Gods Heart for Healing the Sick #4 Anointing with Oil and Prayer Cloths
$1.00
Discover the biblical power of anointing with oil and prayer cloths for healing, grounded in James 5, Acts 19, and real testimonies of lives transformed.
Description
Anointing with Oil Overview
In this fourth installment of the series on God’s Heart for Healing the Sick, the pastor opens by reviewing key healing methods already covered, including praying in the name of Jesus and the prayer of agreement. He grounds the session in John 14:12-14 and John 16:23-24, reminding listeners that the name of Jesus carries real authority only when held holy and used in genuine faith. From there, the teaching moves into its central focus: the biblical practice of anointing with oil for healing, drawn from James 5:13-15 and Mark 6:12-13. The pastor explains the Greek meaning behind words like affliction and sickness, distinguishing between life hardships and physical illness, and clarifies the proper role of church elders in praying for the sick. He also addresses common misconceptions, such as the idea that God uses sickness to teach lessons, firmly rejecting it in light of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and Ephesians 5:23. The second major topic is prayer cloths, taken from Acts 19:11-12, illustrated by a striking personal testimony from a crusade in Uganda where a Muslim man was instantly sobered and saved after his wife placed a prayer cloth under his pillow. The message closes with a call to consecrate the body to God and stand firm in the liberty Christ has purchased.
Anointing with Oil Outline
- 0:00 – Series Recap and the Name of Jesus: The pastor reviews the series on healing, revisiting John 14:12-14 and emphasizing that the name of Jesus must be held holy to operate in its full authority.
- 8:30 – Praying in Agreement: Drawing from Matthew 18:18-20, the pastor explains how agreement in prayer removes spiritual barriers, illustrated by the four men who lowered the paralyzed man through the roof.
- 18:00 – Anointing with Oil in James 5: James 5:13-15 is opened in depth, distinguishing between affliction, which calls for personal prayer, and sickness, which calls for the elders to anoint with oil.
- 28:00 – What Anointing Oil Represents Biblically: The pastor traces the use of anointing oil through Scripture, from the ordination of David to Africa missions, explaining the meaning of Christos as the anointed one.
- 36:00 – Your Body Belongs to God: Using 1 Corinthians 6:13-20 and Ephesians 5:23, the pastor argues that because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, sickness is an intruder to be rebuked.
- 46:00 – Debunking Healing Misconceptions: The pastor directly confronts the ideas that God uses sickness to teach lessons or to bring people home, showing from Scripture why these beliefs undermine faith.
- 54:00 – Prayer Cloths in Acts 19: Acts 19:11-12 is examined, explaining how the anointing on Paul transferred through handkerchiefs and aprons, healing the sick and driving out evil spirits.
- 1:00:00 – Uganda Testimony: Prayer Cloth Saves a Family: A firsthand account from a crusade in Uganda where a Muslim man was instantly sobered, delivered, and born again after his wife placed a prayer cloth under his pillow.
- 1:06:00 – Standing Fast in Divine Health: Closing exhortation from Galatians 5:1, Isaiah 58:8, and 3 John 2, calling believers to consecrate their bodies, rebuke sickness, and walk in the full liberty Christ purchased.
Scripture References
John 14:12-14, John 16:23-24, 1 John 3:23, Matthew 18:18-20, Psalm 103, Psalm 133, James 5:13-15, Mark 6:12-13, 3 John 2, 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Ephesians 5:23, Galatians 5:1, Isaiah 58:8, Acts 19:11-12, Psalm 104:29, James 1:6-8
Key Takeaways
- The name of Jesus carries genuine authority only when it is held holy, honored, and used in sincere faith rather than spoken carelessly or as a cultural habit.
- Anointing with oil is a biblical command for the sick to call on the elders of the church, and the prayer of faith prayed over them will bring healing and forgiveness together.
- Your body is not your own, it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, a member of Christ, and therefore any sickness or disease is an intruder that must be actively rebuked in Jesus name.
- God does not use sickness to teach lessons, the Holy Spirit is the teacher of all things, and nothing in Scripture supports the idea that physical suffering is a divine classroom.
- The prayer of agreement removes spiritual barriers between people and God, just as four men tore through a roof to bring a paralyzed man into the healing presence of Jesus.
- Prayer cloths are a legitimate biblical method of healing, as demonstrated in Acts 19:11-12, where the anointing on Paul transferred through cloth to heal the sick and deliver the oppressed.
- Believers are called to stand fast in the liberty Christ has purchased, which includes divine health for the body, prosperity in all things, and wholeness in spirit, soul, and body.
Anointing with Oil Notes
Central Truth About Anointing Oil
The core of this message rests on James 5:14-15, where God instructs the sick to call for the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. The pastor clarifies that this is not a ritual reserved for a few privileged believers but a kingdom right available to every person. The anointing oil itself is not magical, but it serves as a point of contact for faith, connecting the believer to the authority of Jesus Christ and the healing that was already purchased at the cross through his blood.
Distinguishing Affliction from Sickness
A valuable exegetical distinction is made between the Greek word kakopatheo, translated as affliction or suffering in James 5:13, which refers to hardship and mental anguish in life circumstances, and the separate call in verse 14 to those who are physically sick to summon the church elders. The pastor explains that believers enduring life difficulties should pray personally and draw closer to God through the trial rather than expect elders to simply make the trouble disappear. This precision helps listeners apply the passage correctly without confusion.
Why God Cannot Want You Sick
The pastor builds a systematic case from Ephesians 5:23, which calls Christ the savior of the body, and from 1 Corinthians 6:13-20, which declares the body is for the Lord and the Lord is for the body. If God is the savior of the body, it is logically and theologically inconsistent for him to simultaneously will sickness upon it. Reinforcing this with 3 John 2, where the apostle prays for believers to prosper and be in health just as their soul prospers, the message leaves no room for the popular belief that God orchestrates suffering for correction.
The Uganda Prayer Cloth Testimony
One of the most vivid illustrations in this message comes from a personal crusade account in a Muslim-majority region of Uganda. A woman newly converted to Christ received a handkerchief prayed over by the pastor and placed it under the pillow of her husband, who was deep in alcohol and drug addiction and was pulling their fourteen-year-old son into the same lifestyle. That night the man came home at four in the morning, got into bed, and instantly leapt up crying out to God. He was sobered on the spot, gave his life to Jesus Christ, and appeared at the meeting the next evening with his wife.
Rebuking Sickness as a Kingdom Responsibility
A recurring and practical application in this sermon is the call to stop tolerating sickness as an inevitable part of life and to begin treating it as an invasion of God’s temple. The pastor urges believers to immediately rebuke headaches, sniffles, viruses, and any physical symptom in the name of Jesus, understanding that the body is consecrated to God and Satan has no legal right to defile it. For those who are struggling to do this alone, the remedy is straightforward: call for the elders, receive anointing with oil, and trust the prayer of faith to produce healing and restoration.
Faith Is the Engine Behind Every Method
Whether praying in the name of Jesus, using anointing oil, or sending a prayer cloth, the pastor consistently returns to one irreducible requirement: the prayer of faith. He argues from James 5:15 that no method produces results if the one praying is thinking God might not want the person healed or imagining that their character disqualifies them. God’s healing is not conditional on the recipient’s moral standing because healing and forgiveness operate as the same redemptive act. Faith that God wants every person well, based on the finished work of Christ, is what activates every healing method Scripture provides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about anointing with oil for healing?
James 5:14-15 instructs anyone who is sick to call for the elders of the church, who are to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. The passage promises that the prayer of faith will save the sick and that the Lord will raise them up. Mark 6:12-13 also shows the disciples anointing many sick people with oil and healing them during their ministry travels.
What is a prayer cloth and is it biblical?
A prayer cloth is a piece of fabric that has been prayed over and then given to a sick or afflicted person as a point of contact for faith-based healing. Acts 19:11-12 records that God worked unusual miracles through Paul so that handkerchiefs and aprons taken from his body were brought to the sick, and diseases left them and evil spirits departed. The practice is grounded in this New Testament precedent.
Does God use sickness to teach believers lessons?
Scripture does not support the idea that God uses physical sickness as a teaching tool. Jesus declared the Holy Spirit would teach believers all things, as recorded in the Gospel of John, and nothing in the Bible attributes illness to divine instruction. The pastor notes that while a difficult circumstance may redirect a person’s attention toward God, it is the Holy Spirit who provides the teaching, not the sickness itself.
Why is the name of Jesus so important in healing prayer?
John 14:12-14 records Jesus promising that whatever believers ask in his name he will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. The authority in the name of Jesus is tied directly to belief in that name; using it carelessly or treating it as a cultural expression strips away the confidence needed for the prayer of faith to operate effectively. Philippians 2 describes it as the name above every name, carrying both authority and power.
What is the prayer of agreement and how does it work for healing?
Matthew 18:18-20 teaches that when two believers agree on Earth about anything they ask, the Father in heaven will do it for them. In the context of healing, the prayer of agreement removes spiritual barriers that stand between a person and the healing God has already provided. The pastor illustrates this with the account of the four men who carried their paralyzed friend through a torn-open roof to reach Jesus, a picture of agreement breaking through every obstacle.
Is healing available to every believer or only to certain people?
According to James 5:14-15 and the broader testimony of Scripture, healing is a kingdom right available to every person who is sick, not a privilege reserved for a spiritually elite few. Psalm 103 declares that God forgives all iniquities and heals all diseases, and 3 John 2 expresses the apostolic desire that all believers prosper and be in health. God provides multiple methods of healing precisely because he wants everyone to have access to wholeness.
What does it mean that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?
First Corinthians 6:19-20 states that the believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, purchased by God at the price of Christ’s blood, and therefore not the believer’s own to do with as they please. This means sickness is an intrusion into a space consecrated to God, and believers are called to actively rebuke it rather than passively accept it. Ephesians 5:23 adds that Christ is the savior of the body, making clear that God’s redemptive intent includes physical health and not just spiritual salvation.
How should a believer respond when going through hardship versus physical sickness?
James 5:13 addresses those going through general affliction or hardship with a call to pray personally and draw near to God through the trial, finding strength and growth in the process. Verse 14 then addresses physical sickness with a different instruction: call for the elders of the church to pray over you and anoint you with oil. The distinction matters because God wants believers to engage both life difficulties and physical illness with active faith rather than passive endurance.
