Henderson Hills Baptist Church

A Lot to Learn about Prayer

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Eph 6:18-20 (ESV)

Through the years I’ve tried an experiment, an unscientific poll asking Christians what part of their spiritual lives that they need to work on the most. Invariably they talk about prayer. If I want to feel convicted, I read E. M. Bounds books on prayer. I am equally humbled when reading about the prayer lives of Martin Luther and other amazing men and women of prayer. I, like most Christians, want to be more powerful in prayer. By the way, we aren’t the only ones who have wanted to be stronger in prayer.

Lk 11:1 (ESV)  Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.

You see, even the disciples knew that they needed to be strengthened in prayer. For those of us with hungry hearts, Paul offers up a banquet in just three verses. Verse 18 is a wonderful overview for our prayer lives. He is saying, in light of our spiritual battles (see previous verses) we must pray for ourselves along with other believers. How are we to pray? Reread the passage. Notice how we should pray. We are to pray with “all prayer and supplication.” That means that we should pray in many different ways, such as, praise, thanksgiving, interceding for others, making requests for ourselves, and according to the context of the passage, pray against the enemy and for the application of the gospel. Next, we are to pray “always.” That doesn’t mean 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. What this does mean is that we are to pray frequently and at all different times and circumstances of life. (Read Rom 12:12; Phil 4:6.) We are also to pray “in the Spirit”, which reflects on the submissiveness to God of our prayers and praying according to the will of God. (See Rom 8:26, 27). We should be on the alert as we pray. This refers to keeping our eyes open to what is going on around us. Where do we see God at work? Pray for effectiveness. Where do we see Satan and the forces of evil attacking? Pray against them!

Let’s sit back in our seats and just be honest about what is being said here. Paul is talking about Christians vigilantly looking out for one another, alertly praying for God’s power to be displayed, and unceasingly standing for each other before the Lord. Is that what we are doing? I’m not so sure that this kind of alert spiritual protection is taking place! As I’m writing this study, Timothy Cheney and Richard Cole are very much in the news. Do their names ring a bell for you? If not, let me add their titles to their names, Captain Timothy Cheney and First Officer Richard Cole. These two men were in the cockpit of Northwest Flight 188. Yep, these are the same two men who took 144 passengers on a joy ride over 100 miles passed their destination. What was their excuse? Well, they were distracted. Can you imagine being one of those 144 passengers who were packed into the plane waiting to land? It is one thing to be 30 minutes over due but these poor people were in there long enough to send out for pizza! I don’t know what happened in that cockpit but one thing is obvious, those pilots were not alert, on their toes, and protecting the precious lives entrusted to their care. Now, before we pick up a rock to stone these guys, consider how often we do that in our prayerlessness for other believers. We are too often distracted with our own lives and even unconscious to the needs, hurts, temptations, and challenges of believers around us!

Paul believed in this. Notice that he said, “And also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” He was a chained ambassador for the gospel, holding forth in the most difficult situation possible. Let me paraphrase what he said, “Ephesian brothers and sisters, pray like crazy for everyone but I really need for you to pray for me in the Roman prison cell while I’m witnessing to the guards and the other prisoners.” Okay, that is a loose translation but I think that was his heart.

Let’s package this up and put a ribbon around it! It is time to stop being distracted and get serious with prayer. Don’t feel guilty about any past failures. That won’t change a thing. Let’s just start praying more. By the way, I would really like to be on your prayer list. Pray that my mouth might be opened to proclaim the mystery of the gospel with boldness.

Eph 6:18-20 (ESV) Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. 

2 Peter 3:18

Dennis

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