The Prayer For Healing
Effective Prayer • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Joni’s Prayer And Answer
Joni And Friends
Effective Prayers
Last week we looked at the 3rd contextual constraint of effective prayer and anointing with oil: Understanding what the Prayer Of Faith really is.
The Prayer of Faith is not demanding that God will heal, but in humility expressing our wish to be healed and ultimately submitting to what He knows is best.
The Prayer of Faith is knowing God will do something with my suffering, whether we are healed or not, and that He will bring this all together for some kind of good for me and that which will bring Him glory.
The Prayer of Faith is fixing our eyes on Jesus to do a deeper healing, which may or may not include my physical healing. One that only He knows needs to be done.
Joni Eareckson Tada...
Recalling a moment with her husband at the Pool of Bethesda—how she had asked Jesus, more than once, why He healed the paralytic in John 5 but hadn’t healed her.
But then, with tears in her eyes, she thanked God for not healing her physically, because it had meant yes to a deeper healing—a healing that gave her a deeper faith in God, purged sin from her life, forced her to depend on God’s grace, increased her compassion, and helped her to love Jesus more.
“O God you were so wise,” she said, “to not give me the physical healing that I wanted but the deeper healing.”
A Deeper Healing...Hmmm
Today we’re going to flesh out some what that deeper healing is.
The Fourth Contextual Constraint for Effective Prayers:
What Is The Healing That God Promises Us?
What Is The Healing That God Promises Us?
Although the straightforward reading of the text makes healing from some kind of physical malady the primary focal point, the grammar and word choices used by James open up the healing to more than just physical healing.
So today, we’re going to see the fourth constraint on our effective praying broaden our understanding of the different kinds of healing that James is referring to.
Read James 5:7-8, 13-16
Two Main Things We Will Look At Today:
Sicknesses
Healing
Sickness
Sickness
vs 14 - Sick - astheneo / asthenes and astheneia - a very broad meaning word.
vs 14 - Sick - astheneo / asthenes and astheneia - a very broad meaning word.
If James meant to focus on only bodily illness, there are two other words he could have used. nosous - diseases or sicknesses themselves
While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.
arrostos - sick - lingering ailment, bad state of health.
For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
Weakness - without strength or powerless
weaknesses of any kind - physical, psychosomatic, emotional, economic, relational, or whatever causes a person to state: “I don’t feel well.”
astheneia - this is more about the consequences or results of the sickness.
It’s what deprives us of the strength that we would enjoy if it were not for the sickness.
How does that sickness affect us physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically.
Infirm - sick
suffer from a disease
suffering the consequences from a disease
bodily
but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time;
Paul needed to use a clarifying modifier as to what kind of weakness (astheneia).
Bolstering my point that astheneia is more than just about our physical body.
Likely referring to his thorn in the flesh from 2 Corinthians 12:7
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Either way, the emphasis of the word is that the illness or disease is also causing some kind of weakness.
Which connects us to the next 2 meanings of astheneia
Figuratively to be feebleminded, fainthearted, timid
Used to refer to one who has weak faith, a weak conscience, or weakness of resisting temptation.
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
astheneia - Applied to those affected by evil spirits / demons
And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all.
And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.
sick - arrostoi
two categories of people - demon possessed and bodily ill.
demons can cause bodily sickness, mental illness, etc, but not all sickness is caused by demons.
vs. 15 - sick - kamno - to be weary from constant work.
vs. 15 - sick - kamno - to be weary from constant work.
In context, this suggests the common accompaniment of sickness or suffering, weariness of mind and spirit which may hinder physical recovery.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
I’ll come back to this shortly.
Healing
Healing
There are 5 different kinds of healing that James alludes to in this closing section.
Strengthened/Established - vs 8
context: in the midst of the suffering.
To set fast and firm.
To establish.
to harden as concrete with the underlying understanding of strength.
steadfast of mind and heart
Mind - Logic, reason, thoughts, musings
Heart - the seat of desires, feelings, affections, passions, and impulses.
Where I am weak in heart
give me courage.
Encourage me.
Heal my heart.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Where I am weak in mind
bring stability.
Help things to make sense.
Help me not be double minded.
Heal my mind.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Restored - vs 15
Restore the one who is sick
sozo - to be saved from
the term literally means “to make whole”.
Shalom.
Being saved from a bad situation, being saved spiritually, bodily, and from demons.
54 times used in the Gospels.
20 times the inference is to the rescue of physical life from some impending peril or instant death.
20 times it refers to spiritual salvation.
14 times it relate to deliverance from disease or demon possession.
one who is sick (kamno) - weary from constant work.
God will save the one who is weary from constant work.
But since it is in context connected with astheneia (weariness) it is to be saved from mental anguish associated with the illness
suggests weariness of mind which may hinder physical recovery
I am tired of constantly dealing with the all that is a result of this disease.
Where I am weak in faith
Firm up my faith.
Heal my faith.
Save me from my doubts.
Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
Where I am weak in body
Strengthen what is failing.
Give me endurance.
Help me make it through.
Heal my lack of perseverance.
Save me from giving up.
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Raised Up - vs 15
The Lord will raise him up.
to wake up from sleep - tired from the fight and am checking out.
to set up again from lying down - get up out of bed.
to rise up against (like an adversary) - get back to the battle.
to get back to doing what one was doing prior to the illness - restoration, recovery.
God wants you to get back up on your feet and get back to doing what He has for you.
‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
God wants to heal you from your slumber.
And that is a reason to be healed physically, which is why it is used right here.
Forgiven - vs 15
Not all sickness and weakness is due to sin, but some clearly are.
As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
sick - arrwstos.
The ultimate sickness is soul sickness and for the unbeliever, this is the sickness that needs to be remedied first.
And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”
“But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”
The purpose of the physical healing was as a testimony to who He was and that He has the power to forgive sins.
The purpose of other healings that Jesus does is so that they would believe in Him.
The vast majority of the physical healings that Jesus did was for some spiritual benefit.
For the believer, then, our unconfessed sins can have a negative impact on our health.
Anxiety and worry can become sin when you stop trusting God and try to find some other means of solving the problem.
Anxiety and Worry can cause stress
releases cortisol
chronic elevation due to long-term stress can lead to health issues such as high blood pressure, weight gain, anxiety, intestinal issues, and a weakened immune system.
God wants to heal us spiritually and through helping us get our faith in order, our bodies are healed.
I’ll preach more on this next week.
Healed - vs 16
healed - iomai - to heal, cure, restore to bodily health
that you may be healed.
aorist subjunctive in mood - adds and element of contingency. It is potential action generally.
so that you might be healed.
not a guarantee.
What Kind Of Healing Is God Going To Do?
What Kind Of Healing Is God Going To Do?
God can and does heal physically in this life, but the deepest kind of healing is what we truly need and that is what is most beneficial to us.
So the kind of healing God does is that which will restore or strengthen our relationship to Him.
The kind of healing that God does is that which will sanctify us and purify us so that we look more like Jesus.
The kind of healing He does is that which strengthens our heart, mind, soul, and body to help us better persevere and endure the suffering we will face in this life.
The kind of healing that God does is that which will wake us up and stir us to good works.
And if healing our body accomplishes that, then He will do that as well.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;
Healing our body is a benefit, a perk, a plus, a gracious favor, and a blessing, but it is not a right in this life.
Truth be known, neither is a pardon of our iniquities a right. That, too is a gift and a benefit.
But God has set it up so that being forgiven in this life is a necessity for being healed in the next.
Once again notice the word order. He heals us of our sins first, and then from our diseases.
Because God will ultimately heal us physically in Heaven. That is where full and total healing of everything occurs.
Because He’s more concerned about our souls and our faith and our character and our spiritual maturity in this life.
So will I pray for people to be healed physically?
Absolutely, believing that God can heal that person, and I will pray in faith for God to heal them.
And I will pray for God to come save us, heal us, restore us, revive us, and strengthen us as well.
But I leave the answer and the results up to Him because He knows what’s best for everyone.
And then, whatever God does in answer to those prayers, I will thank Him and praise Him for His goodness and grace.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Closing Song:
Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)
