Is Any Sick Among You?

“Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” James 5:14-15 (KJV) I was about 12 when I got stricken with a very bad skin disease. I missed a few of months of school and was eventually bedridden as the disease progressed. In my little village in northern Ontario, medical facilities were scarce. My mother was my main caregiver. Some kind neighbors would bring remedies, but they did not help. One day my mother came home from church and told my father that she had invited elders from the church to come and pray for me. That evening they arrived with their guitars and Bibles. They sang songs and read Scripture. They asked if I could be seated on the sofa, and they gathered around me. The pastor anointed me with oil, and they prayed as they laid hands on me. I found myself weeping as a sweet presence came over me. I got up from the sofa and was instantly healed by the power of God! I was sent out to a nursing station, examined, and they could not find anything wrong. The disease never came back. I met the Lord Jesus as my Healer that night when those men of God honored God’s Word . . . to pray for the sick and they shall be healed. Sadly, many churches don’t follow the Scripture. Many have created their man-made rituals or religious practices to deal with the sick. I share my testimony of healing to encourage believers to honor God’s Word, such as stated in James 5:14. God honors our faith in Jesus. – Liz Beardy Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org