Aeneas and Dorcas- Principles of prayer for healing Acts 9:32-42 WBC 7 July 2002
What can we learn from this passage about healing?
- what does God have to say to US … ME
- bearing in mind I’m not Peter!
Well, I think we can glean some Principles of prayer for healing
The first is:
1) We imitate what we have seen
There’s something fascinating about this healing (Aeneas) and miracle (Dorcas/Tabitha)
- > = there’s a familiarity about them
These two miracles are SO similar to two that Peter had seen the Master, Jesus, do
- even down to the similarity of the words used. And I don’t believe it’s coincidence… nor coincidence that they’re recorded in this way
- Can you think of the other miracles?
There’s the healing at the pool of Bethesda
- worst case scenario. 38 years. Crippled
- Jesus says to him ‘ do you want to get well’ ‘Get up, pick up your mat and walk’
similar here. 8 years crippled.
- “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and tidy up your mat”
- = same words, same scenario.
- Maybe even the same invocation to ‘then take responsibility for your life’ as the words here are almost ‘get up and take care of yourself!’ (cf ‘do you want to get well’)
- Ie Jesus heals us- and it’s a prompting, opportunity, command, even, for us to ‘get up, get on and get with it’ rather than going back to our pit!
Do you see the similarity?
And then there’s the healing of Dorcas/Tabitha
- what does this remind you of?
- > Jairus’ daughter. Mk 5, Lk 8 Spectacularly similar!
- Already dead. Called to go.
- Everybody mourning and wailing. Demonstrating their grief and how wrong it was that she was taken
- What a shock! If anybody shouldn’t be taken it’s little children and saints like her!
- = word to us all that we’ll ALL go. And could do anytime
- = how I feel about Tony, Perry
- Probably Tabitha was such a saint she was ready to die, but friends weren’t prepared to let her go
- All got sent out of the room
- Spoke words to her. In Mk 5 it says this: “Jesus took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"- in Aramaic”
- In the Acts version it says Peter said “Tabitha, get up”
- It’s VERY fair to assume Peter was speaking Aramaic, too (as Tabitha is the Aramaic name)
- So, basically, apart from ONE letter he said EXACTLY the same words as Jesus
- “Talitha koum”, “Tabitha Koum”
My word! What can we learn from these similarities
- yes, it’s the ‘continuing acts of Jesus…. By the HS… through the Apostles!”
- yes- it’s JESUS’ name and authority that’s being used. It’s like he’s actually THERE! “Jesus Christ heals you!” “Tabitha Koum”
- (that’s because he IS there!)
- yes- talk about imitating the master! Following Jesus! Down to the fine details! (and so should we)
But there’s one other VERY important thing to learn from this passage.
- you have faith for… can do (I’d say)… really can only do (or can BEST do)… what you’ve seen Jesus doing already.
- Think about it! I’m very serious about this.
- If you’ve seen Jesus do it already, before… you can ‘go for it, again’
- That explains WHY there are spates of things. Like- “leg lengthening” (or posture re-balancing. It’s v important)
- Let me be honest, here. I DO think that some of this is actually exaggerated. Not real. But that doesn’t mean it ALL is.
- In fact: friend Trevor converted seeing it happen
- Girl in youth group. I measured legs and chatted with parents
- Ken- 7 out of 8 with different lengths healed
And if you’ve seen it happen once you have faith for it again. Guts for it.
- that’s just the way it is.
So- there needs to be an encouragement and a reality check in this
Encouragements:
a) this is why these things happen in hot spots. In bunches, and it just grows and escalates. You see more, you have faith for more, more happens
b) If God starts doing small things among us it can GROW, and lead to greater things. We want that!
Reality check:
c) It’s very hard to see, go for, expect these BIG things when you haven’t seen them happen before. Seriously, really it is.
- even Peter (great man of God) was sticking to his boundaries, here- and it was almost ‘monkey see monkey do’. I’m not sure HE was ready, able for every healing situation
- so: we need to be humble, real, and realise this HERE. And not do ourselves in over this. Seriously!
- Don’t flog yourself for not producing what you haven’t seen Jesus model, yet!
- Start small. Be prepared to start small.
- Pursue Jesus, not healing. (that’s what Peter was doing. Walking around telling about Jesus, and came across these things).
-
2) Preparation
Things happen when the ground, time is right.
- lots was being prepared, here.
Peter had been prepared/matured for this point
- the boisterous, foul mouthed man, deserter of Jesus had been commissioned by Jesus to ‘feed and take care of the sheep’, filled with the Spirit, had stood up to the Sanhedrin, and had seen someone healed at the beautiful gate
The context had been prepared, too
- maybe by Samson 1200 years before! This was the area of the philistines that he had been in
- in fact, this area (Sharon), the coastal plane that stretches N from Joppa (Jaffa) 20 Miles to Caesarea is the one that had been prophesied of in
- Is 35:1 1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.
- So, lots of preparation
- Then, Philip had been down that way, too (before he got ‘beamed out’)
- -maybe Dorcas’ care for widows etc was in imitation of Philip’s?
- And then there’s this ‘time of peace’ described in 9:31 after Paul’s conversion and departure to Tarsus
- Either because Paul is no longer persecuting, or because Paul is no longer being a pain (stirring everybody up!)
- And so Peter is able/free to go out witnessing
- And the ground at Joppa where Dorcas was had been prepared by them hearing from their neighbours about Aeneas
In other words: things happen when God’s way has been prepared. In His time. At the right time
- do you think some of our issues are our lack of godly patience, understanding of godly timing?
3) Special people
Here’s something else we might be able to learn from this, too.
I was always fascinated by the fact that the ‘disciples’ at Joppa sent for Peter and urged him to come
- have written in my bible ‘why didn’t THEY pray’?
- I guess I thought they were chickens!
But I think I understand it a bit better, now. And my understanding is more grounded in reality.
- it is true that it’s not only Apostles who do miracles in Acts. Philip and Stephen do them, too.
- There is no escaping Jesus words of ‘ANYONE who believes in me will do what I have been doing’
- So we can’t cop-out. Escape
- But undeniably in Acts…and in history… you find the REGULAR more DRAMATIC things like this happening around
- Key people (Apostles 2 Cor 12:12)
- Key historic events
So, not everyone does this stuff all the time… in this magnitude. Peter was a special person! Apostle. These people (though they are ‘saints’, literally in ch9) aren’t used for this healing)
- there are others who are ‘special people’, too
- specially gifted as 1 Cor 12 & 14 puts it
- just like all can witness, not all are evangelists
- all can pray for healing… but not all are going to do this kind of stuff
- it depends on God’s anointing, calling, gifting… and acting in history and your context.
(wow! That’s relief, isn’t it! - It IS up to God after all, not us! What IS up to us is seeking His face.. and then maybe he’ll stir His hand!)
4) Evangelistic tool
Here’s another principle we may be able to glean from this passage about healing:
Don’t be afraid to pray for unbelievers!
As far as we know Aeneas was. Those in the area of Sharon were- because they ALL became Christians, it says.
Darn! That’s effective evangelism!
-I do believe healing etc can be an evangelistic tool
- shows God’s love, but is also a tool for drawing into KOG
- In fact: healing is shown as available for every context in the Bible
- In the church: Jas 5. Anointing with oil
- For the children
- For the outsider: so much of what Jesus did was evangelistic healing
I do reckon too much of what we do is BELIEVER focussed. It’s like we try all these gifts out on each other all the time (demons etc) but we’re not really getting anywhere as it’s all dry runs!
In fact: we can be guilty of discrimination!
- but not Peter. He prays for gentile unbelievers… and then goes and stays in the home of one!! (probably)
- a Tanner, no less. (ever smelt a tannery?). Ritually unclean.
- And all this is prior to Cornelius
5) Faith
Speeding up, here. Another principle shown here may be the necessity for faith in praying
- and if you don’t have it it’s better not to!
Peter (and Jesus, with the little girl) get the moaners… mourners… those focussed on death… out of the room
- note; no condemnation! They get to rejoice, too. And it IS true that in our context the mourners are often the most realistic and are proven RIGHT
- but not always!
And it should be those with the hope and heart of faith who pray
- and if that’s not you, that’s okay!
- (cf- I know my role with Clive. I’m not one to go into the inner room. But I have another very clear, God given role to pray, befriend, keep feet on ground, love and link up people)
6) Jesus
I’ve gotta finish- but do you note how this is all done in the name and authority… and for the glory of Jesus? (Is: they ‘see the glory of God… Jesus)
- it’s so Jesus focussed!
- “Jesus Christ heals you!”
- models Jesus
- BIG turning to the master Jesus (n fact- it’s not usual word for repentance, which includes ‘turning’- this word is ‘complete turning’)
It’s all about you, Jesus!
- and we want to glorify you more in this way.
Questions:
- how should I be more REAL. REALISTIC and truly biblical (rather than fanciful) about this stuff?
- How should I be more BOLD, move forward in faith in these areas
Songs: He is the Lord
Oh kneel me down again (humble)
Lord, I have heard of your fame
