On Prayer: Paul on Prayer
Pastor Rollan Fisher
Focus: Prayer is God’s plan for fueling our hearts and all Kingdom advance.
My Prayer for You
Pray for Me
Wrestling in Prayer
My Prayer for You
Paul was continually praying for the church and so should we.
Ephesians 1:15-23 ESV
”For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.“
We can learn to pray for others by learning to pray the things that Paul prayed for the church.
The Holy Spirit was not only the author of the Scripture, using the men who wrote it as tools, but the Holy Spirit also highlighted through their writing the things about which we ought to be concerned and that for which we should pray.
Ephesians 3:7-21 ESV
”Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.“
Praying the Scriptures is an excellent way to learn to pray and have confidence that you are praying in alignment with the will of God.
As you pray the Scriptures, you learn God’s heart, see his focus and have your desires molded to conform to his.
Pray for Me
Paul asked that prayer be made for him as he ministered the gospel of Jesus - and so should we.
Ephesians 6:10-17 ESV
”Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,“
*We should not expect what we do not pray for!
Prayer is like the air support that clears out the enemy in the heavenly places before the ground troops engage on land.
Prayer is the assurance that you have waited on God for direction, have appealed to him to go before you, be with you and continue to cause things to grow in every endeavor as you serve him.
Ephesians 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.“
“Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world. Prayer gives us the significance of frontline forces and gives God the glory of limitless Provider. The one who gives the power gets the glory. Thus, prayer safeguards the supremacy of God in missions while linking us with endless grace for every need.”
-John Piper
Our leaders who are the front lines need prayer as surely as we do in our daily lives, aspiring to do the same.
As we pray for others we see them in the light of the cross, needing the same mercy, forgiveness and grace that we do to stand.
I will love people like Jesus to the degree that I pray for them.
Even as we are exhorted to pray without ceasing, setting aside a time of prayer each day ensures that you are making space for God to perform miracles by his intervening hand!
Wrestling in Prayer
Our aim should be to wrestle in prayer that those that we’re serving and serving with may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
Lest you ever think that it was only Paul or the apostles who prayed in this manner…
Colossians 1:3-14 ESV
”We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.“
Colossians 4:12-13 ESV
”Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.“
God, without question, uses prayer and the exhortation of other believers filled with the Word of God to keep us running the race with Christ, and away from the trappings of the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for pleasures/other things that Jesus said come to choke the word of God, making it unfruitful in your life.
Have no doubt about it - prayer is work whose payoff is seeing the miraculous hand of God move!
As surely as evangelism, discipleship and parenting your children is a labor of love, so crying out to God on behalf of others is Biblically an invaluable use of time and energy!
Jesus wrestled in the garden of Gethsemane on the way to the cross.
Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher