Aug 14 – This week’s daily prayers focus on Spiritual Restoration.

Father, Paul said it plainly in Galatians 6:1, NIVUK, ‘Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit [who are spiritual] should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.’

Father, thank You for these wonderful words; at the heart of Christian ministry are love, grace, mercy, truth, reconciliation, forgiveness and spiritual maturity.

The whole point is to restore a person, not to belittle or prejudge others against him or her – not to lose a brother or sister – but to draw them back into fellowship with Christ and His Church.

Lord Jesus, I pray for all those who are mature and spiritual in our church – may they lead many back into a full relationship with You, and those restored protected from the same sins so they do not sin again.

We pray also for the protection of those who restore – may they be guarded from the enticement and pull of such sin. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Aug 15 – Father, not only do You discipline Your children, but You also, at times, involve other believers in the discipline process. Grant me the wisdom not to condemn a sinning brother or sister, but also the ability to challenge and censure when it is necessary.

‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend.’ We pray that our Church will be a House of Reconciliation and Restoration. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Aug 16 – Father, thank You for the passage in Matthew 18, where Jesus taught what to do ‘if your brother sins against you’ (Matthew 18:15).

The whole point of the discipline process in this instance is to bring about reconciliation, and to add to the relationship sincerity and trustworthiness.

Help me when I am sinned against, or when others do not treat me as You do Lord, to respond in a biblically astute way. Verse 15 says, ‘If he hears you, you have gained your brother.’ 

May many sinning brothers and sisters be restored by the ministry of our Church. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Aug 17 –  Lord Jesus, You had just told the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18. The shepherd sought the lost, straying sheep until He found it. When someone strays into sin or hurts You by their sin, may I be like You, the Good Shepherd, going out and searching for him or her.

Holy Spirit empowered to be part of the reconciliation team which will restore such a one to full fellowship with you and with our Church.

I pray for clarity so that the discipline process will be understood, properly applied, and gain the sinning one back, or as the NIV says, ‘If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.’

Sometimes there are strongholds which block spiritual restoration. Expose any such strongholds and grant the wisdom, anointing and grace needed to see breakthrough and deliverance. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Aug 18 – Father, thank You for Paul teaching that the saints should be gracious and merciful when a brother or sister falls into sin.

We pray for any who have been gossiped about or had their faces rubbed in the ground, humiliated and shamed by others. Such treatment often arises in a setting where Legalism reigns. We pray that any legalist tendencies will be overcome in our church.

Legalism is antichrist in nature – it promotes human endeavour and enterprise, often creates division and enmity, and exalts law over grace and mercy. 

Help me, by Your Spirit, to be wise and discerning in reaching out to those who have been treated in such a manner in order to see them restored to a good, sincere walk with You.

We pray for the development of a clear biblical model for dealing with sin, not overlooking nor condoning it – neither treating the sinner as someone to be derided or condemned.

Instead, we pray for the development of a culture which encourages godliness, holiness and spiritual maturity, and which turns sinners into saints, the weak and immature in faith into those mature and strong in faith and walking in step with Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Aug 19– Father, James, 5:14 16, 19-20, wrote about a person who may be physically ill or spiritually sick and weary due to physical factors, or even possibly through a lack of faith or an abundance of sin in his or her life. 

Thank You for the truth that the Church Elders can be called upon to pray, in faith expecting healing, both the physical healing of the sick, ill, fatigued and spiritual healing of the spiritually weak expecting to see newness of life and victory. 

The Greek word, asthenei ‘sick,’ in 5:14, literally means ‘to be weak,’ and is often used for physical sickness or weakness, or weakness of any kind.

I pray for Your blessing and spiritual power to be at work in and through the lives of our church pastors, elders and deacons, and all with leadership or ministry responsibilities.

May our Church Eldership be anointed and equipped to see wholeness and spiritual vitality being imparted through their ministry to all those they pray for. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Aug 20 – In James 5:15, the word “sick” is used again, but this time it is a different Greek word. This word is kamnonia, which means ‘to faint’ or ‘to grow weary.’

Another way of saying this is that this prayer will save them from this spiritual sickness and restore them back to health. While the word is different, the meaning is somewhat similar.

Paul’s word in Galatians 6 for restore means a surgeon restoring a broken bone or a fisherman restoring a broken net. James is talking about restoring or “saving” a brother from spiritual sickness.

Lord Jesus, both Paul and James are encouraging spiritually mature members of the church to save the erring brother or sister from either a vain and wasted life caught in sin, or minister grace and healing freeing from the impact of illness or a health weakness.

May many broken people who are spiritually weary be restored through our church’s ministries and mission to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen