Rev. Bill Preskitt- “The God Who Heals: Faith, Prayer, and Divine Intervention”

The mystery of divine healing has perplexed believers for centuries—why are some healed while others suffer? Rev. Bill Preskitt tackles this profound question with wisdom and scriptural insight, guiding listeners through a comprehensive examination of James 5:14-18.

Rev. Bill Preskitt begins by establishing the biblical foundation for healing within the Christian community. When sickness comes, James instructs believers to "call for the elders of the church" who are to "pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." This process requires faith from both parties—the sick person must trust in prayer's effectiveness enough to request it, while the elders must approach the situation with confident expectation.

The sermon carefully addresses why prayers for healing sometimes appear to go unanswered. With pastoral sensitivity, Rev. Preskitt offers several perspectives: sometimes sickness serves as God's loving discipline; sometimes illness results from poor lifestyle choices requiring behavioral changes rather than just prayer; and sometimes sickness is "unto death"—part of our mortal journey toward eternity. He reassures listeners that God never truly rejects a believer's prayer for healing—the answer is either "yes" or "wait awhile," with complete healing ultimately promised to every child of God, if not in this life, then certainly in eternity.

Drawing from personal experiences and recent testimonies, Rev. Preskitt shares powerful stories of divine healing—including three cases of cancer remission in a single church community. These modern examples of God's intervention remind listeners that Jesus Christ remains "the same yesterday, today, and forever" and that the healing power described in Scripture continues to manifest in believers' lives today.

Whether you're currently facing illness, supporting someone who is, or simply seeking to understand God's perspective on healing, this message offers biblical clarity, practical wisdom, and renewed hope in the God who heals. Listen now and discover how the prayer of faith might transform your approach to sickness and healing.

Chapters

• 1:56 Introduction to Holiness Preaching Online
• 3:57 Reading from James Chapter 5
• 5:40 The God Who Heals
• 9:29 The Role of Church Elders
• 14:42 Prayer of Faith and Healing
• 17:38 Confession, Reconciliation, and Healing
• 21:46 Why Prayers for Healing Seem Unanswered
• 27:40 Testimonies of Divine Healing

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:21

This is Pastor Dwayne O'Fields. I pastor Sheep Shed Holiness Church in Stillwell, oklahoma, and I want to thank you for listening to Holiness Preaching Online. Preaching online.

Speaker 2: 1:44

Praise the Lord. Well, we're so glad to be back here with you in camp meeting and appreciate Brother Bob and the effort he puts into this every year to tell us about those who died so that we could be free. And we certainly owe thanks to those people who sacrificed for us. I read about a British soldier after World War II. He was going down the street, crippled, and this young person walked by him. Young man walked by him and realized that he was a soldier and had been wounded in the war, and he turned around and spoke to him and said Sir, I just want to thank you for the sacrifice you made for us, he said. The old soldier's tears streamed down his cheeks. He said you are the first person that ever told me thanks for my service. Well, we sure don't want to be unthankful, amen.

Speaker 2: 3:03

I'd like to read in James, chapter 5. You have your Bible. So glad to see all of you Appreciate all of the brothers and sisters here, some we haven't seen in a while. We're glad to see you. God bless you. Appreciate, brother Randy. Thank you for the invitation to come and speak to you.

Speaker 2: 3:22

James, chapter 5, and I'm going to start reading at verse 14, if you will. We'll stand for the reading of the word. Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church, let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 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. Confess your faults one to another. Pray one for another that you may be healed. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions, as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain. And it rained not on the earth. By the space of three years and six months, he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit. Father, we love you. We're thankful for your goodness to us. We're thankful for the freedom that we have, that we're privileged to be here this morning to worship God together, together around your word. We pray that you'd help me this morning to be a blessing to your people. I pray for that anointing that makes the difference, Father, and we'll give you the glory and honor for the good that's done. In Jesus' name, amen. I'd like to say I'm honored to speak with Brother Bill Parks. Brother Bill was with us in our convention a few weeks ago and was a great blessing to us, and I'm looking forward to hearing from him. But I'd like to preach for just a few minutes this morning on the God who heals.

Speaker 2: 5:05

My text gives directions for healing for the sick among the Christian community. Is any sick among you? Obviously, christians get sick. We've been granted eternal life through our faith in Christ, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels. We still live in mortal bodies and so we're subject to sickness and disease and even death. James gives the Christian a process to follow. In case of sickness, he says we're to call for the elders of the church.

Speaker 2: 5:41

The elders in the New Testament church were the leaders in that local congregation and it seems that the New Testament uses the term bishop and elder to describe the same church officers. Bishop means overseer. This was his function, and in 1 Peter 5, verses 1 and 2, peter addressed the elders and he exhorted them to feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, which is what the bishop did, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind. And the writer in Hebrews, chapter 13 and verse 17,. He exhorted the Hebrew Christians to submit to their bishops. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not.

Speaker 2: 6:37

There was a man that asked me one time about the authority of the pastor. I quoted the scripture to him, or took him to the scripture. He said I don't like that. I guess there's a lot of people who don't like that, but it's still there in the word of God. In Acts, chapter 20 and verse 28,. Paul addressed the elders of Ephesus Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. So the elder and the bishop were overseers, had the oversight of the church. Their responsibility was to feed the flock of God.

Speaker 2: 7:17

The term elder refers to the spiritual maturity of those leaders. So that's not necessarily referring to their age, but to their spiritual maturity. The bishop or the elder generally served in the capacity as a pastor. Elder generally served in the capacity as a pastor. In 1 Timothy, chapter 5 and verse 17, there is a mention of elders who were involved in leadership in the church without being involved in pastoral ministry. He says let the elders that rule well, be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labored the word and doctrine. But even if they were not called to a speaking ministry, the elder was recognized in the church as being a man of integrity and spiritual maturity. And so the sick among the Christian community were directed to appeal to the elders, those respected and recognized leaders in the congregation of the saints.

Speaker 2: 8:13

And James instructs the elders to pray over the sick. Now this section dealing with the sickness is part of a larger context that is dealing with the power of prayer. He says in verse 13 of this same chapter is any among you afflicted, let him pray. Any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church, let them pray over him. He tells us in verse 16, the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. So the context is in the power of prayer and it's important for the sick to believe in the power of prayer. You don't really call for the elders if you don't believe in the power of prayer. You don't really call for the elders if you don't believe in the power of prayer. It's also essential that the elders be convinced of the effectiveness of believing prayer. Really, if a person is going to be healed, they have to have confidence in the elders. They have to have confidence in the prayers of their brothers and sisters.

Speaker 2: 9:15

In Christ, james not only counsels prayer, but he also instructs the elders to anoint the sick with oil. Some commentators that I have read after through the years they read into this a medical command. They think that the application of oil is a medicinal remedy. If that's true, then the preacher is also to be a medical practitioner, a medical doctor. But I personally think that that interpretation is far fetched. It seems to me that the application of the oil is an object lesson that demonstrates the necessity of the power of the Holy Ghost in healing and of the expectation of his intervention.

Speaker 2: 10:01

As we pray for the sick, all is a common biblical symbol of the Holy Ghost. And James then gives assurance that God responds to the prayer of faith. He said the prayer of faith shall save the sick. It isn't prayer that saves the sick, but it's the prayer of faith that saves the sick. And save is not used here in the sense of conversion, but he's talking about being saved from the sickness. The next phrase expresses the same idea, in other words the next phrase expresses the same idea, in other words, the Lord shall raise him up, that is, up off the bed of sickness, and, according to James, the prayer of faith will not fail to bring results. This is asking, without wavering it's prayer, with absolute confidence that we are praying in the will of God and that the answer, if it's not immediately given, it is on the way. James then recognizes this added benefit to the miracle of healing If he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. So the text recognizes that sickness sometimes is the direct result of personal sin. All sickness can be traced back to the original sin in the Garden of Eden, but all sickness is not necessarily the consequence of personal spiritual failure.

Speaker 2: 11:39

When someone in the Christian community falls into sin, heaven's purpose is to rescue, to repair broken relationship, to salvage the soul, and the scriptures teach us that God chastened those that he loves, and so sickness may be the instrument that God uses to chasten a straying Christian. In Psalm 119, verse 67, david says Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word. God's chastisement may be severe, and God measures out his chastisement to us in an intensity that is designed to turn us away from our peril. Hebrews, chapter 12 and verse 11, says Now, no chastening, for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. That it is sorrowful, it is painful. Nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them, which are exercised thereby. The writer of Hebrews then instructs those experiencing the pain of chastisement like this Wherefore, lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet.

Speaker 2: 13:01

John Wesley's notes on the New Testament. He remarked on this passage of Scripture that the hands that hang down are hands unable to continue the combat. He remarked on the weak knees as being unable to continue the combat. He remarked on the weak knees as being unable to continue the race. He said that the exhortation to make straight paths for your feet meant that they must remove every hindrance, every offense, the lame which are weak, scarce, able to walk. And he said the danger to those under chastisement is that they will be turned out of the way of faith and holiness if they fail to make the needed correction. But it's in this connection that the sacred writer exhorts the Hebrews struggling under chastisement follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

Speaker 2: 13:58

My text lays down conditions for the person To be healed who has sinned Confess your thoughts one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed. So I take this to mean that there is no healing for the person who has sinned Unless they are willing to confess that sin and to make amends. Jesus taught us in Matthew, chapter 5, verses 23 and 24, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, thou rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee. Leave there thy gift before the altar. Go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift. The confession that is commanded here confess your faults one to another does not mean that we get up and confess all of our dirty deeds to everybody in the church, but to that person that we have offended, to that person that we've done wrong. We go to that person and we make confession, private confession, to that person. And we make confession, private confession to that offended person, and be reconciled to that person so that, as the bible says, confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed. So now you've been reconciled to your brother, he can join in prayer for you without this, uh, this alienation between us. And we are all praying for this one that is sick. So you understand from this text that it's not just the elders who pray for the sick, but we pray one for another right. So everybody can be involved in this praying for the healing of our sick In light of the promises found in this text.

Speaker 2: 15:48

The question arises very often why are so many in the Christian community sick and why do so many prayers for the sick seem to be unanswered the six seem to be unanswered and this is a question that has troubled many thinking people, and some in the Christian community have even lost faith over seemingly unanswered prayers for healing. And probably all of us have been baffled at times over the deaths of someone. We prayed seriously and earnestly for their healing and instead they didn't get healed, at least the way we thought they would, and maybe even passed on. And I don't have all the answers about those things and I'm still seeking a greater understanding of God's provision for divine healing. But I do want to offer some suggestions to us that may help us when we are struggling with these things. First of all, I think it's important for us to seek to discern God's purpose for sickness.

Speaker 2: 16:59

Sometimes sickness, as we've mentioned, is a means of chastisement, and prayer for that person who's unwilling to repent will yield no positive results. In some cases we are praying for God to lift the chastisement before his purpose is accomplished, and then sometimes sickness is the result of an unhealthy lifestyle. There's no physical activity, no exercise, and you know, when we park our car, we park as close to the building as we can get, so we don't have to walk. We walk as little as we can, you know, and we would rather take the elevator than to walk the stairs. And we eat and drink without regard to the health consequences of our diet and we allow our appetites to dictate our diet rather than the glory of God. You know, the Bible says whether, therefore, you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Speaker 2: 18:03

My mother used to say that some people are digging their grave with their fork, and persistent ignoring of warning signs concerning your health will eventually lead to severe sickness and intense suffering. So when we ignore those warning signs high blood pressure, elevated sugar levels, other illnesses, you know, that could be helped, even eliminated, by disciplined living. Hey, y'all listening to me out there? Eliminated by disciplined living. Are you all listening to me out there? Yeah, I know what that's all about. I went to the doctor some time back. He gave me this bad report High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and boy, I would just love for somebody to lay hands on me and pray for me so I could keep on drinking a milkshake every day.

Speaker 2: 19:15

It didn't work that way and I think sometimes, you know, know, we want to be healed, hoping for a miracle so we can continue indulging our out of control appetites, and I think that many times our prayers for healing go unanswered because we are unwilling to bring our habits of life in line with scripture. What sense does it make, because we're unwilling to bring our habits of life in line with Scripture? What sense does it make to pray for someone to be healed of diabetes when they're unwilling to stop drinking sodas and eating candy bars? Any amen, amen, any amen, amen. Y'all understand that in withholding divine healing, god may be aiming for a more permanent solution to your problem and your healing may be undone by continued excess and indulgence in bodily appetites. I hope I still got friends when this is over with I'll say this too that sometimes sickness is under death.

Speaker 2: 20:45

2 Kings 13 and 14 says Now, elisha was fallen sick of his sickness, whereof he died. You remember when Jesus was summoned to come and heal his friend Lazarus? Jesus said this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby. And saying that this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby. And saying that this sickness is not unto death, jesus indicated that some sickness is unto death.

Speaker 2: 21:11

Sickness is common to the human race. Both saint and sinner get sick. Everybody's going to experience sickness at some time in your life. It's a reminder of your mortality. We live in a mortal and corruptible body. We are promised perfect health, but not in this time world. We have been forbidden earthly access to the tree of life. We've been cut off from it on this earth, but we are promised renewed access to that tree of life in the new jerusalem. Sickness is part of the death process, and our body has been equipped by our creator with marvelous mechanisms designed to repair the body through successions of illnesses, sicknesses and injuries, but eventually, however, the failure of some vital organ is going to usher us from time into eternity.

Speaker 2: 22:13

So when we pray for healing and death results, we should not despair. Death does not diminish the Christian believer. And Paul said for me to live is Christ, but for me to die is gain. No Christian should ever fear death, because death has never diminished a child of God. We just go from earth to glory and we inherit a body that will never be sick again, never age, never know pain or sorrow, hallelujah. So it's important for us to understand this that the person who dies has not been cheated by not being healed here, but they have been granted greater glory beyond death.

Speaker 2: 23:09

Some of you probably have read of this great Puritan preacher by the name of John Owen. John Owen was on his death bed and he was dictating a letter to his friend and the man writing for him. He said write and tell him I am still in the land of the living. He said stop, change that. Tell him I'm in the land of the dying, but I'm hoping to soon be in the land of the living. Praise God.

Speaker 2: 23:42

Sometimes healing is unto death.

Speaker 2: 23:44

I mean sickness is under death. I mean sickness is under death. And sometimes healing is delayed due to a lack of faith. It is the prayer of faith that heals the sick. Now I'm of the opinion, and some of you might can correct me. Now I'm of the opinion, and some of you might can correct me, but I'm of the opinion that God does not grant faith for healing when he designs that this sickness is unto death. And so if we are praying for somebody that God has designed that this sickness is unto death, god will not grant faith for that. But on the other hand, we don't know that Most of the time we don't know that. We don't know whether or not this sickness is unto death. So we pray with confidence and faith, as if it's God's will to heal this person. And this is a glorious truth, y'all, that by believing the promise of God we can relieve the suffering of our fellow believers. The prayer of faith shall save the sick.

Speaker 2: 25:01

I think we have to be people of compassion In order to pray that prayer of faith, to have no compassion for suffering, to have no compassion for the person that's sick. I'm telling you, brother, jesus healed people, not only to confirm his word, but because he had compassion on them. And God wants his people to have compassion on the suffering. We must be people of prayer, because it is prayer in secret that makes prayer in public powerful. And we must be right with God and with our fellow man in order to pray with faith. It is the fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man that God hears His prayer and answers his prayer. We must be people of faith.

Speaker 2: 25:49

Someone said that when a child of God prays to be healed, god never says no. He may say yes or he may say wait a while, but God never tells a child of God no. You are going to be healed, either here or in the world to come. But you can be assured that, though many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. The child of God is going to be healed. Sometimes it's here, sometimes it's there, but the child of God is going to be healed. Sometimes it's here, sometimes it's there, but the child of God is going to be healed. God never says no to a child of God who is praying for healing. So we must be people of faith and you know, I just came from Georgia. I preached down there Saturday morning In the area where I was raised, in a fellowship meeting and in the church there at Bethel at Isle of Georgia where Brother Will Ratliff is the pastor there now, and they've had sickness cancer.

Speaker 2: 26:59

Several people had cancer there in that church. One sister I've been knowing about all my life and she'd been suffering with cancer for four years and just recently went to the doctor and the doctor said I don't know what's happened here, but there's no cancer in your body. I can't explain it, but you are free from cancer. She'd been sick with cancer for four years and God healed her. Another sister in that church she's visiting in that church. She has a son that goes to that church.

Speaker 2: 27:32

She stood up and testified. She said she had cancer, she was taking treatments. They were about to kill her. She stopped. They just went to praying for God to heal her. She said I've been off my medicine for a whole year, have no pain. God's healed me of my cancer. And another lady there that had cancer and she said she'd been taking treatments and she said my doctor said he can't find any more cancer in me.

Speaker 2: 27:59

Well, I'm telling you, brother, it don't matter whether it's a cold or cancer. Jesus has the power to heal us. By his stripes we are healed, amen. I'm telling you that there is no sickness, there's no disease that Jesus can't cure, and God wants us to believe in the healing power of the blood of Jesus, that by his stripes we are healed. I want you to know that Jesus didn't waste His blood. He didn't waste His suffering on the cross. He hurt so we could be healed. And Jesus told us the route to take when we are sick.

Speaker 2: 28:31

Call for the elders of the church, let them anoint Him with oil. Praying over them in the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and if they've committed any sins, it shall be forgiven them. Anybody here ever been healed? Raise your hand. Ah, looky here. Oh, glory to God. I'll tell you what Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. We're going to keep on believing in the healing power of our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. Wasn't that great. How many enjoyed that message. I tell you this day will go down as a monumental day, of course, memorial Day. And then, brother Prescott, will go down as the day the preacher got preached on. I know y'all, I know y'all. And then, brother Prescott, it'll go down as the day the preacher got preached on. I know y'all, I know y'all. You're helping me greatly.

Speaker 1: 29:34

Brother, hi everyone. This is Laura Steele from Pekin, illinois. I am part of the team of graphic designers here at Holiness Preaching Online Podcast. We are beyond grateful for every listen and stream we receive, and we hope you will continue to be blessed by this ministry, as our team pours many hours into producing and publishing these sermons. May God richly bless each one of you as you endeavor to apply these messages to your Christian walk. God bless.