Practical, Powerful, Prayer
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I love the hymn sweet hour of prayer… There have been men of God who spent 3hours in prayer because a day was going to be harder and many of us if we pray for 3 minutes feel as though it was an hour!!!!
Prayer is HARD WORK! It is a POWERFUL privilege God has given the believer!
Today we are looking at the first of two prayers that Paul prays in this letter… and because of this we will discuss PRAYER!
Paul is an apostle… sure he prayed and prayed well
Pastor it is your job to pray… Yes!!! and it is a privilege
Paul almost begins this letter in PRAYER and as he closes this letter he challenges his readers (all believers) in PRAYER once again
Ephesians 6:18
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
ALL times, Persistence… sounds difficult...!!!
Don’t worry pastor, I pray
Meals, before bed, over finances, health and safety
I’ve got a good routine, I have the lingo down even!
When was the last time you spoke to God REAL, opening up your heart focusing your attention on Him and those you lifted up…
a deep meaningful conversation understanding that the God that we spent the last two weeks realizing has blessed us so graciously and LAVISHED His grace upon us… THIS GOD IS LISTENING!!!
After listing the blessings Paul is SPURED by a HEART OF PRAISE to a HEART OF PRAYER… Ephesians 1:15-23
For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about 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 every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection 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.
Praying
Praying
Paul here in our passage gives you and me a great EXAMPLE of how we can prayer for one another.
With Sincere gratitude
With Intentionality
Pray with Thanksgiving
Pray with Thanksgiving
Praise in our hearts truly does create in us a heart of prayer and gratitude.
Paul is thanking God for the saints in Ephesus.
Whenever Paul spoke to God Ephesus was on his lips!!!
When you talk to God… who is on your heart and lips before Him? (Caution if it is self too often?)
I keep list with me… Show various list from DayTimmer
Notice what Paul was so grateful to God for concerning them… FAITH &LOVE
“Strong faith in the Lord Jesus”
Not thier conversion to Christ but thier spiritual walk and growth in Christ
News had spread concerning this group of believers in Ephesus.
Their reputation for strong faith had spread
“love for God’s people everywhere”
This did not just pertain to thier local gathering in Ephesus
Their love was known for ALL BELIEVERS…
As the body of Christ we are called to Love our brothers and sisters…
This goes for our own church family
This goes for those that may worship in another location, denomination
All those who have placed thier faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ (Those “in Christ”)
Paul goes right from Thank ing God for these folks to sharing that he prays for them CONSTANTLY and then he shares what he is asking God for on thier behalf… THAT IS INTERCESSION!!!
Intercession
Intercession
I absolutely love two things here… 1) Paul let’s them know he is praying for them 2) the powerful way he prays for them!!!
I want you to think of five people (believers in Christ) you can pray for: write them down, remember them, send yourself a text… NOW as we go through these things I want you to commit to praying these things for them this week…
God would give Wisdom and Insight
Spiritual wisdom… from God’s Word
Insight discernment into God’s Word… “so that”
Growth in thier knowledge of God!
Imagine asking God to help some brother of sister grow in thier relationship / intimacy
As God gives wisdom and insight thier knowing God increases
This is not merely knowing facts… but knowing as one reveals themselves to you
“God make yourself known to them”!!!
Hearts flooded with light (to see)… this is a divine sight or enlightening
Paul as he writes throughout this letter uses the contrast of light and dark
God allow them to see clearly what they believe “so that”
UNDERSTAND our Confident Hope & Rich Inheritance…
What do we CONFIDENTLY hope in???
A Savior who raised from the dead paying for our Redemption
Our salvation “sealed in the spirit”
Our Adoption
Christ’s Return
The MANY Blessings
God help them “understand”: to be well acquainted with these things in thier life
God I pray that due to this understanding they see the wealth of the inheritance you have for them
Peter described our inheritance like this 1 Peter 1:4
and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
You are asking God to give them an understanding that gives them an eternal mindset...
A Biblical worldview of this life they live now!
Lastly I pray they would understand (be well acquainted with) the INCREDIBLE GREATNESS OF GOD’S POWER!!!
When you and I pray there is POWER!
When we ask God of something for another brother and sister… ask God that they become well acquainted with His power!
I can think of no better way to become acquainted with God’s power than to pray and REMEBER WHO YOU PRAY TO…
Praying To…
Praying To…
Prayer holds power NOT… because of how you pray, the words used, the order you pray in,… Prayer holds power because of the One we pray to!
SAME POWER… that raise Christ eternally
“Now He is” this is present tense!!!
Not just above… but far above:
Rulers or Authorities: all earthly titles and rulers (even Nebuchadnezzar realized this!) Daniel 4:34-35
“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
Powers or Leaders: Earthly power, spiritual powers, angelic, demonic
Or Anything Else: Paul covers all bases… FAR ABOVE!!!
This world, worlds to come, all places all times… THAT IS SUPREME POWER… THAT IS GOD!
God placed all this under Christ feet who sits at the right hand of God! We see God’s power in:
In His resurrection!
We see it displayed over all things
We see it as He is Head of His church
His Body
Made full and complete…
In Christ… this is the POWER we pray in!
That’s why at the end of this letter Paul tells the saints “be strong in the Lord!”
Now Pray!
Now Pray!
When you and I pray for one another there are several things that occur:
We build up the body
We need each others prayers
We remember we are weak and He is strong
Prayer displays His power
It changes us for the better...
We loo outside ourselves
We think of others
We depend on God
God’s Word speaks to prayer soooo often and so powerfully.
We have books that you can check out with our library fellowship afterwards
You can make list and reminders
HOWEVER… prayer holds no power for the one who does not do it!
Get on your knees, find a quiet place, carve out time and PRAY IN A PRACTICAL & POWERFUL WAY…
