Thread: Praying for a resurrection?

I was listening to a recent sermon online (not a reformed church) and the pastor began by mentioning a family (I'm assuming from the church) preparing for a memorial service. He then told everyone to stand and join him in prayer that God would send this person's soul back to their body. After he finished praying, he sounded quite happy and said he couldn't wait to hear the good news reported back that she was alive and well.

He wasn't exactly praying for her soul, but more as though he were praying for a sick person to be made well. It gave me the creeps, and I'm just not sure if this is expressly forbidden in the Bible, or just very strange.

Sadly, he never mentioned prayer for the grieving family.

I'm parsing what you wrote, and it appears that the preacher never said that the subject had died - only that the family was preparing for a memorial service. Could be a fake faith healer at work.

Hmm. We are instructed to pray, how to pray, and what to pray yet there is nothing about having God resurrect the dead before us. I would avoid it.



Methinks she didn't come back alive.

I can't think of anything that would rule out praying for a resurrection of someone, and there is Biblical precedent for resurrections. My biggest problem was the presumption that God has answered the prayer. But I'm certainly open to correction . . .

Originally Posted by moselle

I was listening to a recent sermon online (not a reformed church) and the pastor began by mentioning a family (I'm assuming from the church) preparing for a memorial service. He then told everyone to stand and join him in prayer that God would send this person's soul back to their body. After he finished praying, he sounded quite happy and said he couldn't wait to hear the good news reported back that she was alive and well.

He wasn't exactly praying for her soul, but more as though he were praying for a sick person to be made well. It gave me the creeps, and I'm just not sure if this is expressly forbidden in the Bible, or just very strange.

Sadly, he never mentioned prayer for the grieving family.

Although it would seem that the details of this are somewhat sketchy, I would conclude such pastor is confused concerning our Lords design for us to come to Him. I have always had a problem with us coming with an unfounded confidence without respect to the Lord`s will.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 1 Jn 5:14

Understanding the Lord has called us to approach with boldness;

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:16

Yet the scripture does not seem to promise that God, at our beckoning, will give as we request but as He wills. Now much is made of James 5:

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. Jas 5:15-18

The scriptures give examples thusly that I must admit are a bit confusing to me. Maybe someone can help with these scriptures that the charismatics use so boldly and help me(us) to understand in context.

Heb 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

I think it more than a little presumptuous of that Pastor to think he had the kind of power to raise the dead. When even Elisha had to go to this much trouble

2Ki 4:29 He said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child."
2Ki 4:30 Then the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.
2Ki 4:31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, "The child has not awakened."
2Ki 4:32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed.
2Ki 4:33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD.
2Ki 4:34 Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm.
2Ki 4:35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

then I just can't see how an unknown Pastor in his right mind would think that a simple prayer from a distance of his could be so powerful that he could afford to plaster a grin on his face and announce to everyone that the person had been raised from the dead.

Originally Posted by TimV

Heb 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

I think it more than a little presumptuous of that Pastor to think he had the kind of power to raise the dead. When even Elisha had to go to this much trouble

2Ki 4:29 He said to Gehazi, "Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child."
2Ki 4:30 Then the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.
2Ki 4:31 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, "The child has not awakened."
2Ki 4:32 When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed.
2Ki 4:33 So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD.
2Ki 4:34 Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm.
2Ki 4:35 Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

then I just can't see how an unknown Pastor in his right mind would think that a simple prayer from a distance of his could be so powerful that he could afford to plaster a grin on his face and announce to everyone that the person had been raised from the dead.

That is a great point Tim

Originally Posted by moselle

I was listening to a recent sermon online (not a reformed church) and the pastor began by mentioning a family (I'm assuming from the church) preparing for a memorial service. He then told everyone to stand and join him in prayer that God would send this person's soul back to their body. After he finished praying, he sounded quite happy and said he couldn't wait to hear the good news reported back that she was alive and well.

He wasn't exactly praying for her soul, but more as though he were praying for a sick person to be made well. It gave me the creeps, and I'm just not sure if this is expressly forbidden in the Bible, or just very strange.

Sadly, he never mentioned prayer for the grieving family.

Sounds like pure sensationalism, to me.