Free Course: Encounter the Faith & Wisdom of C.S. Lewis!

How to Help Someone Find Hope and Healing, Part 1 - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - August 19, 2016

How to Help Someone Find Hope and Healing, Part 1
By Rick Warren 

“Therefore [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25 NIV).

I believe that small groups are a vital part of helping so-called hopeless people find healing. One of the parts I like best about being in a small group is that you can pray for one another’s “hopeless” cases. We can lean upon the faith of others when we start to doubt.

In Luke 5, there’s a great story of a small group of men who took a friend who was paralyzed and in need of healing to the feet of Jesus. In this account, we find seven characteristics of a small group that God uses to heal. Today we’re going to look at three of those characteristics, and tomorrow we’ll look at the rest.

Compassion: This man was healed because his friends cared. It all starts with us caring about people who are hurting. Romans 15:2 says, “We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord” (NLT, second edition). God used these guys because they were sensitive to a friend’s need. And he’ll use us when we aren’t preoccupied with our own needs and start caring more about others than we do ourselves.

Faith: The men believed God would heal their friend. Take a look at Luke 5:20: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven’” (NIV). It wasn’t the paralytic’s faith that made him well; it was the faith of his friends. How many people do you know who are so paralyzed they can’t believe in God? That’s when we have to believe for them.

Intervention: These friends didn’t just pray for their friend; they took action as well. It’s not enough just to pray for someone who is hurting and caught in sin. We have to take action. Jesus says in Luke 14:23, “Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.” There is a slew of examples in the Bible of people taking others to Jesus.

Playtoday’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

  • What does hopelessness look like?
  • Do you believe that no one is outside Jesus’ reach? If so, what are you willing to do about bringing “hopeless” people to Jesus?
  • What hurting friend have you been praying for? What can you do to take action and help that person heal?

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!


offer

Find Healing from your hurts, habits, and hang-ups!

Based on Jesus’ very own words in the Beatitudes, this DVD and workbook guides you through eight critical choices that every wounded believer must make in order to experience wholeness, happiness, and healing. These essential decisions will build your trust in God even when you don’t understand his plans and your circumstances look hopeless.
 
The Life’s Healing Choices study kit is our gift to thank you for your donation today. So request your copy below – and start finding true healing from your hurts, habits, and hang-ups! 

This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.

SHARE

Christianity / Devotionals / Daily Hope with Rick Warren / How to Help Someone Find Hope and Healing, Part 1 - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - August 19, 2016