’re starting to understand at least some of the reasons for illness, and sometimes we can do something.
There’s no conflict between prayer and medicine. Many doctors and nurses and healthcare people are Christians. They have gone into medicine because they want to help people. Working in medicine isn’t just their job, it’s their ministry.
I know many doctors and nurses who pray for their patients. They have deep faith that God wants them to use the very best of their medical knowledge and skill, but they also know that God is the greatest physician of all.
There’s another reading I’d like to share with you. It’s from one of the books which isn’t printed in every edition of the Bible. It was written by a Jewish rabbi named Ben Sirach, who lived about the same time as Jesus.
Give doctors the honor they deserve, for the Lord gave them their work to do. Their skill came from the Most High, and kings reward them for it. Their knowledge gives them a position of importance, and powerful people hold them in high regard.
The Lord created medicines from the earth, and a sensible person will not hesitate to use them. Didn’t a tree once make bitter water fit to drink, so that the Lord’s power might be known?
The Lord gave medical knowledge to human beings, so that we would praise him for the miracles he performs. The druggist mixes these medicines, and the doctor will use them to cure diseases and ease pain. There is no end to the activities of the Lord, who gives health to the people of the world.
My child, when you get sick, don’t ignore it. Pray to the Lord, and he will make you well.
Confess all your sins and determine that in the future you will live a righteous life. Offer incense and a grain offering to the Lord, as fine as you can afford. Then call the doctor – for the Lord created him – and keep him at your side; you need him. There are times when you have to depend on his skill.
The doctor’s prayer is that the Lord will make him able to ease his patients’ pain and make them well again.
Ben Sirach 38:1-14
So, you see what I’m saying about prayer and medicine. There isn’t a conflict between them. They’re on the same side.
I know there are people who say that if you go to the doctor, you don’t have faith. They may mean well, but they’re misguided. Do whatever you can to get well!
Jesus didn’t seem to need a lot of special words or special prayers to help people. On a few occasions, Jesus didn’t even need to be there in order to heal people. Sometimes, he healed remotely.
Unlike a lot of people in Jesus’ day, when he healed people, he simply touched them, and he only said a few simple words:
“Be healed. . .”
“Your faith has made you well. . .”
“Go home, and tell everyone what God has done for you. . .”
On a number of occasions, Jesus said something very similar to what our first reading today says. Often, Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven. . .“
Not every illness is caused by sin. In fact, very seldom do we want to blame people that way. Many people get sick who are faithful and lead good lives.
Back in Bible times, many people believed that all illness was caused by sin. They said that illness was always a punishment for doing something wrong, or for not obeying just one of the hundreds of regulations in Jewish law.
Jesus never said that. Jesus was all about mercy and compassion. Jesus never once blamed anyone for the illness they were having.
Today’s reading says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”
That was a great answer then, and it still is today. Don’t go to some quack. Ask the church to pray for you.
Anointing was both a holy practice, but it also brought comfort. Many times, when we visit someone, rubbing lotion on their hands or feet is very comforting. I’m sure most of you have put a wet cloth on someone’s forehead, or moistened their lips.
We also adjust beds, prop people with pillows, make the room warmer or cooler, and do all kinds of things for their comfort. Caring for someone’s body is love, and it’s also a form of prayer.
“If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.“
I know I just said a minute ago that I don’t think God punishes people with illness. But we also know that sometimes there are things people need to get out of their system.
This is a good time to remember that sin doesn’t always mean that a person did something bad or rebelled against God. “Sin” can also mean just being broken. If their life doesn’t work any more, sometimes the body breaks down, as well as their mind or spirit.
We judge people when we call them sinful. But if we set our judgement aside, we see that they’re just hurt and broken — like us. Helping each other to be healed is a ministry.
Anointing is only one way people can be helped. It’s a very good thing to do, but it’s not the only way.
Healthy living is a really important part of healing. We can really help ourselves if we eat better food, if we eat less junk and try for a better balance in our diet. For a lot of people, gardening and cooking is their way to pray.
Even today, a lot of kids don’t get enough to eat. Providing good food is another form of prayer.
Millions of people get sick and die because they don’t have safe drinking water. That’s actually the biggest single cause of illness and death in many countries. Praying about it, and doing something about it, is a life-saving ministry.
The Bible talks a lot about getting enough rest. That’s the whole idea of the Sabbath. Fatigue and burnout are at epidemic levels today. Helping people to rest more and rest better is really important.
Every time you hear about someone taking a Sabbath, encourage them. Any time you hear about someone going on a vacation to rest, tell them you’re glad! If someone you know is going on a retreat, a pilgrimage, or a trip to enjoy part of God’s world, great!
I know we all have to work hard and get things done. But every now and then, remind people about the part of the gospel where it talks about loafs and fishes.
An important part of healing is healthy exercise and physical therapy. Many people find that massage is helpful. None of these things are opposed to prayer. Prayer is simply one of the most important parts of healing.
We don’t always know exactly what to say when we pray. We don’t always know what’s the best answer.
It’s good to remember that God is the one with all the answers. God is the one who sees into hearts and minds and physical bodies. So, we can ask for help. But God is the one who really understands everything that’s going on.
Tell God what you feel and what you see. Tell God your hopes and your fears. If you’re praying for someone else, lift them up to God. If the person is unconscious, try to say what they would say, if they could pray. Pray on their behalf, and pray for their family.
Your prayer can be long, or short. When you’re done, say, “In Jesus’ name.” And everyone there say “Amen.”
You’re asking God for help. And you’re saying “Amen” to whatever God can do.
We believe that God can do a lot. We trust God, for love, and mercy, and peace. Whatever happens, we trust that God will welcome us, and the ones we love.
Don’t give up on prayer. That’s the bottom line on this whole series of messages I’ve been sharing with you.
Pray with your whole heart. And make up your mind to trust Jesus.
You know that God is listening. If you’re quiet, you can hear God’s answer.
You’ll be surprised sometimes by what happens. You’ll always be blessed. Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything.