Before you begin this lesson, you might want to share some of the things that God has done in your life. Have any of you experienced relief now that God has forgiven you? Have you been able to change your way of life? Are you forgiving others as God has forgiven you? Let us give thanks to God with this prayer.
O great and loving God, thank you for everyone in this group. Thank you for our leaders, our church and its leaders, our friends and community. Pour out upon us your Holy Spirit that we might be empowered to forgive others as you have forgiven us. Heal our hearts, make us new, and begin to equip us to be a force for good in our families, churches, community, and world. All this we ask in the saving name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
You are now going to help each other forgive others and be healed of the sins committed against you. In the previous lesson, we made the following statement about Jesus on the cross.
He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and punished that we might have peace. By his wounds we are healed.
We are now going to put this into practice.
All of us have been beaten down by other people. All, at one time or another, have been insulted, beaten, robbed, lied to, betrayed, falsely accused, and more. These things have happened to us just as they happened to Jesus. We carry the things that have happened to us in our hearts. When evil has happened to us, we become beaten down, bitter, and crippled in our ability to give thanks to God and love others. We are, in this lesson, going to forgive those that sinned against us, and for the wounds they inflicted, we are going to receive healing. Please read the following, discuss it as a group, and then put it into action.
There may well be resistance to what is being proposed here. The devil and your own desires will resist. We are often tempted to talk about these things and never really do them. It is especially important that the leadership lead the way forward. Pray earnestly that God help all of you. Here is what you can do to help each other forgive and be healed by the wounds of Jesus.
Divide your group into smaller groups of four or perhaps five people. It is best to have at least two women in each group, or perhaps have each group composed only of men or only of women. Then, to begin, ask one member of the group to describe what has happened to them, how they have been humiliated and betrayed like Jesus. I suggest that the leadership go first. Let that person respond to the following sorts of questions: Who has sinned against you? Who has done to you what was done to Jesus? Have you been insulted, mocked, injured, beaten, physically hurt, damaged, lied to, betrayed, cheated, denied, or humiliated? Have you done this to others? Has anyone robbed you, sexually abused you, dominated you, or cursed you? Has anyone wished you ill, put evil curses on you, or shamed you?
As the person responds to these questions, let the others listen attentively. Do not interrupt them, hear them out. Sometimes they may need to stop and think. People often find this difficult, they may begin crying. Do not stop them or interrupt them by trying to console them at this point. Sit quietly, praying silently, until they continue.
Once they have finished, ask them if they can forgive the people who hurt them. If they cannot forgive, or they find it very difficult to forgive, ask them if they would be willing for Jesus to help them forgive. Jesus can help them because, hanging from the cross, he said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they are doing.” If they are willing to get help from Jesus in any form, by forgiving, by wanting help to forgive, by wanting to be forgiven, or any way Jesus can help them, you are then to pray for them. Here is how you can do this.
Let the members of the group gently lay their hands upon the one who has just revealed the insults and blows they have received. Placing your hands upon their shoulders is best. Jesus often placed his hands upon people when he healed them, and we will do the same. Then say prayers similar to the examples which will follow. These prayers do not need to be said loudly. They can simply be said in a normal tone of voice. You have enough faith for God to answer your prayers. Here are some examples of the prayers you can say.
Suppose the person you are praying for is a man who has been beaten and ridiculed by his father or other persons. Let us suppose his name is John, and that his father tied him to a tree and whipped him, or insulted him in front of others, or would get drunk and beat the entire family.
Pray something like this:
Heavenly Father, thank you so much that your beloved Son, Jesus, was willing to die upon the cross for John. We pray that, by the power of your Spirit, you place upon Jesus the beatings that John has received. We remember you, Jesus, how you were beaten. We thank you that you suffered in our place, and that by your wounds we are healed. We pray for John, the time he was tied to a tree and whipped, the many days he was humiliated, how terrible it was to stand by and watch his mother get beaten, the way Peter stood by when Jesus was led away to death. We put all these terrible things upon you, Jesus. We place them upon you. Take them from him, help John to forgive, help him to let them go and take no revenge.
Continue praying until you have covered the insults and beatings, specifically naming each of them, placing them upon Jesus, one after another, connecting them with similar things that Jesus suffered as narrated in Luke’s gospel, or any other gospel.
As you are praying, feel free to stop and talk if need be to hear more of John’s story, and John may think of things that he needs to say. Let him say them. Perhaps, he has beaten others as well. Ask him to ask God for forgiveness, if he has not already confessed this sin, and then say to him that Jesus forgives him. Work together, all of you, praying in turn as ideas occur to you. Ask John if he forgives those who beat and ridiculed him. To forgive them means he will no longer harbor bitterness against them, that he will no longer wish them ill, or seek vengeance against them. It means he will willingly pray for them and wish them well in his heart. If he says yes, give thanks to God as you pray. If he finds it difficult to forgive, pray something like this:
O Lord Jesus, have mercy upon us and upon John. Forgive him of his sins. Come to him, let him see you hanging there, let him hear your words, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” Lord Jesus, lift the bitterness off of him. Have mercy upon him, help him to forgive, to take no vengeance, to give all to you. Thank you that you forgive him and all others who have sinned against him.
Continue praying along these lines, all of you, each contributing what seems best, giving way to each other so all can be free to pray. When you come to the end, give thanks to God, and let the next person in your group tell how they have been violated, betrayed, and wronged, and pray for them as you prayed for John.
Let us do one other example, more briefly, to get a deeper sense of how we can pray. Suppose there is a woman in your group named Ann who was sexually abused by her uncles and other family members. Pray for her as you did for John. Some of these matters are quite delicate, so pray gently. Give her time, let her say whatever is on her heart even as you pray for her. If she begins crying, let her cry. You might want to pray as follows.
O blessed and mighty Jesus, have mercy upon our sister, Ann. Have mercy upon her. Remember your wounds, how they pierced your hands, your feet. How they drove the nails into your flesh. Oh Lord Jesus, your beloved sister has been violated. Her flesh has been violated. Let her wounds, the humiliation, the violence be driven into your flesh, the shame into your soul. Give her the power to forgive, to hear your words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
These are sample prayers. Each of you will think of similar things to pray. The important thing is to place the suffering and sin of each person upon Jesus, connecting each insult and blow they received with the insults and blows that Jesus received, remembering that by his wounds we are healed.
What is happening as we pray in this fashion?
God chose Jesus to bear our sin and suffering on the cross. Exodus, Isaiah, and Jesus himself at his final meal with his disciples, all proclaimed that Jesus died in our place, bore the judgment of God, received sin and suffering into his body and soul, not only the sins of those who put him to death, but ours as well. Many people have died for those they loved. Only Jesus, however, was chosen by God to bear the sins of the world so that by his wounds we are healed. As we place our wounds upon Jesus, as we forgive those who wronged us, we are healed
Although God placed the wounds we have received upon Jesus, and although these wounds led to his death, Jesus did not die eternally. By the power of God, he was raised from the dead. Even though the sins committed against each of you have great power, they do not defeat the power of God. As you place them upon the cross, Jesus will take them to death and bless you with the power of his resurrected life. He receives your death and gives you his eternal life, beginning in this life and completed in the life to come. You will be set free from the bitterness and sorrow that resulted from the insults and blows you have received.
Praying for each other with the laying on of hands for healing is not something that happens only once. Being cleansed of sin and sorrow, putting your broken past upon the cross, is a long process, and at times, it is difficult. Many people need to be prayed for many times before they can begin to know the healing love of Christ. It takes determination and courage to place our sins and sorrows on the cross, to forgive and be forgiven, and to offer all to Christ. Surely, steadily, however, God acts, and little by little we know the cleansing power of Christ.
You will not be able to meet all the needs for prayer in this meeting. It can easily take an evening just to pray for one person in each of your little groups. For that reason, what was begun in this lesson needs to be continued at other times and places.
Some of you will be more drawn to prayer ministry than others. Talk to your leadership. Let them guide you if you are called to this form of ministry. Develop this ministry, not only for your group, but for the many, many people in your community who need to put their burdens upon Christ. As people are set free from their guilt and shame, as their hearts are delivered from the blows they have received, your community can experience great joy. This is a profound blessing.
Further, in a future lesson we will discuss this matter from another perspective. We will learn how evil spirits can use lack of forgiveness to infect a person and bend them toward evil. At that time, we will discuss how to cast them out in the name of Jesus.
It must be said that not all people will be open to placing their burdens upon the cross, nor will all continue to receive healing once they have begun, even though the blessings are so great. Give people freedom to make their way forward at their own speed. Those who are fearful need time and tenderness. Those who are hard-hearted need time as well, and sometimes, the leaders need to admonish them. All of us have been forgiven by God, so let us be tender-hearted toward one another, forgiving, patient, and kind, allowing God to work with each person in his own way and time.
Finally, there is another very important matter that cannot be omitted. It is not only important to ask God to forgive us, it is equally important to ask forgiveness from those we have wronged. We need to go to them, confess to them our wrongs against them, humble ourselves before them, and ask their forgiveness. Or, if someone has wronged us, we need to go to them as well, seeking to resolve any conflicts. Begin to pray about this matter. It will be the subject of your next meeting. At that time, you will be reading Matthew 5:21-26 and Matthew 18:15-20.
So much more must be said, but for now, let us end our time together with a prayer.
O great and holy God, King of kings and Lord of lords, we cannot thank you enough that you did not hold back from our suffering and sin, but entered into death to set us free from death. We bless you, we praise you, we thank you, we cannot restrain ourselves, we throw ourselves at your feet, the very foot of the cross, thanking you forever. Amen.
Do not forget to commit to pray for each other during the week, or to help each other in any way. Perhaps some in your group will need to be encouraged to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This often happens after people have seen God at work. If one among you would like to take this step, ask them to commit themselves to the Lord Jesus. It is good for all of us to commit ourselves.
And may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Spirit, be with you and remain with you forever. Amen.
The Rev. Robert J. Sanders, Ph.D.
