Do you want a long life? The deathly ill King Hezekiah of Israel prayed to God not to die but to live. God heard his prayer and gave him 15 extra years (Isaiah 38).

Why live long? Initially, our days are numbered, but age is not set in stone. God wants us to live long so he can get the most out of his 'product' – our body. We do not trade in our car every year but get the most out of it before we dispose of it. I had a Honda CRV 2002 model. When it had driven around 250,000 km, it had done its part. It became too expensive to repair, and I turned it in for scrapping. I got a lot out of that car.

In the same way God wants us to live until we reach 'good old age, old and full of days' – just as it is written about Abraham who lived to 175 years (Genesis 25:7–8). God has given each person different life strength. Therefore, the length of life will be different. Then we have no more to give to life and feel that we have 'finished the race' (2 Timothy 4:7). I'm not there yet, far from it. I want to continue for many years ahead, to give God as much as possible back for the salvation he gave me.

I also wish for a great reward in heaven. Moses 'looked forward to the reward' on the other side (Hebrews 11:26). King David prayed:

'He asked You for life, and You gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.'

Psalms 21:5

Our prayer should be like the one presented by one of the Bible's psalmists:

'I said, "My God, do not take me away in the midst of my days!"'

Psalms 102:24

The key to living long, is the fear of God, keeping His commandments and following His will in all things:

'The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked are shortened.'

Proverbs 10:27

Hold on to the promise from the Bible:

'With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.'

Psalms 91:16

Studies have shown that those who believe they will soon die live shorter lives than those who have a positive view of life, confess it, and make plans for a long life. As believers, we are in a special class because we have God's promises of 'good health' (3 John 1:2) and a 'long life'. And we should confess them loudly, for then we infuse God's invisible power into every cell of the body.

'Let us hold unwaveringly to the confession of our hope, for He who promised is faithful.'

Hebrews 10:23

The ungodly King Asa of Israel died prematurely because he only sought the doctors and not God:

'His illness became severe, yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but only the physicians.'

2 Chronicles 16:12

We who know the gospel have great advantages. Anointing oil is both for healing, protection against becoming sick, and power to live long. There are about 20 methods of healing in the Bible. One of them is anointing the sick with consecrated anointing oil. It can be used on the sick so they may recover. But the anointing oil can also be used on the healthy – so that they may be strengthened with power and protected by God's Spirit from becoming sick. So that they can live long – which is the fruit of good health by the power of the Holy Spirit.

'Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

1 Thessalonians 5:23

'The yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.'

Isaiah 10:27

In other words: When anointing oil is applied in Jesus' name, the yoke, the disease, must go!

Svein-Magne