A Ministry Of Restorative Prayer-1

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.”