CH EGV

Praying for the Sick [Our Camp Meetings, Pages 44-48 (1892).] In the matter of praying
for the sick ... I have been considering many things that have been presented to me in
the past in reference to this subject. Suppose that twenty men and women should
present themselves as subjects for prayer at some of our camp meetings, this would not
be unlikely, for those who are suffering will do anything in their power to obtain relief
and to regain strength and health. Of these twenty, few have regarded the light on the
subject of purity and health reform. They have neglected to practice right principles in
eating and drinking and in taking care of their bodies, and some of those who are
married have formed gross habits and indulged in unholy practice, while of those who
are unmarried, some have been reckless of health and life, since in clear rays the light
has shone upon them; but they have not had respect unto the light, nor have they
walked circumspectly. Yet they solicit the prayers of God’s people and call for the elders
of the church. Should they regain the blessing of health, many of them would pursue
the same course of heedless transgression of nature’s laws unless enlightened and
thoroughly transformed.... Sin has brought many of them where they are—to a state of
feebleness of mind and debility of body. Shall prayer be offered to the God of heaven
for His healing to come upon them then and there, without specifying any conditions? I
say, No, decidedly no. What, then, shall be done? Present their cases before Him who
knows every individual by name. Present these thoughts to the persons who come
asking for your [374] prayers: We are human; we cannot read the heart or know the
secrets of your life. These are known only to yourself and God. If you now repent of
your sin, if any of you can see that in any instance you have walked contrary to the light
given you of God and have neglected to 398 Praying for the Sick 399 give honor to the
body, the temple of God, but by wrong habits have degraded the body which is Christ’s
property, make confession of these things to God. Unless you are wrought upon by the
Holy Spirit in special manner to confess your sins of private nature to man, do not
breathe them to any soul. Christ is your Redeemer; He will take no advantage of your
humiliating confessions. If you have sin of a private character, confess it to Christ, who
is the only Mediator between God and man. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1.
 If you have sinned by withholding from God His own in tithes and offerings, confess
your guilt to God and to the church, and heed the injunction that He has given you:
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse.” Malachi 3:10....

………

Unwise Confidence Many are unwilling to put forth the needed effort to obtain a
knowledge of the laws of life and the simple means to be employed for the restoration
of health. They do not place themselves in right relation to life. When sickness is the
result of their transgression of natural law, they do not seek to correct their errors and
then ask the blessing of God, but they resort to the physicians. If they recover health,
they give to drugs and doctors all the honor. They are ever 486 Counsels on Health
ready to idolize human power and wisdom, seeming to know no other god than the
creature—dust and ashes. It is not safe to trust to physicians who have not the fear of
God before them. Without the influence of divine grace, the hearts of men are
“deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Jeremiah 17:9. Self-
aggrandizement is their aim. Under cover of the medical profession, what iniquities
have been practiced, what delusions supported! The physician may claim to possess
great wisdom and marvelous skill, while at the same time his character is abandoned,
and his practice contrary to the laws of health. The Lord our God assures us that He is
waiting to be gracious; He invites us to call upon Him in the day of trouble.
Furthermore, the teaching of these physicians is continually leading away from the
principles God has given us in regard to health, especially on the diet question. They say
we are not living as [457] we ought and prescribe changes that are contrary to the light
God has sent. Brethren, how can the Lord let His blessing rest upon us when we are
going right upon the enemy’s ground? God the Helper of His People Why is it that men
are so unwilling to trust Him who created man and who can, by a touch, a word, a look,
heal all manner of disease? Who is more worthy of our confidence that the One who
has made so great a sacrifice for our redemption? Our Lord has given us definite
instruction, through the apostle James, as to our duty in case of sickness. When human
help fails, God will be the helper of His people. “Is any sick among you? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.”
James 5:14, 15. If the professed followers of Christ would, with purity of heart exercise
as much faith in the promises of God as they repose in satanic agencies, they would
realize, in soul and body, the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. God has granted to this
people great light, yet we are not placed beyond the reach of temptation. Who among
us are seeking help from the gods of Ekron? Look on this picture—a picture not drawn
Warning Against Spiritualist Physicians 487 from imagination. In how many, even among
Seventh-day Adventists, may its leading characteristics be seen! An invalid, apparently
very conscientious, yet bigoted and self-sufficient, freely avows his contempt for the
laws of life and health, which divine mercy has led us as a people to accept. His food
must be prepared in a manner to satisfy his morbid cravings. Rather than sit at a table
where wholesome food is provided, he will patronize restaurants, because he can there
indulge appetite without restraint. A fluent advocate of temperance, he disregards its
foundation principles. He wants relief, [458] but refuses to obtain it at the price of self-
denial.

………

LS EGV

Chapter 9—Answers to Prayer [74] In the spring of 1845 I made a visit to Topsham,
Maine. On one occasion quite a number of us were assembled at the house of Brother
Stockbridge Howland. His eldest daughter, Miss Frances Howland, a very dear friend of
mine, was sick with rheumatic fever, and under the doctor’s care. Her hands were so
badly swollen that the joints could not be distinguished. As we sat together speaking of
her case, Brother Howland was asked if he had faith that his daughter could be healed
in answer to prayer. He answered that he would try to believe that she might, and
presently declared that he did believe it possible. We all knelt in earnest prayer to God
in her behalf. We claimed the promise, “Ask, and ye shall receive,” John 16:24. The
blessing of God attended our prayers, and we had the assurance that God was willing to
heal the afflicted one. One of the brethren present cried out, “Is there a sister here who
has the faith to go and take her by the hand, and bid her arise in the name of the Lord?”
Sister Frances was lying in the chamber above, and before he ceased speaking Sister
Curtis was on her way to the stairs. She entered the sickroom with the Spirit of God
upon her, and taking the invalid by the hand, said, “Sister Frances, in the name of the
Lord arise, and be whole.”
New life shot through the veins of the sick girl, a holy faith took possession of her, and
obeying its impulse, she rose from her bed, stood upon her feet, and walked the room,
praising God for her recovery. She was soon dressed, and came down into the room
where we were assembled, her countenance lighted up with [75] unspeakable joy and
gratitude. The next morning she took breakfast with us. Soon after, as Elder White was
reading from the fifth chapter of James for family worship, the doctor came into the
hall, and, as usual, went upstairs to visit his patient. Not finding her there, he hurried
down, and with a look of alarm opened the door of the large kitchen where we were 59
60 Life Sketches of Ellen G. White all sitting, his patient with us. He gazed upon her with
astonishment, and at length ejaculated, “So Frances is better!” Brother Howland
answered, “The Lord has healed her,” and the reader resumed his chapter where he
had been interrupted: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church;
and let them pray over him.” James 5:14. The doctor listened with a curious expression
of mingled wonder and incredulity upon his face, nodded, and hastily left the room. The
same day Sister Frances rode three miles, returning home in the evening, and although
it was rainy, she sustained no injury, and continued to improve rapidly in health. In a
few days, at her request, she was led down into the water and baptized. Although the
weather and the water were very cold, she received no injury, but from that time was
free from the disease, and in the enjoyment of her usual health. At this time Brother
Wm. H. Hyde was very sick with dysentery. His symptoms were alarming, and the
physician pronounced his case almost hopeless. We visited him and prayed with him,
but he had come under the influence of certain fanatical persons, who were bringing
dishonor upon our cause. We wished to remove him [76] from among them, and
petitioned the Lord to give him strength to leave that place. He was strengthened and
blessed in answer to our prayers, and rode four miles to the house of Brother Patten,
but after arriving there he seemed to be rapidly sinking.

………………..
MM

Reformation to Precede Miracle Working I am so thankful for the medical missionary

work, carried in gospel lines. It is to be taught, it is to be carried forward; for it is the
very work that Christ did when on this earth. He was the greatest Missionary the world
ever saw. You may say, “Why not, then, take hold of the work, and heal the sick as
Christ did?” I answer, You are not ready. Some have believed; [16] some have been
healed; but there are many who make themselves sick by intemperate eating or by
indulging in other wrong habits. When they get sick, shall we pray for them to be raised
up, that they may carry on the very same work again? There must be a reformation
throughout our ranks; the people must reach a higher standard before we can expect
the power of God to be manifested in a marked manner for the healing of the sick.... If
we will take hold of the Master, take hold of all the power He has given us, the salvation
of God will be revealed. Let me tell you that the sick will be healed when you have faith
to come to God in the right way. We thank God that we have the medical missionary
work. Wherever we carry the gospel, we can teach the people how to take care of
themselves.—G.C.B., April 3, 1901. Section 1—Healing Power and Its Source 35 Prayer
for the Sick As to praying for the sick, it is too important a matter to be handled
carelessly. I believe we should take everything to the Lord, and make known to God all
our weaknesses and specify all our perplexities. When in sorrow, when uncertain as to
what course to pursue, two or three who are accustomed to pray should unite together
in asking the Lord to let His light shine upon them and to impart His special grace; and
He will respect their petitions, He will answer their prayers. If we are under infirmities of
body, it is certainly consistent to trust in the Lord, making supplications to our God in
our own case, and if we feel inclined to ask others in whom we have confidence to unite
with us in prayer to Jesus who is the Mighty Healer, help will surely come if we ask in
faith. I think we are altogether too faithless, too cold and lukewarm. I understand the
text in James is to be carried out when a person is sick upon his bed, if he calls for the
elders of the church, and they carry out the directions in James, anointing the sick with
oil in the name of the Lord, praying over him the prayer of faith. We read, “The prayer
of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed
sins, they shall be forgiven him.” It cannot be our duty to call for the elders of the
church for every little ailment we have, for this would be putting a task upon the elders.
If all should do this, their time would be fully employed, they [17] could do nothing else;
but the Lord gives us the privilege of seeking Him individually in earnest prayer, or
unburdening our souls to Him, keeping nothing from Him who has invited us, “Come
unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Oh, how
grateful we should be that Jesus is willing and able to bear all our infirmities and
strengthen and heal all our diseases if it will be for our good and for His glory. Some
died in the days of Christ and in the days of the apostles because the Lord knew just
what was best for them.—Letter 35, 1890.

………………

5T

Ahaziah sent his servants to inquire of Baal-zebub, at Ekron; but instead of a message
from the idol, he heard the awful denunciation from the God of Israel: “Thou shalt not
come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.” It was Christ
that bade Elijah speak these words to the apostate king. Jehovah Immanuel had cause
to be greatly displeased at Ahaziah’s impiety. What had Christ not done to win the
hearts of sinners and to inspire them with unwavering confidence in Himself? For ages
He had visited His people with manifestations of the most condescending kindness and
unexampled love. From the times of the patriarchs He had shown how His “delights
were with the sons of men.” He had been a very present help to all who sought Him in
sincerity. “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved
them: in His [196] love and in His pity He redeemed them.” Yet Israel had revolted from
God and turned for help to the Lord’s worst enemy. 176 Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 5 The Hebrews were the only nation favored with a knowledge of the true God.
When the king of Israel sent to inquire of a pagan oracle, he proclaimed to the heathen
that he had more confidence in their idols than in the God of his people, the Creator of
the heavens and the earth. In the same manner do those who profess to have a
knowledge of God’s word dishonor Him when they turn from the Source of strength and
wisdom to ask help or counsel from the powers of darkness. If God’s wrath was kindled
by such a course on the part of a wicked, idolatrous king, how can He regard a similar
course pursued by those who profess to be His servants?
Why is it that men are so unwilling to trust Him who created man, and who can by a
touch, a word, a look, heal all manner of disease? Who is more worthy of our
confidence than the One who made so great a sacrifice for our redemption? Our Lord
has given us definite instruction through the apostle James as to our duty in case of
sickness. When human help fails, God will be the helper of His people. “Is any sick
among you? 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 shall save the
sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.” If the professed followers of Christ would, with
purity of heart, exercise as much faith in the promises of God as they repose in satanic
agencies, they would realize in soul and body the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.
God has granted to this people great light, yet we are not placed beyond the reach of
temptation. Who among us are seeking help from the gods of Ekron? Look on this
picture—not drawn from imagination. In how many, even among Seventh-day
Adventists, may its leading characteristics be seen? An invalid—apparently [197] very
conscientious, yet bigoted and self-sufficient—freely avows his contempt for the laws of
health and life, which divine mercy has led us as a people to accept. His food must be
prepared in a manner to satisfy his morbid cravings. Rather than sit at a table where
wholesome food is provided, he will patronize restaurants, because he can there
indulge appetite without restraint. A fluent advocate of temperance, he disregards its
foundation principles. He wants relief, but refuses to obtain it at the price of self-denial.
That man is worshiping at the shrine of perverted appetite. He is an idolater. The
powers which, sanctified and ennobled, might be employed to Shall We Consult
Spiritualist Physicians? 177 honor God, are weakened and rendered of little service. An
irritable temper, a confused brain, and unstrung nerves are among the results of his
disregard of nature’s laws. He is inefficient, unreliable.

……….
2T

In consequence of your afflictions and peculiar trials, your health [272] failed. The
friends of the cause of God were but few, and many of them were poor; and you could
see but little to hope for on the right hand or on the left. You looked upon your children
and your Deceitfulness of Riches 245 destitute, helpless condition, and your heart well-
nigh fainted. At this time, through the influence of Adventists who had united with the
Shakers, and in whom you had confidence because they had been your friends in time
of need, you were induced to go among that sect for a time. But the angels of God did
not leave you. They ministered unto you and were as a wall of fire round about you.
Especially did the holy angels protect you from the deceptive influences which prevail
among that people. The Shakers believed that you would unite your interest with theirs;
and they thought that if they could induce you to become one of them, you would be a
great help to their cause; for you would make an ardent member of their society. They
would have given you a high position among them. Some of the Shakers had received
spiritual manifestations, telling them that you were designed of God to be a prominent
member of their society; but that you were one who should not be urged; that kindness
would have a powerful influence where force or pressure would cause a failure of their
hopes. Magnetism was exercised among them in a powerful manner. Through this
power they flattered themselves that you would be brought to view things in the same
light in which they viewed them. You were not aware of all the arts and deception used
to bring about their purpose. The Lord preserved you. There seemed to be a circle of
light round about you, proceeding from the ministering angels, so that the darkness
which prevailed about you did not cloud the circle of light. The Lord opened the way for
you to leave that deceived community, and you left unharmed, the principles of your
faith as pure as when you went among them. Your diseased arm was a great affliction.
You had turned to the [273] right and to the left for help. You had consented to have a
woman try her boasted skill upon you. This woman was a special agent of Satan.
Through her experiments, you nearly lost your life. The poison introduced into your
system was sufficient to kill a person of the most robust constitution. Here again God
interposed, or your life would have been sacrificed. Every means you had resorted to
for the recovery of health had failed. Not only your arm, but your entire system, was
diseased.
Your lungs were affected, and you were fast going down to death. At this time you felt
that God alone could deliver. You could do one 246 Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2
thing more; you could follow the direction of the apostle in the fifth chapter of James.
You there made a covenant with God, that if He would spare your life to minister still to
the wants of your children, you would be for the Lord, and Him only would you serve;
you would dedicate your life to His glory; you would use your strength to advance His
cause and to do good in the earth. Angels recorded the promise there made to God. We
came to you in your great affliction and claimed the promise of God in your behalf. We
dared not look to appearances; for in so doing we should be like Peter, whom the Lord
bade come to Him on the water. He should have kept his eye lifted upward to Jesus; but
he looked down at the troubled waves, and his faith failed. We calmly and firmly
grasped the promises of God alone, irrespective of appearances, and by faith claimed
the blessing. I was especially shown that God wrought in a wonderful manner, and you
were preserved by a miracle of mercy, to be a living monument of His healing power, to
testify of His wondrous works to the children of men.

………..

GW

Prayer for the Sick The very essence of the gospel is restoration, and the Saviour would
have His servants bid the sick, the hopeless, and the afflicted take hold upon His
strength. God’s servants are the channels of His grace, and through them He desires to
exercise His healing power. It is their work to present the sick and suffering to the
Saviour in the arms of faith. They should live so near to Him, and so clearly reveal in
their lives the working of His truth, that He can make them a means of blessing to those
in need of bodily as well as spiritual healing. It is our privilege to pray with the sick, to
help them to grasp the cord of faith. Angels of God are very near to those who thus
minister to suffering humanity. The consecrated ambassador of Christ who, when
appealed to by the sick, seeks to fasten their attention upon divine realities, is
accomplishing a work that will endure throughout eternity
And as he approaches the sick with the comfort of a hope gained through faith in Christ
and acceptance of the divine promises, his own experience becomes richer and still
richer in spiritual strength. With awakened conscience many a troubled soul, suffering
bodily ailments as the result of continued transgression, cries out, “Lord, be merciful to
me a sinner; make me Thy child.” It is then that the minister, strong in faith, should be
ready to tell the sufferer that there is hope for the penitent, that in Jesus every one who
longs for help and acceptance may find deliverance and peace. He who in [214]
meekness and love thus brings the gospel to the afflicted soul so much in need of its
message of hope, is a mouthpiece for the One who gave Himself for mankind. As he
speaks helpful, appropriate words, and as he offers prayer for the one lying on a bed of
suffering, Jesus makes the application. God speaks through human lips. The heart is
reached. Humanity is brought into touch with divinity. The minister should understand
by experience that the soothing power of the grace of Christ brings health and peace
and fulness of 190 Prayer for the Sick 191 joy. He should know Christ as the One who
has invited the weary and heavy-laden to come to Him and find rest. Let him never
forget that the Saviour’s loving presence constantly surrounds every human agent
ordained of God for the impartation of spiritual blessing. The remembrance of this will
give vitality to his faith and earnestness to his petitions. Then to those who call upon
him for help he can impart the health-giving power of God’s truth. He can talk of the
words of healing wrought by Christ, and direct the minds of the sick to Him as the great
Physician, who is light and life, as well as comfort and peace. He can tell them that they
need not despair, that the Saviour loves them, and that if they surrender themselves to
Him, they will have His love, His grace, His keeping power. Let him urge them to rest in
God’s promises, knowing that He who has given these promises is our best and truest
Friend. As he endeavors to direct the mind heavenward, he will find that the thought of
the tender sympathy of the One who knows just how to apply the healing balm, will
give the sick a sense of rest and quietude. The divine Healer is present in the sick-room;
He hears every [215] word of the prayers offered to Him in the simplicity of true faith.
His disciples today are to pray for the sick, as verily as did the disciples of old. And there
will be recoveries; for “the prayer of faith shall save the sick.” [James 5:15.] * * * * * In
the word of God we have instruction relative to special prayer for the recovery of the
sick.
But the offering of such prayer is a most solemn act, and should not be entered upon
without careful consideration. In many cases of prayer for the healing of the sick, that
which is called faith is nothing less than presumption. Many persons bring disease upon
themselves by their self-indulgence. They have not lived in accordance with natural law
or the principles of strict purity. Others have disregarded the laws of health in their
habits of eating and drinking, dressing or working. Often some form of vice is the cause
of feebleness of mind or body. Should these persons gain the blessing of health, many
of them would continue to pursue the same course of heedless transgression of God’s
192 Gospel Workers 1915 natural and spiritual laws, reasoning that if God heals them in
answer to prayer, they are at liberty to continue their unhealthful practices and to
indulge perverted appetite without restraint. If God were to work a miracle in restoring
these persons to health, He would be encouraging sin. It is labor lost to teach people to
look to God as a healer of [216] their infirmities, unless they are taught also to lay aside
unhealthful practices. In order to receive His blessing in answer to prayer, they must
cease to do evil and learn to do well. Their surroundings must be sanitary, their habits
of life correct. They must live in harmony with the law of God, both natural and
spiritual. Confession of Sin To those who desire prayer for their restoration to health, it
should be made plain that the violation of God’s law, either natural or spiritual, is sin,
and that in order for them to receive His blessing, sin must be confessed and forsaken.
The Scripture bids us, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed.” [James 5:16.] To the one asking for prayer, let thoughts like
these be presented, “We cannot read the heart, or know the secrets of your life. These
are known only to yourself and to God. If you repent of your sins, it is your duty to make
confession of them.” Sin of a private character is to be confessed to Christ, the only
mediator between God and man. For “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” [1 John 2:1.] Every sin is an offense against God, and
is to be confessed to Him through Christ. Every open sin should be as openly confessed.
Wrong done to a fellow-being should be made right with the one who has been
offended. If any who are seeking health have been guilty of evil-speaking, if they have
sowed discord in the home, [217] the neighborhood, or the church, and have stirred up
alienation and dissension, if by any wrong practice they have led others into sin, these
things should be confessed before God and before those who have been offended. “If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1:9.] Prayer for the Sick 193 When wrongs have been
righted, we may present the needs of the sick to the Lord in calm faith, as His Spirit may
indicate. He knows each individual by name, and cares for each as if there were not
another upon the earth for whom He gave His beloved Son. Because God’s love is so
great and so unfailing, the sick should be encouraged to trust in Him and be cheerful. To
be anxious about themselves tends to cause weakness and disease. If they will rise
above depression and gloom, their prospect of recovery will be better; for “the eye of
the Lord is upon them” “that hope in His mercy.” [Psalm 33:18.] Submission to God’s
Will In praying for the sick, it should be remembered that “we know not what we should
pray for as we ought.” [Romans 8:26.] We do not know whether the blessing we desire
will be best or not. Therefore our prayers should include this thought: “Lord, Thou
knowest every secret of the soul. Thou art acquainted with these persons. Jesus, their
Advocate, gave His life for them. His love for them is greater than ours can possibly be.
If, therefore, it is for Thy glory and the good of the afflicted ones, we ask, in the name of
Jesus, that they may be restored to health. If it be not Thy will that they may be
restored, we ask that Thy grace may comfort and Thy presence [218] sustain them in
their sufferings.” God knows the end from the beginning. He is acquainted with the
hearts of all men. He reads every secret of the soul. He knows whether those for whom
prayer is offered would or would not be able to endure the trials that would come upon
them should they live. He knows whether their lives would be a blessing or a curse to
themselves and to the world. This is one reason why, while presenting our petitions
with earnestness, we should say, “Nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done.” [Luke
22:42.] Jesus added these words of submission to the wisdom and will of God when in
the garden of Gethsemane He pleaded, “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from Me.” [Matthew 26:39.] And if they were appropriate for Him, the Son of God, how
much more are they becoming on the lips of finite, erring mortals!
194 Gospel Workers 1915 The consistent course is to commit our desires to our all-wise
heavenly Father, and then, in perfect confidence, trust all to Him. We know that God
hears us if we ask according to His will. But to press our petitions without a submissive
spirit is not right; our prayers must take the form, not of command, but of intercession.
There are cases where God works decidedly by His divine power in the restoration of
health. But not all the sick are healed. Many are laid away to sleep in Jesus. John on the
Isle of Patmos was bidden to write, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their [219]
works do follow them.” [Revelation 14:13.] From this we see that if persons are not
raised to health, they should not, on this account, be judged as wanting in faith. We all
desire immediate and direct answers to our prayers, and are tempted to become
discouraged when the answer is delayed or comes in an unlooked-for form. But God is
too wise and good to answer our prayers always at just the time and in just the manner
we desire. He will do more and better for us than to accomplish all our wishes. And
because we can trust His wisdom and love, we should not ask Him to concede to our
will, but should seek to enter into and accomplish His purpose. Our desires and interests
should be lost in His will. These experiences that test faith are for our benefit. By them
it is made manifest whether our faith is true and sincere, resting on the word of God
alone, or whether, depending on circumstances, it is uncertain and changeable. Faith is
strengthened by exercise. We must let patience have its perfect work, remembering
that there are precious promises in the Scriptures for those who wait upon the Lord.
Not all understand these principles. Many who seek the Lord’s healing mercy think that
they must have a direct and immediate answer to their prayers or their faith is
defective. For this reason those who are weakened by disease need to be counseled
wisely, that they may act with discretion. They should not disregard their duty to the
friends who may survive them, or neglect to employ nature’s agencies for the
restoration of health. Often there is danger of error here. Believing that they will be
[220] healed in answer to prayer, some fear to do anything that might Prayer for the
Sick 195 seem to indicate a lack of faith. But they should not neglect to set their affairs
in order as they would desire to do if they expected to be removed by death. Nor
should they fear to utter words of encouragement or counsel which at the parting hour
they wish to speak to their loved ones.
Remedial Agencies Those who seek healing by prayer should not neglect to make use of
the remedial agencies within their reach. It is not a denial of faith to use such remedies
as God has provided to alleviate pain and to aid nature in her work of restoration. It is
no denial of faith to co-operate with God, and to place themselves in the condition most
favorable to recovery. God has put it in our power to obtain a knowledge of the laws of
life. This knowledge has been placed within our reach for use. We should employ every
facility for the restoration of health, taking every advantage possible, working in
harmony with natural laws. When we have prayed for the recovery of the sick, we can
work with all the more energy, thanking God that we have the privilege of co-operating
with Him, and asking His blessing on the means which He Himself has provided. We
have the sanction of the word of God for the use of remedial agencies. Hezekiah, king of
Israel, was sick, and a prophet of God brought him the message that he should die. He
cried unto the Lord, and the Lord heard His servant, and sent him a message that fifteen
years should be added to his life. Now one word from God would have healed Hezekiah
instantly; but special directions were given, “Let them take a lump of figs, and lay it for a
plaster upon the boil, [221] and he shall recover.” [Isaiah 38:21.] On one occasion Christ
anointed the eyes of a blind man with clay, and bade him, “Go, wash in the pool of
Siloam.... He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.” [John 9:7.] The
cure could be wrought only by the power of the great Healer, yet Christ made use of the
simple agencies of nature. While He did not give countenance to drug medication, He
sanctioned the use of simple and natural remedies. When we have prayed for the
recovery of the sick, whatever the outcome of the case, let us not lose faith in God. If
we are called 196 Gospel Workers 1915 upon to meet bereavement, let us accept the
bitter cup, remembering that a Father’s hand holds it to our lips. But should health be
restored, it should not be forgotten that the recipient of healing mercy is placed under
renewed obligation to the Creator. When the ten lepers were cleansed, only one
returned to find Jesus and give Him glory. Let none of us be like the unthinking nine,
whose hearts were untouched by the mercy of God. “Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning.” [James 1:17.]—The Ministry of Healing, 227-
233.

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Chapter 16—Prayer for the Sick The Scripture says that “men ought always to pray, and
not to faint” (Luke 18:1); and if ever there is a time when they feel their need of prayer,
it is when strength fails and life itself seems slipping from their grasp. Often those who
are in health forget the wonderful mercies continued to them day by day, year after
year, and they render no tribute of praise to God for His benefits. But when sickness
comes, God is remembered. When human strength fails, men feel their need of divine
help. And never does our merciful God turn from the soul that in sincerity seeks Him for
help. He is our refuge in sickness as in health. “Like as a father pitieth his children, So
the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that
we are dust.” Psalm 103:13, 14. “Because of their transgression, And because of their
iniquities, [men] are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner of food; And they draw
near unto the gates of death.” Psalm 107:17, 18, A.R.V. “Then they cry unto the Lord in
their trouble, And He saveth them out of their distresses. He sendeth His word, and
healeth them, And delivereth them from their destructions.” Verses 19, 20, R.V. [226]
God is just as willing to restore the sick to health now as when the Holy Spirit spoke
these words through the psalmist. And Christ is the same compassionate physician now
that He was during His 150 Prayer for the Sick 151 earthly ministry. In Him there is
healing balm for every disease, restoring power for every infirmity. His disciples in this
time are to pray for the sick as verily as the disciples of old prayed. And recoveries will
follow; for “the prayer of faith shall save the sick.” We have the Holy Spirit’s power, the
calm assurance of faith, that can claim God’s promises. The Lord’s promise, “They shall
lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18), is just as trustworthy now as
in the days of the apostles. It presents the privilege of God’s children, and our faith
should lay hold of all that it embraces. Christ’s servants are the channel of His working,
and through them He desires to exercise His healing power. It is our work to present the
sick and suffering to God in the arms of our faith. We should teach them to believe in
the Great Healer. The Saviour would have us encourage the sick, the hopeless, the
afflicted, to take hold upon His strength. Through faith and prayer the sickroom may be
transformed into a Bethel. In word and deed, physicians and nurses may say, so plainly
that it cannot be misunderstood, “God is in this place” to save, and not to destroy.
Christ desires to manifest His presence in the sickroom, filling the hearts of physicians
and nurses with the sweetness of His love. If the life of the attendants upon the sick is
such that Christ can go with them to the bedside of the patient, there will come to him
the conviction that the compassionate Saviour is present, and this conviction will itself
do much for the healing of both the soul and the body. And God hears prayer. Christ has
said, “If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.” Again He says, “If any man serve
Me, him will My Father honor.” John 14:14; 12:26. If we live according to His word,
every precious promise He has given will be fulfilled [227] to us. We are undeserving of
His mercy, but as we give ourselves to Him, He receives us. He will work for and through
those who follow Him. But only as we live in obedience to His word can we claim the
fulfillment of His promises. The psalmist says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord
will not hear me.” Psalm 66:18. If we render to Him only a partial, halfhearted
obedience, His promises will not be fulfilled to us. 152 The Ministry of Healing In the
word of God we have instruction relative to special prayer for the recovery of the sick.
But the offering of such prayer is a most solemn act, and should not be entered upon
without careful consideration. In many cases of prayer for the healing of the sick, that
which is called faith is nothing less than presumption. Many persons bring disease upon
themselves by their self-indulgence. They have not lived in accordance with natural law
or the principles of strict purity. Others have disregarded the laws of health in their
habits of eating and drinking, dressing, or working. Often some form of vice is the cause
of feebleness of mind or body. Should these persons gain the blessing of health, many
of them would continue to pursue the same course of heedless transgression of God’s
natural and spiritual laws, reasoning that if God heals them in answer to prayer, they
are at liberty to continue their unhealthful practices and to indulge perverted appetite
without restraint. If God were to work a miracle in restoring these persons to health, He
would be encouraging sin. It is labor lost to teach people to look to God as a healer of
their infirmities, unless they are taught also to lay aside unhealthful practices. In order
to receive His blessing in answer to prayer, they must cease to do evil and learn to do
well. Their surroundings must [228] be sanitary, their habits of life correct. They must
live in harmony with the law of God, both natural and spiritual. Confession of Sin To
those who desire prayer for their restoration to health, it should be made plain that the
violation of God’s law, either natural or spiritual, is sin, and that in order for them to
receive His blessing, sin must be confessed and forsaken.
The Scripture bids us, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed.” James 5:16. To the one asking for prayer, let thoughts like these
be presented: “We cannot read the heart, or know the secrets of your life. These are
known only to yourself and to God. If you repent of your sins, it is your duty to make
confession of them.” Sin of a private character is to be confessed to Christ, the only
mediator between God and man. For “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ Prayer for the Sick 153 the righteous.” 1 John 2:1. Every sin is an
offense against God and [229] is to be confessed to Him through Christ. Every open sin
should be as openly confessed. Wrong done to a fellow being should be made right with
the one who has been offended. If any who are seeking health have been guilty of
evilspeaking, if they have sowed discord in the home, the neighborhood, or the church,
and have stirred up alienation and dissension, if by any wrong practice they have led
others into sin, these things should be confessed before God and before those who
have been offended. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. When wrongs have been
righted, we may present the needs of the sick to the Lord in calm faith, as His Spirit may
indicate. He knows each individual by name, and cares for each as if there were not
another upon the earth for whom He gave His beloved Son. Because God’s love is so
great and so unfailing, the sick should be encouraged to trust in Him and be cheerful. To
be anxious about themselves tends to cause weakness and disease. If they will rise
above depression and gloom, their prospect of recovery will be better; for “the eye of
the Lord is upon them” “that hope in His mercy.” Psalm 33:18. In prayer for the sick it
should be remembered that “we know not what we should pray for as we ought.”
Romans 8:26. We do not know whether the blessing we desire will be best or not.
Therefore our prayers should include this thought: “Lord, thou knowest every secret of
the soul. Thou art acquainted with these persons. Jesus, their Advocate, gave His life for
them. His love for them is greater than ours can possibly be. If, therefore, it is for Thy
glory and the good of the afflicted ones, we ask, in the name of Jesus, that they may be
restored to health. If it be not Thy will that they may be restored, we ask that Thy grace
may comfort and Thy presence [230] sustain them in their sufferings.”