A MINISTRY of RESTORATIVE PRAYER-I—James 5:13-20
Attention:
After directory assistance gave Jennie her boyfriend’s new telephone number, she dialed him -- and a woman answered.
"Is Mike there?" Jennie asks confused.
"Umm, he’s in the shower," was the response.
"Please tell him his girlfriend called," Jennie said and hung up.
When he didn’t return the call, Jennie dialed again. This time a man answered. "This is Mike," he said.
"You’re not my boyfriend!" she exclaimed.
"I know," he replied. "That’s what I’ve been trying to tell my wife for the past half-hour."
Mike’s relationship with his wife needed restoration.
Likewise as Christians we all need a ministry of restoration.
Need:
Some of our membership get ‘out of sorts’ with the rest of us. They seem to drop out, don’t stay involved as they used to.
Some just seem to need help that I know the Lord can provide. Why does this happen? But more importantly, Can it be stopped?
In order for James’ audience to experience the fullness of life in Christ, a ministry of restorative prayer was necessary for his congregation.
James wanted his audience to consider the gravity of restorative prayer.
The true Church must manifest/demonstrate a ministry of restorative prayer.
Why must the true Church manifest/demonstrate a ministry of restorative prayer?
7 offerings from the ministry of restorative prayer.
engages/incorporates/provides
encourages/incorporates/involves
1—Restorative prayer offers...
RELIEF(:13a)
Explanation: (:13a)
:13—“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”
Regarding the “suffering” attributed to the faithful prophets & Christians, is our own spiritually derived hardship. If we are in the midst of it, then we must do as our predecessors & simply bring the personal burden before the Lord Himself.
“Suffering”(See :10, N. f.)—kakopayew—V.—1) To suffer (endure) evils (hardships, troubles); 2) To be afflicted. Strong—To undergo hardship:-- Be afflicted, endure afflictions (hardness), suffer trouble.
Both noun & verbal translated variously as “Suffering(s),” “Suffer Hardship,” “Affliction,” “Trouble.”
*Same as :10—“My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering & patience.”
“Pray”(See :14, 16, 17)—proseucomai—1) To offer prayers, to pray. Strong—middle voice of a primary verb; To wish; by implication, To pray to God:-- Pray, will, wish.
From—prov—(1) To the advantage of; 2) At, near, by; 3) To, towards, with, with regard to)....& —eucomai—1) to pray to God; 2) To wish, to pray, to pray for.
Argumentation:
2Chron. 33:9-13—“So Manasseh seduced Judah & the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the LORD spoke to Manasseh & his people, but they would not listen. Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks[in the nose], bound him with bronze fetters, & carried him off to Babylon[after 648BC when Assyria controlled Babylon]. Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, & humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, & prayed to Him; & He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, & brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.”
Ps 32:5-6—“Then I acknowledged my sin to you & did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”--& you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.”
Ps. 18:6, 16-19—“In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.”....“He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.”
Does the Lord “delight” in you? Do you wholly belong to Him?
Acts 3:19-21—““Repent therefore & be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, “& that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, “whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
Acts 11:28-30—“Then one of them[of Syrian Antioch], named Agabus, stood up & showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, & sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas & Saul.”
Php. 4:15-20—“Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving & receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once & again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all & abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God & Father be glory forever & ever. Amen.”
Refreshing:
Rom. 15:30-33 “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, & through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, & that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, & may be refreshed together with you. Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
2Cor. 7:13-14—“Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I am not ashamed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting to Titus was found true.”
*Js. 4:2-4, 7-10—“You lust & do not have. You murder & covet & cannot obtain. You fight & war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask & do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers & adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”.....“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you. Draw near to God & He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; & purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament & mourn & weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, & He will lift you up.”
2Cor. 12:1-10—“It is doubtless not profitable for me[Paul] to boast. I will come to visions & revelations of the Lord: I know a man[Paul] in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- how he was caught up into Paradise & heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me[by Divine appointment for Paul’s good & God’s kingdom], lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak(asyenew), then I am strong.”
Illustration:
Our potted plants/Drying up from the heat(summer 2011)/Needing & desiring water/3 possibilities—1)New location near a water source, 2)Rain, 3)Water from human source/The plant will thrive in any of these situations/RELIEF
Likewise we should seek RELIEF from the Lord.
Application:
Some of you are in need of Relief right now...or you suppose you need it now!....Seek the Lord’s face! Draw close to Him.
?Has your Ministry of Restorative Prayer brought RELIEF to others?
?You a Minister of Restorative Prayer?
?You experience this in your own life?
2—Restorative prayer brings/provides...
RELEASE(:13b)
Explanation: (:13b)Worship
:13—“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”
Likewise, in our gladness, Christians will approach God with their joyful praise expressed in music &/or song. It is an overflow of the exaltative joy of the heart. psalms are not meaningless. They are instructive, informative, worshipful.
God does indeed inhabit the praises of His people.
Ps 22:3-5—“But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, & You delivered them. They cried to You, & were delivered; They trusted in You, & were not ashamed.”
Ps 50:22-23—““Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.””
Deut. 10:21—““He is your praise, & He is your God, who has done for you these great & awesome things which your eyes have seen.”
What happens when we worship before those who have no hope? They are drawn to Christ!
Jn. 6:39-45—““This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son & believes in Him may have everlasting life; & I will raise him up at the last day.” The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father & mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered & said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; & I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ “Therefore everyone who has heard & learned from the Father comes to Me.” ”
“Cheerful”—euyumew—1) To put in good spirits, gladden, make cheerful—1a) To be of good spirits, to be cheerful; 2) To be joyful, be of good cheer, of good courage. Strong—To cheer up, i.e. (intransitively) Be cheerful; neuter comparitive (adverbially) More cheerfully:-- Be of good cheer (merry).
“Sing Psalms/Sing praises/Praise”—qallw—1) To pluck off, pull out; 2) To cause to vibrate by touching, to twang—2a) To touch or strike the chord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they gently vibrate, 2b) To play on a stringed instrument, to play, the harp, etc., 2c) To sing to the music of the harp, 2d) in the NT To sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song. Strong—probably strengthened from qaw(to rub or touch the surface); To twitch or twang, i.e. To play on a stringed instrument (celebrate the divine worship with music & accompanying odes):-- Make melody, sing (psalms). Used 5X.
Argumentation:
Ps. 40:1-3—“<
Ps. 32:7—“You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah”
Eph. 5:19-20—“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns & spiritual songs. Sing & make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Col. 3:15-17—“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach & admonish one another with all wisdom, & as you sing psalms, hymns & spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Acts 16:22-30—“Then the multitude rose up together against them; & the magistrates tore off their clothes & commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison & fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul & Silas were praying & singing hymns to God, & the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; & immediately all the doors were opened & everyone’s chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep & seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword & was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Then he called for a light, ran in, & fell down trembling before Paul & Silas. And he brought them out & said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?””
Heb. 10:24-25—“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love & good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, & so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Worship is vital! Singing is vital! It is an expression of your love for God in Christ!
A personal pet peave—Not Singing all the verses of our hymns. At Needmore BC we sing all the verses. One of the things I appreciate!
Illustration:
Catherine, Isaac & Wesley leaving(07-28-2011)/Charlotte-Douglas International Airport/We hugged & kissed/Our love was apparent/RELEASE
Joining in Song is a release of our love for God!
Application:
?Has your Ministry of Restorative Prayer brought RELEASE to others?
?You a Minister of Restorative Prayer?
3—Restorative prayer brings/provides...
COOPERATION(:14-15)
Explanation: (:14-15)
between : Suffering Christian, Church(elders), & God
:14—“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, & let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
The word translated “sick” is different in :14(asyenew) & :15(kamnw).
As with Christian “suffering” & rejoicing, so must be those who are physically but mainly spiritually feeble. The main import of the word asyenew is weakness, feebleness, impotence, which would translate obviously to a spiritual sense. This is borne out in the illustration James uses which focuses on his power of prayer to bring refreshing rain upon the land(:17-18).
These are to approach “the Lord.” However, when a person is physically &/or spiritually “sick” it is very difficult for that person to maintain a prayer relationship with God.
In fact, a physical weakness/sickness can command one’s attention & focus entirely so that they can become spiritually incapacitated. They then need others of great spiritual strength(“elders”) to aid their prayers to God.
Likewise, spiritual weakness/sickness can so command one’s attention & focus so that the person can become physically incapacitated requiring others of great spiritual strength(“elders”) to re-establish their relationship with God who in turn removes the physical disability.
The strength to heal obviously comes by God’s hand but the “elders”(representative point-men of the Church) are needed to seek it from Him. It is a personal recognition of need, of God’s ability to provide it & the surrender of one’s own ability to provide.
The “elders” would represent such power to heal —by the Holy Spirit’s presence & power— thru “anointing” the “sick” person with oil. This indicates the hand of God upon the person by the hand of the godly elders. The sweet fragrance(holy anointing oil) of God’s presence would have entered the nostrils of the person weak in Christ or battle weary, further comforting them.
Oil(olive) was commonly used as a physical salve for one’s wounds. When a person has been physically or spiritually beaten down, rubbing with oil would have a salving & calming effect.
Thus the bond between 1)Suffering Christian, 2)Church(elders), & 3)God is strengthened in these actions.
“Sick”(See :15—kamnw)—asyenew—1) To be weak, feeble, to be without strength, powerless; 2) To be weak in means, needy, poor; 3) To be feeble, sick. Strong—To be feeble (in any sense):-- Be diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak.
1Cor. 11:30—“For this reason many are weak(asyenhv) & sick(arrwstov) among you, & many sleep.”
“Call”—proskaleomai—1) To call to; 2) To call to one’s self; 3) To bid to come to one’s self; 4) metaph.—4a) God is said to call to himself the Gentiles, aliens as they are from him, by inviting them, through the preaching of the gospel unto fellowship with himself in the Messiah’s kingdom, 4b) Christ & the Holy Sprit are said to call to themselves those preachers of the gospel to whom they have decided to intrust a service having reference to the extension of the gospel. Strong—To call toward oneself, i.e. Summon, invite:-- Call (for, to, unto).
“Elders”—presbuterov—Adj.—1) Elder, of age,—1a) The elder of two people, 1b) Advanced in life, an elder, a senior—1b1) Forefathers; 2) A term of rank or office—2a) Among the Jews—2a1) Members of the great council or Sanhedrin (because in early times the rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from elderly men), 2a2) Of those who in separate cities managed public affairs & administered justice, 2b) Among the Christians, those who presided over the assemblies (or churches) The NT uses the term bishop, elders, & presbyters interchangeably, 2c) The twenty four members of the heavenly Sanhedrin or court seated on thrones around the throne of God. Strong—comparative of presbuv(elderly); older; as noun, A senior; specifically, an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian "presbyter":-- Elder(-est), old.
“Pray”(See :13, 16, 17)—proseucomai—1) To offer prayers, to pray. Strong—middle voice of a primary verb; To wish; by implication, To pray to God:-- Pray, will, wish.
From—prov—(1) To the advantage of; 2) At, near, by; 3) To, towards, with, with regard to)....& —eucomai—1) to pray to God; 2) To wish, to pray, to pray for.
“Anointing”—aleifw—1) To anoint. This is the mundane & common word for anoint Strong—To oil (with perfume):-- Anoint.
It is by no means certain that aleifw here & in Mk. 6:13 means "anoint" in a ceremonial fashion rather than "rub" as it commonly does in medical treatises. Trench (N.T. Synonyms) says: "aleifein is the mundane & profane, criein the sacred & religious, word." At bottom in James we have God & medicine, God & the doctor, & that is precisely where we are today. The best physicians believe in God & want the help of prayer.”—RWP
“Oil”—elaion—1) Olive oil—1a) For fuel for lamps, 1b) For healing the sick, 1c) For anointing the head & body at feasts, 1d) Mentioned among articles of commerce.
“The use of olive oil was one of the best remedial agencies known to the ancients. They used it internally & externally. Some physicians prescribe it today. It is clear both in Mk. 6:13 & here that medicinal value is attached to the use of the oil & emphasis is placed on the worth of prayer. There is nothing here of the pagan magic or of the later practice of "extreme unction" (after the 8th century [Catholicism]).—RWP
:15—“And the prayer of faith will save the sick, & the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
The word translated “sick” is different in :14(asyenew) & :15(kamnw).
This “prayer,” directed Godward, in order to be effective, is the “prayer of faith.” Such a qualified prayer will indeed “save” the one who is “sick.”
But why? Because the Lord Himself will actually be the one who will “Raise up” the one so suffering.
This “prayer of faith” is not a magic incantation which is morally irrespective/indeterminate. It is based on the power of “the Lord” to heal, & the Lord’s desire is to meet the needs of others, particularly of those who belong to Him.
Physical &/or spiritual salvation? Yes! Such is the salvation experienced by the patiently suffering prophets of old(:10-11). God came to their aid in a manner which glorified His name & message but did not glorify the prophet apart from his being God’s messenger &/or mouthpiece.
Mat. 9:20-22—“And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind & touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”” But Jesus turned around, & when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well[swzw].” And the woman was made well [swzw] from that hour.”
A specific aspect of this “prayer of faith” involves the admission of personal “sins.” The person truly seeking God’s deliverance God’s way will without doubt, be “forgiven.” In this forgiveness is his solution/salvation/raising up.
“Prayer”—euch—1) A prayer to God; 2) A vow. Euch, when it means prayer, has apparently a general signification. Strong—properly, A wish, expressed as a petition to God, or in votive obligation:-- Prayer, vow.
Proseuch & dehsiv are often used together. proseuch is restricted to prayer to God, while dehsiv has no such restriction. dehsiv also refers chiefly to prayer for particular benefits, while proseuch is more general.
“Faith”—pistiv—1) Conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God & divine things, generally with the included idea of trust & holy fervor born of faith & joined with it; 2) Fidelity, faithfulness. Strong—Persuasion, i.e. Credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially Reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, Constancy in such profession; by extension, The system ofreligious (Gospel) truth itself:-- Assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
“Save”—swzw—1) To save, keep safe & sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. Strong—from a primary swv (contraction for obsolete saov, "safe"); To save, i.e. Deliver or protect (literally or figuratively):-- heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
“Sick”(See :14—asyenew)—kamnw—1) To grow weary, be weary.; 2) To be sick. Strong—apparently a primary verb; properly, To toil, i.e.(by implication) To tire (figuratively, Faint, sicken):-- Faint, sick, be wearied.
“Raise...up”—egeirw—1) To arouse, cause to rise. Strong—To waken (transitively or intransitively), i.e. Rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, From obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence):-- Awake, lift (up), raise (again, up), rear up, (a-)rise (again, up), stand, take up.
“Committed”—poiew—denotes “to do.” To denote merely productive action, To point to the action result. Poiew refers more to the object & end of an act...Hence, poiew means to accomplish, & often means to do a thing once for all. Poiew, being on the whole the higher word, is more often used of doing good, prassw more frequently of doing evil. Strong—To make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“Forgiven”—afihmi—1) To send away; 2) To permit, allow, not to hinder, to give up a thing to a person; 3) To leave, go way from one. Strong—To send forth, in various applications (as follow):-- Cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up.
3 a.—COOPERATION involves...
RECOGNITION of...(:14-15)
a. 1—Physical weakness— “Is anyone among you sick?”
a. 2—Spiritual weakness(Sin)— “he will be forgiven”
a. 3—Spiritual giftedness/calling & Church Authority—“the elders of the church”
3 b.—COOPERATION involves...
STRENGTH of Others/Help(:14b)
“The elders of the church”
3 c.—COOPERATION involves...
POWER of God(:14b, 15a)—
c. 1—“In the name of the Lord”—“The name” entails every aspect of the One represented in the name—Love, Salvation, Changed life, etc.
c. 2—“The prayer of faith”—Connects & conveys God’s power
c. 3—“The Lord will raise him up”—God’s decision.
Jn. 14:3-4—““And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
1Jn. 5:14-15 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 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 the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Prayer is neither magical, a spell, a charm, nor a blanket prescription for satisfying fleshly desire. It is the means of communication with God & He with us.
Argumentation:
Acts 2:41-47—“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
1Thess. 5:17—“pray without ceasing,”
This is addressed to the entire church at Thessalonica & thereby to all Churches & to all Christians!
Illustration:
Begin a new landscaping business:
Research—Design—Resources—Financing—Publication— Clients—Logistics/COOPERATION
SBC & all that arises out of it/Cooperative Program monies are pooled to fund many ministries globally/Absolutely requires COOPERATION
Application:
?Has your Ministry of Restorative Prayer brought COOPERATION to others?
?You a Minister of Restorative Prayer?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Mike’s need for restoration.
Action:
Restorative prayer offers/brings/provides...
1. RELIEF(:13a)
2. RELEASE(:13b)
3. COOPERATION(:14-15)
Presented 07/31/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
