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Ponderize James 5:14-15 (14-20 Feb 16)


14 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:
 15 And 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.

James 5:14-15

As I studied and pondered this scripture I felt that there are two parts of a healing blessing that need to take place to make the healing effective.  The first part is the responsibilities of the person receiving the blessing and the second part is the responsibilities of the men exercising their priesthood to give the blessing.  

For the person who is sick
1. If you are sick, then you should call for the elders.  While it is noble for the priesthood to offer to give a blessing, the person receiving the blessing needs to take that first step of faith and ask for one.  
2.  The person who is sick needs to exercise faith sufficient to be healed.  Think of the story in the New Testament about the woman with an issue of blood.  (Matthew 9:20-22)  She exercised faith sufficient to be healed.  

For the men giving the blessing. 
1. Blessings are done in the name of the Lord.  Do not forget who’s priesthood you are exercising.  
2. Remember that it is a prayer of faith.  Faith needs to be exercised by both the person giving the blessing and the person receiving the blessing.  
3. Fasting and prayer are appropriate preparations for giving a blessing.  The act of fasting and prayer helps bring our will in alignment with the will of God.  Note this passage in the Bible dictionary.  
Bible Dictionary; Prayer  - "Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them."
Finally, there is a connection between healing physically and healing spiritually (sins forgiven).  This supports the doctrine that all things are spiritual.  Having faith to be healed allows the atonement of Christ to cleanse and heal our body of its infirmity and to heal our spirit that is damaged as a result of sin. 

Cross References:
D&C 42:48-51 - He that hath faith to be healed will be healed if not appointed unto death.  
D&C 67:3 - If we are fearful, we will not receive the blessings
3 Nephi 17:8 - We must have faith sufficient to be healed
Matthew 17:21 - Healing takes place after prayer and fasting. 
2 Nephi 32:8-9 - Before acting in the name of the Lord you must pray
Article of Faith 7 - We believe in the gift of healing. 
Moroni 10:8-11 - The gift of healing is a gift of the spirit 

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