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 restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. James 5:14-15 BSB
There was a lady in one of our churches who was one of our most faithful members. She was a woman of faith who prayed for others with remarkable results. One evening, I received a call informing me that she was in the hospital in great pain. The doctors removed her gall bladder before the night was over, and she was facing a lengthy recovery. God was faithful, and she made a supernaturally swift recovery.
When I spoke to her about the episode, she said, “I prayed, but it just seemed like I didn’t have the strength to fight.” She was busy with here church duties, and was facing difficulties at home with her kids. She was spending time and emotional energy on the problems of others. It consumed her prayer life and drained her devotional time. When the attack of the enemy came, she was too weary to hang on to the promise of God for herself. I was reminded of what Paul said to the Galatians:
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 NKJV
In the passage in James 5, the English word “sick” is used twice. In the original language, however, they are two different words. The first, is the usual word for sickness, asthenéō. The second is a word that is usually translated weary, kámnō. The Complete Word Study Dictionary says, “When used in connection with asthenéō, to be sick, it suggests the common accompaniment of sickness, weariness of mind which may hinder physical recovery.”
When you’re faced with illness that hits you when you are already weary with life’s demands, it’s hard to fight the good fight of faith. In addition, when sickness lingers, it’s easy to become exhausted. You may be saying the right things and putting on a brave face, but you’re still completely exhausted. Here’s the key point: you don’t have to do this alone. Go to a place where you can get others to pray over you. Let’s go to church.
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