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Praying for Sick People

Praying for Sick People. Helping Hurting People Lesson 11. What is prayer?. A reciprocal relationship with God Consulting with the Lord Almighty Listening for his instructions Working with God to accomplish his purposes Allowing God to work through us.

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Praying for Sick People

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  1. Praying for Sick People Helping Hurting People Lesson 11

  2. What is prayer? • A reciprocal relationship with God • Consulting with the Lord Almighty • Listening for his instructions • Working with God to accomplish his purposes • Allowing God to work through us

  3. The Persistent WidowLuke 18 : 1 – 8 – She understood • The nature of prayer as rebellion against what should not be • Heart disease, cancer, etc. should not be • The practice of prayer as persistent • We must persist until God acts • The magnitude of prayer is in proportion to the power of the evil we want God to overcome

  4. The Cycle of PrayerRevelation 8 : 1 - 5 • God is listening to hear us pray • Our prayer is like incense ascending to the throne of God • The size of the container is in proportion to the power of the evil we hope to overcome • When the incense container is full and has ascended to God, then his purifying power comes down to do his will

  5. Fervency in PrayerJames 5 : 16 • The extent and fervency of our prayer makes a difference • We are not ‘convincing’ God to do something • We are making ourselves channels for his power to work through us

  6. Prayer and Praise • God is enthroned in the praises of his people – Psalm 22 : 3 • Our praise is a sacrifice of worship to God • Our praise pleases him – Luke 17 : 11-19  the man who was healed of leprosy • In all circumstances we have much for which to thank God – Romans 8 : 28

  7. Prayer and Sickness • Some diseases respond quickly • Others require much persistence • This is especially so for long-standing or complicated illnesses • For some there is no response at all

  8. Prayer is Work • It requires time, effort, and energy • It can be exhausting • We must pray with our mind, soul, and spirit

  9. Pray with the Mind • We are talking with God, consulting with him • We need to use our knowledge of the problem, of his Word, and of what is needed • We are not ‘informing’ God, but working with him

  10. We should be Specific • Pray about the disease and the affected organs • We can even pray for specific cells – white blood cells, liver cells, etc. • Pray about specific symptoms, asking God for relief from one or more of them • Pray for caregivers and treatments • Pray for family and the personal life of the sick person

  11. Pray with the Soul • With feelings and emotions • We can express worries, concerns, fear, even anger to God • Moses got angry with God and God listened • David expressed a wide range of emotions to God in the Psalms • So should we

  12. Pray with the Spirit • We are in the presence of the Lord of the universe • We need to come with awe and respect • We are there to do business with him • We are offering ourselves as a channel for his mighty power

  13. Praying in the Will of God • God wills our health – John 10:10; Jeremiah 29 : 11-13 – God’s plan is good • Do not pray “If it be Thy will” • Pray “ according to your will” • Heart healing is always possible • Physical healing may not be possible • But God works for our good in all circumstances – pleasant and unpleasant

  14. Why prayers are sometimes unanswered • God is sovereign; we are not • God’s plan is good, but we may not know it – Job • We may have put obstacles in God’s way • Sin – Isaiah 59: 1,2 • Unforgiveness – Mark 11: 25 • Personal problems that need to be resolved • Lack of faith – Mark 6: 1 - 6

  15. A wrong diagnosis • God works through medicine • It is his gift to us • He usually does not override our mistakes • We must practice the best medicine possible • Have we made the right diagnosis? • Are we giving the right treatment? • Ask God for wisdom in this

  16. Bringing problems to God • Ask the person to focus on a real concern – the disease or one or more symptoms • Tell him to present this concern to the Lord in prayer, place it in his hands, and wait • Have him imagine Jesus dealing with it • Tell him to listen for a word from Jesus • Finally, pray audibly for these concerns

  17. Prayer speaks to three persons • To God – we are praying to him • To our own heart – we need to listen to what we are saying • To the sick person • Often a word we say in prayer is a powerful word of healing to the one we are praying for

  18. Praying for an unconscious person • Hearing is the last sense to disappear • NEVER speak negatively in the presence of an unconscious person • Speak to the person by name • Speak a word of encouragement • Share a portion of Scripture • In prayer, bring the person into the presence of God

  19. Permission for praying • ALWAYS ask for permission to pray • Never say: “I am going to pray for you” but rather, “Would you like me to pray?” • Most sick persons do, but a few don’t • When they do, ask if there are other concerns to pray about. This may uncover other problems needing to be dealt with

  20. Philippians 4 : 6, 7 • Don’t worry about anything, but in your prayers, ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And the peace of God, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. (Good News Bible)

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