Carried to Jesus — Two2Grow, May 29
“Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.” Luke 5:18–19 NIV
Christian relationships are absolutely essential for success in life. At some point, we will all face hardships that can only be overcome with the support of godly friends. The man Jesus healed received his miracle when his friends carried him to Jesus because he was unable to do it himself.
I once heard a speaker addressing a group of Christian leaders who carried a great deal of responsibility. He asked each person to take out a pen and paper and write down the names of four Christian friends they knew would carry them to Jesus when they were too weak to do it for themselves. He told them, “If you can’t write down four names, you’re in trouble!” His point hit home.
Let us nurture godly relationships so that when we face a spiritual battle too great to fight on our own, or when we are sick and weak, we can ask our friends to carry us to Jesus in prayer. This means building friendships with people whom we know can touch heaven through their prayers.
If a friend has really helped you, have you ever reached out to appreciate them?
Beyond making an effort to have these kinds of people in our lives, we should also make sure that we are those kinds of friends to others. Human friendship and support are important, but even more important is our ability to pray for others effectively.
Is there anyone in your life who needs you to carry them to Jesus?
Father, thank You for my friends. I pray that You would give me more good Christian relationships who will stand with me and support me during difficult times. I also pray that You would bring people into my life whom I can encourage and support in prayer.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
Christian relationships are absolutely essential for success in life. At some point, we will all face hardships that can only be overcome with the support of godly friends. The man Jesus healed received his miracle when his friends carried him to Jesus because he was unable to do it himself.
I once heard a speaker addressing a group of Christian leaders who carried a great deal of responsibility. He asked each person to take out a pen and paper and write down the names of four Christian friends they knew would carry them to Jesus when they were too weak to do it for themselves. He told them, “If you can’t write down four names, you’re in trouble!” His point hit home.
Let us nurture godly relationships so that when we face a spiritual battle too great to fight on our own, or when we are sick and weak, we can ask our friends to carry us to Jesus in prayer. This means building friendships with people whom we know can touch heaven through their prayers.
If a friend has really helped you, have you ever reached out to appreciate them?
Beyond making an effort to have these kinds of people in our lives, we should also make sure that we are those kinds of friends to others. Human friendship and support are important, but even more important is our ability to pray for others effectively.
Is there anyone in your life who needs you to carry them to Jesus?
Father, thank You for my friends. I pray that You would give me more good Christian relationships who will stand with me and support me during difficult times. I also pray that You would bring people into my life whom I can encourage and support in prayer.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD