Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. James 5:14-15 NLT
Several years ago, I was preparing to teach from this passage, as I had done many times. I had also applied these verses frequently, especially in hospital visitation. On this occasion, my eyes were drawn to the word “over” in verse 14. I had always just assumed that the translators used a different way to say, “Pray for.” That’s the standard term, right? “Pastor, pray for me.”
When I checked the Greek text, I found that this is a word that means “over.” It is used 449 times in the New Testament and is never translated “for.” James knew exactly what he was saying when he used that word.
It brought back memories of my early days as a Charismatic believer. One of the common practices in home meetings was to pray for people, especially the sick, by seating them in a chair in the center of the room. We would then all gather and pray. The results were remarkable. It was known as “putting them in the hot seat.” There was a reason for that terminology.
Despite my limited knowledge and experience, I noticed that there was almost always a moment when the tone of the prayers picked up, reflecting something tangible in the atmosphere. I felt it both as one who was praying and as the recipient of those prayers. People often described a sense of warmth flowing over their body, or a kind of tingling in the hands of those praying. Something happened, and I felt it.
I’m convinced that this is the kind of praying James described when he used the term “pray over” the sick. In our determination to be “faith” people, I think we often diminish the importance of persistent corporate prayer. We like to pray, say we believe, and get on with our business. How about we consider the option of praying over those who need healing? What if we prayed over them until we sensed that tangible anointing? I’m convinced we would see a lot more results.
Let’s do this! See you in church.
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