In a sense, we
can be like the four friends of the paralyzed man who are so determined to have
Jesus heal our friend that we will dig through the roof of whatever is in the
way in order to make sure that our beloved is dropped smack-dab in the middle
of the activity of Jesus Christ our Lord.[3] I
trust that we can see the parallel between physical paralysis and the emotional
paralysis we call depression; and so I trust we can also see the parallel
between four friends bringing the paralyzed man to Jesus, and the body of
Christ bringing the emotionally-paralyzed to Jesus.
One way of
doing this is through our intercession. Jesus ever lives to make intercession
for us,[4]
and we are able to join this work by making intercession for one another.[5]
This simply means that we talk to our heavenly Father on behalf of our
depressed loved ones in all the ways that these people are unable to pray for
themselves.
This morning
God gave me a gift of encouragement by showing me one way I can pray for those
in the family of God who are overwhelmed with the loss of feeling we often call
depression. It is based on this expression of praise from Paul’s letter to the
Ephesians:
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great
love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us
alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him
and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages
he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in
Christ Jesus.[6]
As I meditated
on this passage with reference to the worship of the Elders in Revelation 4, I
realized that the gift of life we have been given in Christ includes the gift
of feeling the joy of Jesus Christ. I also realized that, if God did such a
great work as this in raising his children from the dead and seating us with
Christ in heavenly places, he can surely lift his people out of their depression
and fill them with that joy that is “inexpressible and filled with glory.”[7]
The possibility
of joy for God’s children is summarized like this: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be
in you, and that your joy may be full.”[8] Jesus made it clear that we could experience these two things, his
joy in us, and our own joy filled to the full. When someone’s emotions are so
suppressed, or depressed, that they cannot feel this joy, it is the Church’s
right to pray for it to fill the whole body of Christ.
This
led me to pray this way for God’s people who struggle with depression
(expecting that God will show us even more places where he is working in such a
way):
God in heaven, because you are rich in mercy, and because
of the great love with which you have loved your children, I pray that you
would do the same thing for those of your children who are in bondage to
depression as you did for your children when we were dead in our trespasses and
sins.
I pray that you would express the same power that raised Jesus
Christ from the dead, and raise this person’s feelings out of the paralysis of
their depression. I pray that they would not only be alive together with
Christ, but that they would so hear the words of Jesus speaking to their hearts
that his joy would be in them, and their joy would be filled to the full.
Holy Father, I ask that the same grace you poured out that
brought this person to salvation would bring them to joy in Jesus Christ. I ask
that the same grace that raised them up with Christ, and seated them with
Christ in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, would now resurrect this person’s
emotions to feel the joy of knowing you, and loving you, and walking in
fellowship with you.
Heavenly Father, I pray that this person would begin to
feel the immeasurable riches of your grace extending another expression of your
kindness towards them in Christ Jesus, so that they would find their hearts
overwhelmed with feelings of joy, and wonder, and delight in the goodness and
grace of God.
And I pray, Father, that you would use me, and many other
members of your body, to “comfort those who are in any
affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”[9] May you be glorified in your church as the body of Christ serves
one another in love, even as our head, Jesus Christ, has so graciously and
beautifully served us in love.
I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen!
If you see
your need for help with depression, go to members of the body of Christ who are
in your life, show them John 15:11, Jesus’ promise of joy, and ask them to pray
with you that you would experience Jesus’ joy as a branch experiences the life
of the vine.
If you know that
God is comforting you through his word and prayer, through your fellowship with
God in the Holy Spirit, ask God to bring to mind people who need your part of
the body of Christ praying out those things that they cannot pray for
themselves. We can fully expect to see God glorify his name in answer to our
prayers, and the level of joy rising in our churches, and in brokenhearted
people, as God’s joy fills us to the full.
From my heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
[1]
“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
[2]
As an example of one member of the body using his gifts to meet what was
lacking in other members of the body: “9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for
you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night
and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your
faith?” (I Thessalonians 3 ~ Paul did not
treat what was ‘lacking’ as a failure in the people, for he commended them
strongly for what they were doing in the service to Christ and his church.
However, he knew that he had something to give them from his place in the body
of Christ, and so longed to share his gift and ministry with them for their
encouragement and growth in the Lord.)
[3]
“18 And
behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were
seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring
him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with
his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.” (Luke 5 ~ see also vss 17-26 for the full account)
[4]
“Consequently, he is able to save to the
uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make
intercession for them.”
(Hebrews 7:25)
[5]
“First of all, then, I urge that
supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and thanksgivings be made for all people,” (I Timothy 2:1); “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for
one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
(James 5:16)
[6]
Ephesians 2
[7]
I Peter 1:8
[8]
John 15:11
[9]
II Corinthians 1:4
No comments:
Post a Comment