Prayer Point for the Week – Let us pray for families going through the painful process of divorce and for those dealing with the aftermath of separation.
Questions for Reflection:
Before Jesus healed the lame man, He forgave the man of his sin. Do you think that the man was expecting this? Have you ever sought God for one thing only to have Him move in a completely different way in your life? What was your initial reaction? How did you feel about God’s moving after giving it prayerful consideration?
Of the two miracles that Jesus performed on the lame man, which was the greatest and why? What was the immediate impact of the miracles? What was the eternal impact? What does that say about both the intent and love of God working in our lives?
Jesus healed the lame man’s legs and forgave him of his sin. Which do you consider to be the greater miracle and why? Was it wrong for the man to seek God for healing? How do you know? What assurance does this account give us concerning our prayer lives?
In the story, Jesus saw the faith of the men bringing the lame man to Jesus and responded with forgiveness and healing. In what ways do modern-day believers bring people to Jesus? How important is it to have faith for them? Who in your life needs your faith-filled prayers?
We do not know how lame man and his friends reacted to the Jesus’ act of forgiveness. How do you think the lame man reacted? How do you think that his friends felt? Have you ever felt this way when God moves differently in your life than had hoped? How does this story help us understand and appreciate God’s ways?
