Why Christians Pray for Healing and Lay on Hands: James 5 and the Power of Agreement

Maybe you need God to move in your body, your finances, your family, or a decision you can't see your way through. Is it biblical to ask the church to pray over you and lay hands on you? Yes. Scripture calls laying on of hands a foundation of the faith, and James 5 tells the sick to call the elders to pray. The power rests in God, who hears you and acts when His people agree in faith.

Is laying on of hands in the Bible?

Yes. Hebrews 6 names it as part of the church's foundation, right beside repentance, faith in God, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Pastor Marty Sloan taught that this practice belongs to the normal life of the church.

Laying on of hands is a point of contact and agreement. It identifies that someone has a need, and it joins the faith of believers together over that need. Pastor Marty listed what it signals: identification and impartation. It connects you to the power of blessing.

Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.

Matthew 18:19 to 20

Agreement in prayer lines your faith up with the will and the Word of God. You are praying the same thing Jesus taught you to pray: His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Where does the power to heal come from?

The power comes from God alone. Pastor Marty was clear about it: "The power is not in the hand. It's in God's hand." The people praying are vessels. You aren't praying to them, and they aren't the ones healing you. Jesus is the source, the Father is the source, and the Spirit is the source.

God is personal, not distant. That is why the ministry of Jesus so often included touch, a point of contact. He knows your need before you ask. You will never bring Him a request that surprises Him. He is with us through His Son, through His Spirit, and through His church gathered in the room.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 John 5:14 to 15

"Anything" covers everything you carry, such as physical needs, direction, relationships, provision, restoration, or a heart that needs to forgive.

What does anointing with oil mean?

The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Throughout Scripture, anointing with oil pictures the Spirit of God flowing over a person. Pastor Marty tied it to three things: consecration, restoration, and refreshment. James gives the church a clear instruction.

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:14 to 16

Pastor Marty pointed to the word "righteous." Righteousness is alignment with God's will, God's Word, and God's power. Prayer from that place is powerful and effective.

What if nothing seems to happen when I'm prayed for?

Keep trusting, because God can heal progressively as well as instantly. Jesus Himself touched one man twice.

For example, in Mark 8, people brought a blind man to Jesus at Bethsaida. Jesus led him out of the village, put His hands on him, and asked if he saw anything. The man said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." He was better, but he wasn't fully healed yet.

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Mark 8:25

Pastor Marty called this a second touch conversation. You may pray today and wake up tomorrow to find God has moved. He also admitted that he has received prayer and felt something, and received prayer and felt nothing. God still did something every time. So don't base your faith on a feeling in the moment. Trust the God who is faithful.

What role does my faith play?

Your faith is the pathway that connects you to God's power. The woman in Mark 5 had been bleeding for 12 years. She had spent all she had on doctors and only got worse. She thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed," and she was.

He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Mark 5:34

Pastor Marty called this faith, not formulas. God honors faith and obedience, not rituals. Laying on of hands and anointing with oil are acts of obedience to the Word that express your faith in God and His power. He warned against treating prayer like a transaction: "This is not a manipulation. This is not human magic." You come asking in faith and believing He can, with no demands. In the end, we pray as Jesus did: not my will, but Yours be done.

Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). The report may look bad. The bank account may look bad. Your marriage may look like it's at a dead end. Hope for healing, provision, and restoration is your faith at work, and God is able. We need hope, and faith extends our hope. God still works through His people today, and He still works in them.

The power is not in the hand or the oil. It is in God. If you want to keep reading on this, Pastor Marty recommended Keep the Faith by David Jeremiah and Means of Grace by Fleming Rutledge.

Common questions

Why do churches lay hands on people when they pray?

Laying on of hands is listed in Hebrews 6 as a foundational practice of the church. It is a point of contact and agreement in faith. God is the source of power, and the people praying are agreeing with you.

What does the Bible say about anointing the sick with oil?

James 5:14 to 16 tells anyone who is sick to call the elders of the church to pray and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and the prayer offered in faith is what God honors.

Does God always heal right away?

Not always. In Mark 8, Jesus touched a blind man twice before his sight was fully restored. God can heal instantly or progressively, so keep trusting Him when you don't see the answer right away.

Is praying for healing a formula?

No. Faith is the focus, and there is no ritual that forces God's hand. We ask in faith, agree together, and trust God's will, praying as Jesus did, "not my will, but yours be done."