Fellowship: Corporate Prayer
| 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 make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned he will be forgiven. (James5:14-15) |
He wants us to be a real body where the rest of the body feels the pain of one part and unites in support of the hurting part and when we do, He does great things in that body.
The elders of the church are involved because they are chosen as representatives of the Body. Throughout the Old Testament oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit and the symbol of being set apart. Faith is needed too, but the clear implication is that it is not only the faith of the person being prayed for, but the faith of those praying.
One of the reasons why the elders are the ones who should pray is that sometimes the need for healing comes from sin that needs to be confessed. Due to the abuse of the confessional just before the Reformation, the Protestant church has shied away from confession.There can, however, be incredible healing for people who suffer from guilt or who are unable to break a habitual sin if they confess their need to a group of mature, trustworthy Christians who will pray for them, hold them accountable, and keep their own mouths shut.
It takes courage to be vulnerable to a group of fellow Christians, but when Christ's love operates in the group, the results can be amazing.
