How can I minister to the sick? - Sickness - TouchPoints

Psalm 35:13-14Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I even fasted and prayed for them, but my prayers returned unanswered. I was sad, as though they were my friends or family, as if I were grieving for my own mother.

James 5:14-15Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

You can pray for those who are sick. Some will be healed and some will be strengthened spiritually even though they are not healed.

Mark 2:3-5Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t get to Jesus through the crowd, so they dug through the clay roof above his head. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark 5:25-34²⁵A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.²⁶ She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.²⁷ She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.²⁸ For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”²⁹ Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.³⁰ Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”³¹ His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”³² But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.³³ Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done.³⁴ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

John 5:7“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred up. While I am trying to get there, someone else always gets in ahead of me.”

Often, there are practical ways to help those who are sick get the help and healing they need. Remember that there are both effective services and significant limitations to what human physicians can accomplish. They, too are God’s servants.

Galatians 4:13-14Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News of Christ. But even though my sickness was revolting to you, you did not reject me and turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself.

Luke 10:33-34, 36-37Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt deep pity. Kneeling beside him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him . . . “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Matthew 25:36I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.

You can meet the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the sick. Be open to opportunities outside your comfort zone to help in Christ’s name.