Jesus Healed Bartimeus and Others
Christians pray to heal sick folks.

Those who teach children should read study #92 for children.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, your love for us believers never wanes. Help my flock to trust you when they are sick and when they suffer.”

1. Prepare to lead your flock to minister to the sick and suffering.

Where large numbers of folks are becoming Christian believers and new flocks are being planted, physical healing is a normal part of evangelism and congregational body life.

Jesus brought back to life a young girl who had died.

When believers are sick or suffer, God always has a purpose for it. Our task is to help folks learn God’s purpose and to trust Him.

Find in Mark 10:46–52 …

· How serious Bartimaeus’ suffering was.

· What Bartimaeus believed that Jesus can do for folks.

· What Bartimaeus’ request was.

· What Jesus saw in Bartimaeus that moved Jesus to grant his wish.

Find in John chapter 9…

· What God’s purpose was in letting the man be born blind. (Verses 1–3).

· What the blind man had to do in order to be healed. (6–11).

· What Jesus wanted the blind man to believe about him. (35–38).

· What God’s purpose was for those who refused to believe in Jesus. (39-41).

Find in Hebrews 12:5–14…

· How God looks upon believers who suffer. (Verses 5–8).

· What good things God wants to bring out of our suffering (9–11).

· What kinds of actions we should take if our conduct has been crooked (13).

· What kinds of actions we should take if we have treated others badly (14).

Find in James 5:13–20…

· What believers should do when they are suffering. (Verse 13)

· What believers should do when they are sick. (14)

· What congregational leaders should do for sick believers. (14)

· What sick believers must do if they have committed sins. (15)

· The kind of prayer that makes sick believers well. (15)

· What happens when a sinner returns to the truth (19-20).

2. Plan with your co-workers your activities of the coming week.

Whenever you visit a home and learn that someone there is sick, offer to pray for the sick to be healed as a testimony of God’s mercy and power. Let each church leader obtain a small bottle of clean oil to carry with them to anoint the sick when they go calling at believers’ homes.

Go and visit the sick and suffering believers of your flock, counsel with them, then pray for them.

Guidelines for Healing

Here are some guidelines to follow when you go to pray for the sick and the suffering.

a) Do not stop for food or drink or other business until after you have prayed for the sick person.

b) Talk with the sick and with their family members, to learn from them all about the sick person’s behaviour, relationships and religious practices. This may help you to learn what might be the spiritual causes of the physical disease.

c) Listen to what the Holy Spirit may tell you about the cause of the illness and what God wants to do for the sick person.

d) Explain to the sick person that there are three kinds of sickness:

· Sickness unto judgement, because our behaviour or relationships displease the Lord.

· Sickness unto death, because it is time for us to go be with the Lord.

· Sickness unto the glory of God, because he wants to show his power by healing.

e) Give to the sick person, to the family and to each other, an opportunity to confess any sins they have committed. If anyone confesses sins, then tell them that the Lord has forgiven those sins.

f) If you have learned the cause of the illness, then give counsel to the sick about how to behave righteously and how to improve relationships with others.

g) Pray for the sick person. If you feel God wants to heal the sick, then anoint the sick with oil and ask God to heal the sick. (It is not enough just to pray for the doctors and for the medicine.)  If you do not feel that God wants to heal the sick at this time, then pray for God to bless the sick person with faith, patience and joy.

3. Plan with your co-workers the next worship time.

Explain your understanding of how God heals the sick in Jesus’ name

Read the account about the ten lepers from Luke 10:11-19.

Jesus healed ten lepers. Only one of them returned to thank him.

Let the believers give thanks and testimonials about recent healings that they have seen.

Let the children present the drama, poem or questions that they have prepared.

To introduce the Lord’s Supper, read or tell the story of the miraculous bread called manna that God gave to Israel, Exodus chapter 16.

Explain that Jesus is the true bread that comes down from heaven, and that we enjoy his life-giving power when we take communion with faith.

Memorize 1 Peter 2:24.

Form small groups and let the believers encourage and pray one for another.

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