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 sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. – James 5:14
This is exactly what was done two Saturdays ago when pastors and leaders from various churches met at Providence Methodist Church, Christ Church, during a service of prayer, praise and thanksgiving specially held for the sick and ailing in the community.
Armed with vials of oil, they anointed and prayed for many.
Pastors from a variety of denominations and members of their congregations filled the sanctuary with their sweet music and sounds of worship. Special prayers were said for those present and on behalf of the sick who could not attend.
The theme for the service, which was organized by residents in the community, was Come Walk With Me.
Special ministry in song was rendered by Brother Anthony Nurse, who sang God Will Make A Way; Pastor Solomon Odoom, who delighted the congregation with his selections Balm In Gilead and He Touched Me; and Sister Fiona Alleyne, whose song That Name blessed members of the congregation so much that some of them, on their feet, erupted in shouts of “Amen” and “Praise the Lord”.
Indeed, it was a glorious evening when the oil was brought to the altar and those who needed healing were anointed.
In his homily, Pastor Frank Yarde shared several portions of Scripture where people were healed because of their faith. They included the story of the centurion who sought healing for his servant (Matthew 8). He told Jesus that He only had to speak the word and his servant would be healed.
Then there was the case of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed (Matthew 9); and the mother who persevered until her daughter received healing from Jesus Christ (Matthew 15).
Yarde reasoned: “When you are desperate for something, desperation calls for desperate measures. Whether you have money or not, when you confront Jesus, healing is yours.
“Jesus can heal immediately. He does not have to ask for a second opinion or refer us to somebody else. Whatever sickness you have this evening, Jesus can take care of it,” Yarde said.
“Anything you want from Jesus, especially as far as healing is concerned, it calls for faith,” he stressed, noting that “prayer is the key; the type of prayer that moves the hand of God”.
