Praying for the Sick by Stephen N. Haskell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Feb 23, 1905

Praying for the Sick

By Stephen N. Haskell

S. N. HASKELL

“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 have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him,” James 5:14, 15. This is one of the many encouraging promises that are left on record for the people of God.

The position has been taken by some that the instruction regarding the anointing of the sick is simply to teach that means should be used for their recovery, and that faith in those means is all that is intended. Such a position introduces a principle that will undermine every direct promise in the Bible. We should use every lawful means to preserve our health; and when our health is broken, it is right to use rational remedies for our recovery. But here is a special promise based upon a particular condition. If there be “any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church.” This is the first step. Second, “Let them pray.” Third, “anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” Fourth, confession of sin; for this should not be entered upon in a thoughtless manner. There should be an examination of the heart. Fifth, when these conditions are complied with, the prayer of faith saves the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. In these things we co-operate with the Lord.

To the man with a withered hand, Jesus said, “Stretch forth thine hand.” He did so, and it was made whole. Christ anointed the blind man’s eyes with clay, and told him to go and wash, and he went and washed, and came seeing. The man might have said, It does not make any difference whether I wash, or simply wipe off the clay. But would that have healed him? Was it necessary to do as the Saviour said? We might as well substitute Sunday for the Sabbath as to sit in judgment on the Saviour’s words.

It is a promise given so that when other means fail, the sick can be encouraged to come, and be healed. But it is not necessary to wait for every other means to fail. It does not tell us what kind of sickness, nor how to anoint, but to do it in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith saves. The anointing does not save, but the prayer of faith. The anointing is the co-operation with the Lord. Luther said on a certain occasion: “If I go to Rome on my knees, there is no virtue in it, because the Lord did not say it. But if God tells me to pick up a straw, there is virtue in it, because God tells me to do it.” Not one of God’s commands is meaningless.

We know not how any who have had an experience in the third angel’s message, and have witnessed the power of God in healing the sick, could take the position that there is nothing specific in this. The Lord would revive in our midst the faith that was practised among those who first accepted the message. On the one hand, God would not have his people become fanatical, and throw away their judgment, and do nothing for the sick except pray; neither would he have them lose sight of the power of God. He can heal as well to-day as in the past. When every earthly resource has failed, as in the experience of the woman in the gospel who had spent all her means on many physicians, and was no better, but rather grew worse, a touch of his garment can heal at the present day the same as when he walked on the earth.

When God has given light upon any point, as he has on healthful living, there is danger that we shall arbitrarily measure every man by our standard, and thus lose sight of the power of God; that is, that we shall recognize the power of God only when manifested in one particular way, or through certain agencies. These agencies are all right, but when we set any agency or form, however correct it may be, and God-given, above the principle guarded by it, we thereby place ourselves in the position of the Pharisees. Mercy is the greatest element in the law of God. The form is to guard this principle. The Pharisees saw this form, and were very strict in it, but they neglected “the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.” The same danger lies in the pathway of God’s people to-day.

An illustration of faith is given in the case of Elijah’s praying that it might not rain, and again praying for rain. “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” “Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” Then “Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, . . . Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.” 1 Kings 18: 41-46.

While the writer was in Africa a few years ago, tons of powder were shot into the air to cause it to rain; but there was no artificial means used in Elijah’s case, and no resort was made to natural methods to cause it to rain. It was simply the result of praying to God. God heard the prayer, the clouds gathered, and the rain fell. At first there was only a cloud as big as a man’s hand, and then the clouds and rain immediately followed.

This illustrates the power in praying for the sick and anointing with oil. There is hope given for the church of God. It is one of those divine legacies imparted by the Holy Spirit to give encouragement and hope for the afflicted among the people of God. Remove from the church these promises that bring instantaneous manifestations of the power of God, and you have robbed it of its divine commission.

“They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” “And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” Mark 6: 13. “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16: 17, 18. The writer has witnessed many such instances. God is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. What is needed, is a revival of our faith.