March 12th - James 5:14–15

James 5:14–15 Jesus was both a healer and a teacher. He ministered to the whole range of people’s needs – body, mind and spirit. When Jesus left this earth he commissioned the Church to carry on with that ministry. Here in James we see what that meant in practice. The Church is called to minister to those who are sick and to pray for them knowing that God loves to make people better and also to forgive their sins. In recent years the word ‘holistic’ has become very popular to describe the way in which God works. In the power of his Spirit he wants us to be whole people, enjoying him and his world to the full. Many parts of the Church have focused on words and preaching and marginalised the healing ministry. But that makes no sense if we are truly following in the footsteps of Jesus. Premier Lifeline (0300 111 0101) offers an amazing ministry to tens of thousands of people every year. When people ring up, they speak with Christians about their needs, which may be physical, mental or spiritual. In truth you can’t divide people up as neatly as that! If you have a cold it will definitely affect your mental and spiritual state, and if you are struggling to forgive someone it is quite likely that it will have physical effects. Healing takes many forms and, when we pray for healing, we will never be entirely sure how God will answer. Whenever I pray for people I always tell them two things – firstly, that I am absolutely convinced of God’s ability to heal and secondly that I don’t know the way in which he will answer our prayer. In prayer we entrust ourselves into God’s loving, healing embrace. Question For whom are you going to pray for healing today? Prayer Thank you Lord that your desire is for everyone to be whole in body, mind and spirit. Help me both to receive and share your healing touch today. Amen