James 5:13-14 (S21) declared, “Is any of you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone in joy? Let him sing hymns. Are any of you sick? Let him call the elders of the Church, and let the elders of the Church pray for him, applying oil to him in the name of the Lord. ยป
According to the WHO, health is a complete state of physical, mental, social well-being and not only the absence of disease or infirmity. However, sometimes your state of health is dysfunctional, due to a temporary or prolonged disability, resulting from some disease.
This disease alters your daily life, your morale or your vision of tomorrow. It sometimes requires technical assistance, hospitalization and medical or therapeutic treatment of varying degrees of burden. So what are the sources of the disease?
The sources of the disease.
The disease can manifest itself by multiple visible, invisible, unknown or known symptoms in the medical community. And sometimes, it evolves, gets worse over time. Most diseases are multifactorial depending on previous experience, environment, current context or genetic predispositions. Sometimes the disease can be just demonic.
First of all, it is essential to analyze the real causes of the disease before any action, in order to treat yourself and find an adequate treatment.
The Bible on Illness
As Christians, we perceive sickness as a situation that does not come from God, and that should not dwell in our bodies. God desires that “you prosper in all respects and be healthy, as the state of your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2).
First, according to the Bible, your body is precious and belongs to the Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NKJV) “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have received from God, and that you do not belong to yourselves.”
Second, good health is part of God’s plan of redemption. Yes, by sacrificing Himself to the Cross, God sent His only begotten Son to heal you and be totally delivered from all sickness. It all says in 1 Peter 2:21 S21 “He who Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross so that freed from sin, we may live by righteousness, for it is by His wounds that you have been healed.”
Nevertheless, sometimes we live the opposite of the Word of God. In this case, how do we live in God’s plan of redemption? When we learn that a loved one is sick, we use all kinds of spiritual strategies to obtain God’s mercy, so that He stretches out His hand and brings the person out of this state.
But you must be wise and aware that only the help of the Holy Spirit will lead you to the right subjects of prayer, in order to pray effectively.
The help of the Holy Spirit.
The person most empowered to decipher this disease is the Holy Ghost, for He is able to “search hearts and loins” (Jeremiah 17:10). He is our guide on earth and in heaven. God has given you a weapon, which is prayer, and He advises you to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Indeed, it is essential to carry this situation in prayer and to ask for the help of the Holy Spirit in order to find solutions. For he says in John 14:26 (NKJV) “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and remind you of all that I have said to you.”
Several solutions can be considered:
- A simple fervent prayer can be very effective (James 5:16). Your prayer can make a difference in that person’s life.
- Interceding alone or with several members of the Church (James 5:13) may be the solution. With others, we have more strength and we encourage each other.
- A simple fast based on the message the Holy Spirit has delivered to you (Mark 17:21) can break the deadlock.
After obtaining the guidelines to follow, other possibilities open to you such as gestures of fraternity and love.
Gestures of love.
Praying is a basis, a priority giving a perfect sense of direction. Prayer helps to have satisfaction and to resolve problems such as illness. However, prayer can be combined with other actions such as:
- Provide services: pick up medication at the pharmacy, accompany this person during consultations, make phone calls to check on him.
- Bring a meal and share a meal in a friendly atmosphere, do household chores, do shopping.
- Just be present and listen to him, hold his hand.
- Offer him a walk or an outing, a fun entertainment, etc.
The actions are varied and will depend on the pathology, the advancement of the state of health and especially the consent of this person, to obtain his full recovery.
On the other hand, it must be taken into account that he (she) accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, if this is not yet the case. His healing will depend on his life which must be in communion with the Word of God, his repentance and the state of his heart (Lack of forgiveness, bitterness, hatred, etc.).
Moreover, the answer is attracted by faith and trust in God; So it requires a certain will and attitude to have.
Answer and faith.
To have a remission of the disease of this loved one, it will also depend on your actions in perseverance, with expectation and faith. Because sometimes healing is immediate and sometimes it takes time.
Even if you do not see improvement with your earthly eyes, or on the contrary you realize that there is a regression, you must believe that God has already answered you. God controls times and circumstances. Proclaim every day that this person is much better, until the miracle happens.
Similar miracles can be read in the Bible; the woman with blood loss who was cured 12 years later. All it took was a frustration with the situation and a boldness to touch the pan of Jesus’ mantle (Matthew 9:20-22).
Beyond trust, hope, faith was a booster for this woman. This prayer was answered because it corresponds to God’s promise oriented on His Word. “Commend your fate to the Lord, put your trust in Him, and He will act.” Psalm 37:5 (NKJV))
As a result, “God is for us a refuge and a support. Help that never fails in distress” Psalm 46:2 (NKJV).
When you see a loved one suffering, you cannot remain insensitive, you feel vulnerable. On the other hand, prayer gives us the strength to face any situation that arises. So let us keep in mind that God always triumphs and that we walk fully in victory. You must not look at this disease, but at God who has the last word and He will glorify His Name.
