This Is How a Good Friend Prays

Julie Voiceover Category

There’s a story in the Bible about four men who brought their paralytic friend to Jesus to be healed. So many people were gathered to listen to Jesus teach that the men could not get their friend into the house to see him. Even though the doors were blocked and the crowd was in the way, it didn’t stop them from getting the man to Jesus. In fact, they went to the roof.

These men not only took time to bring their friend to Jesus, but now they were digging a hole in the roof to lower him down right to the Lord. Can you imagine?

What did Jesus do when he saw their faith? He met the man’s immediate need for forgiveness, and then he healed his body.

Many of us have friends who we care so much about, and right now they are in a desperate situation and need God to answer. When those we love are hurting, we hurt, too. The Bible tells us to carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). To share in the joys and the struggles.

This story reminds us how to care for one another. It’s a beautiful story of real friendship! The four friends let nothing stop them; nothing got in the way of their friend encountering Jesus! We need to wreck the roof for our friends and bring them to Jesus, too. He is our Healer! We need to pray for them and not give up praying.

In a time when I was “paralyzed” by heartbreak—when I had to face the realities of being a single mom, look for a place to live (other than my van), find a job, mend little hearts, and cry my own tears—I had loving, fierce friends who prayed for me. Not just a one-time prayer to God but really seeking God with hold-the-phone, stop-the-car, wait-a-minute kind of prayers! These friends prayed as the Lord led them and never gave up doing so, just like the friends in the Bible. It was powerful, and I felt those prayers! God was faithful. God answered, and I saw miracles begin to happen. I had friends through both the grit and grace of life.

We can find real, undistracted time to pray for that friend or that family member that is in such need of something only God can do. When you can’t do it on your own and you need God, gather those friends to pray with you. There is strength in numbers. We can ask, seek, and knock (Matthew 7:7). God rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

I believe God is so good. He wants to show us His goodness. His promises are for us. The Lord loves us personally and cares about all the details in our life, both great and small.

There was a church sign I just so happened to pass by today that read, “The best gift to share is prayer.” When life seems to paralyze those around you, carry them to Jesus. James 5:16 says, “The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective.” I challenge you to be that kind of a friend today! How amazing to know God and experience Him every day as we pray!

The best gift to share is prayer.

Mark 2:1-12

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Don’t miss what this rock star has to say about overcoming her fear with faith in this podcast episode of This Grit and Grace Life: Skillet’s Jen Ledger Shares Her Faith, Her Fear and Her Strength – 044!

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