Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
James 5:13-18
As I write this, a young woman I know who has been surrounded by love and prayer is near death, a victim of cancer. This passage is particularly difficult in a situation like this, because James says that if you pray with faith, the sick will be restored to health. But everyone eventually dies. How could this verse be true?
Verse 15 which speaks of the sick person being made well uses the Greek word astheneia, which literally means "without strength." This could be physical, spiritual, or emotional strength. In a society where physical disease was very often seen as punishment for sin, James' call to gather to pray for those who were ill in any sense of the word could be considered radical. It was - and often still is - much easier to leave the sick behind. In today's society, where we usually understand that physical ailments are not related to our characters, we are more supportive. But what about mental illnesses or those who suffer spiritually? Are we eager to keep them within the community of the church?
The young woman I know has been strengthened and uplifted by the prayers of her faith community. The cancer is killing her body, but it has not destroyed her spirit. She has truly been raised up in prayer and made strong in Christ through the prayers of the righteous.
Prayer: Lord, may those I name in my heart feel Your healing power. Heal today those who are hurting but physically, spiritually and emotionally, according to Your will. May I be an instrument of that healing. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen
* Devotion taken from The Sanctuary for Lent 2016 by Sue Mink
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