A Prayer for the Sick — sacred illustration
✶ Our Bible Moments No. 189 / 253

Healing

A Prayer for the Sick

James 5:14-15

James 5:14-15 is the instruction in the letter of James for anyone who is sick: call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.

Lord, I bring before You someone I love who is sick. You know their pain, their fear, and every detail of their care. Be near them today. Comfort them and give them rest, and if it is Your will, restore them and raise them up. Give wisdom and skill to their doctors and nurses, and strength to everyone who cares for them. Forgive us and hold us close. Amen.

James 5:14-15 is the instruction in the letter of James for anyone who is sick: call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.

The Scripture

“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”

— James 5:14-15

Prayer points from James 5:14-15

  1. Pray by name for the person who is sick
  2. Ask God to comfort them and give them rest
  3. Ask Him to restore them and raise them up, as He wills
  4. Pray for their doctors, nurses and caregivers
  5. Ask Him to forgive and heal the whole person, body and soul
  6. Ask how you can help, and offer to pray with them

About this verse

James closes his letter with prayer for every kind of need, and for the sick he gives a simple practice: call the elders of the church, let them pray, and anoint with oil in the name of the Lord. Churches of many traditions still do this today, some as a sacrament and others as a simple act of prayer. The sick are not left to pray alone. James says that “the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up.” The healing belongs to the Lord, and He does not always heal in the way or at the time we ask; Paul once had to leave a friend sick in Miletus. James also speaks of forgiveness, not to blame the sick for their illness, but because God cares for the whole person. Praying for the sick goes together with good medical care, never instead of it. This prayer is for anyone praying for a sick family member, friend or neighbor, at home, in the hospital or far away.

When to pray this prayer

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