Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion - October 8th - James 5:14-15

James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you ill? 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. Jesus was both a healer and a teacher. You cannot divide up His ministry. He ministered to the whole range of people’s needs – body, mind and spirit. When Jesus left this earth, He commissioned the Church to carry on with that ministry, and here in James we see a clear description of what that meant in practice. In recent years, the word ‘holistic’ has become very popular to describe how God works. In the power of His Spirit He wants us to be whole people, enjoying Him and His world to the full. Many parts of the Church have tended to focus on words and preaching and have marginalised the healing ministry. But that makes no sense if we are truly following in the footsteps of Jesus. Healing takes many forms and when we pray for healing, we will never be entirely sure how God will answer. Whenever I pray for people I always tell them two things: firstly that I am absolutely convinced of God’s ability to heal, and secondly that I don’t know the way in which He will answer our prayer. In prayer we entrust ourselves into God’s loving, healing embrace. Question For whom are you going to pray for healing today? Prayer Thank You Lord that Your desire is for everyone to be whole in body, mind and spirit. Help me to both receive and share Your healing touch today. Amen