GUIDELINES FOR PEOPLE DESIRING ANOINTING FOR HEALING --Diane Pestes & compiled with my friends Ione Richardson and Corleen Johnson See also the Handout entitled: Spiritual Anointing for a Purpose

Anointing for healing Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (James 5:13-16 NIV). What is anointing? Anointing is mentioned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Priests and Kings in the Old Testament were anointed with oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit coming upon them to lead God’s people. In the New Testament Jesus expanded the idea by inviting people to engage in this rite when they were sick. Why is oil used? Oil represents the Holy Spirit. One example of oil being used is James 5:14. However Jesus was not limited to this (see John 9:6&7 KJV) Who can be anointed? Anyone. Jesus even healed non-believers. Luke 5:19-20 tells of four friends bringing a paralytic to Jesus and Jesus commends them for their faith, not the faith of the paralytic. To the paralytic he says, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” When should you be anointed? We are already anointed for God’s purpose when we accept Him into our lives and desire to share about 20 Him (1 John 2:20 (NIV) But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth). However we can also ask for special anointing for healing. The Bible invites us to pray whenever there is a need. This is not just for those close to death. See the Seventh-day Adventist Minister’s Manual page 241. “The formal anointing service, however, is typically reserved for the physically sick. The text asks, ‘Is anyone among you sick?’ It does not ask, ‘Is anyone among you dying?’ …Anointing is not to bless the dying, but to heal the living … by putting our trust in God even before we look to human sources. It is to turn to God first – not just at the last. What are people anointed for? James 5:13-14 asks two questions, “Is anyone of you in trouble? … Is any one of you sick? Those are pretty broad questions. The Bible shows Jesus healed many types of issues (Matthew 9:35, NIV 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness).

Preparing for anointing: Spend time alone with God asking Him to prepare your heart. Ask for His cleansing forgiveness so nothing stands between your soul and your savior. 1 John 1:9 assures you that God always answers yes to requests for spiritual healing. He promises to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness and take our guilt away. The sweet peace that comes from knowing you are right with God becomes even more important than physical healing. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” All known sin must be confessed. What is sin? Simply put, James 4:17 NIV, “Anyone, then who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” If you feel like you cannot gain victory over a sin problem, this can be made a subject of prayer in the anointing service. Put your trust in the Lord and His grace. Jesus is able to heal every need. Besides searching your life for sins and confessing them, you may study and read the following: James 5:13-16

Psalm 107:17-20

Psalm 66:18

Psalm 41:10

Jeremiah 30:17

Jeremiah17:14

Isaiah 61:1-3

Psalm 103

Two conditions for prayers being answered: John 15:7 NJKV emphasis added, [#1] “If you abide in Me, [#2] and My words abide in you, [then] you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Do I need to disclose why I need anointing? You do not need to mention specifically why you wish to be anointed. But those praying for you will need a general idea so they know how to pray. What will happen at the service? You will have opportunity to share your reason for requesting the anointing with one or more people conducting the service. These people will kneel in a circle around you praying and claiming specific promises of healing for you. You may request special friends to accompany you and pray for you as well. You may pray for yourself first if you wish. One person will close the prayer time by praying and touching your forehead with oil. Sometimes the group chooses to sing a song after the anointing is finished.

How can I know if I will be healed? You can trust God to bring you healing. Sometimes it comes as we expect, sometimes in another way. Healing is not only physical but can come with forgiveness, peace of mind, emotional well-being, etc. Sometimes God chooses to heal in stages. Some have lost their pain. Others have found relief through doctors and surgeries as God gives them knowledge. Know that on every occasion of anointing, blessings can be received. Trust God to heal you as He sees fit—even if you must wait until eternity. Keep claiming James 5:15, “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well…”

AN EXAMPLE ANOINTING SERVICE FOR HEALING Songs: Start with some songs like: Into My Heart Pray: Then pray and invite the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ Presence: There is healing in the presence of Jesus … There is healing in the touch of Jesus (Mark 5:28 +) Explain: Explain items that might be helpful from the questions and answers in the above material. Readings: Read some of the Scripture passages above like James 5:13-16. Gather in a circle: Invite those who are being anointed to be in the center of the circle. Each circle or group needs an elder or a pastor and any friends or family that wish to pray for those being anointed. The group leader may wish to take some silent time for all involved to confess or ask forgiveness for anything God brings to their heart. Express the desire or need: Those wishing to be anointed may share their desire or need for healing. Ask them to explain what they wish God to do for them. They don’t need to go into a long explanation if they are uncomfortable. They could simply say it is a physical need, spiritual need or emotional need. Or they can just pray their need. But if they give a verbal explanation, encourage others to not jump in and try to solve the problem. The person desiring anointing may desire to go first then others pray around the circle. The elder may wish to go last or pray at the beginning and end, and then they place the oil on the person’s forehead. Scriptures for claiming (just a sampling of many wonderful promises) Scriptures may be claimed for those desiring anointing from the sampling below or others you may find. 42

Praying God’s will: Luke 22:42 (KJV) Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Praying for restoration: Jeremiah 30:17 (NIV) But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.' 17

3

Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV) 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

Jeremiah 33:6 (NIV) "'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 6

2

3 John 1:2 (KJV) Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Jeremiah 33:8 (NIV) Cleansing and forgiveness I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 8

Jeremiah 33:9 (NIV) So that the world can see what God can do for His people Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.' 9

Jeremiah 33:11 (NIV) Then God is praised and recognized as God the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD. 11

Our bodies are important to God: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received 20 from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 19

31

Both the physical and the Spiritual are important to God: 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

29

Praying in faith: Matthew 9:29 (NIV) Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you…"

Psalm 20:6 (NIV) Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. 6

Psalm 18:50 (NIV) He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever. 50

17

Psalm 94:17 (NIV) Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

James 5:13-16 (NIV) Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 13

Psalm 84:11-12 (NIV) For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he 12 withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. 11

Psalm 86 (the whole Psalm) Psalm 103 (the whole Psalm)

More songs: “God answers prayer, God answers prayer, God answers prayer, He’s so good to me…” Praise Him! It can never be emphasized enough—do not go back to talking about the problem or bringing up “tales of woe.” Praise the Lord for what He has done and continue to do so. You are now “healed” in the way God has chosen, whether that happened during the anointing service or it will happen under a doctor’s care the next day or when Jesus comes. Your healing can also come in various ways mentally, spiritually or physically.