“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? 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 will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” (James 5:13–15 ESV). “Suffering” refers to those with some sustained affliction as in a hardship to be endured. “Sick” here means weakness brought on by some disease that has one laid low. The suffering are admonished to pray. Those with sicknesses are to invite the elders of the church to pray for them to be raised up. “Anointing” with oil or ointment could be medicinal as well as ceremonial. There are some things we need to be praying about ourselves and there are other things that we need medicine as well as the church to pray for us. The point of it all is that we look to the Lord in prayer as our Helper and Healer.
