Enduring in Prayer
Enduring in Christ • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Playing in the waves in Europe and getting disoriented.
I didn’t know which way was up, nor where the bottom was.
Ultimately, all I needed to do was stand up, but I struggled because I was disoriented from the power of the waves.
Context
Context
· Ephesians 6:11–17 (ESV)—The topic shifts to prayer but remains firmly connected to the theme of spiritual warfare.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 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.
13 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.
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
· Paul has powerfully explained that God has given us the power to stand firm in spiritual battles; why then do we still falter in our walk?
o It’s not because Satan is too powerful; he is a defeated foe.
o It’s not because we are too weak; we have been given spiritual life through the resurrection power of Christ.
o Rather, it is because we lack the desire to resist.
§ We want sin gone from our lives, but we cherish it in our hearts.
§ We are fully armored, yet we let Satan’s attacks through uncontested
· Our conscience is impure; our righteousness tainted.
o We are not naturally prepared for the rigors of Christian life.
§ Our knowledge of the gospel is imperfect.
§ Our faith is fraught with doubt.
§ Our hope is mixed with despair.
o And so, our armor is incomplete.
We need God’s help even to take up the armor He freely gives.
· Paul’s final command regarding spiritual warfare is that we should cultivate the will to put God’s strength into action.
o That’s where prayer comes in.
Prayer is the means God has provided, by which the Christian takes up the armor of God and makes it effectual in their lives.
Taking up the armor in conscious prayerful dependence on God the Holy Spirit.
· The practice of prayer is, therefore, central to the life of the Christian.
o It epitomizes what it means to be strong in the Lord.
o Jesus made a consistent practice of praying during His earthly ministry.
· Prayerlessness in the church is nothing less than practical atheism—you may say there is a God, but you live as if He is of no importance.
· Prayer is one way of judging the quality of a Christian’s life.
o Puritan John Owen once said he would rather judge a man’s theology from his prayer than from his books.
o Robert Murray M’Cheyne said, “A man is what he is on his knees, and nothing more.”
· Luke 6:45 (ESV)—The reason why is that what we speak about and to God says a whole lot about what is in our hearts.
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
· Three indicatives about the importance of prayer in Christian life.
Prayerfulness Prepares Us for Spiritual Warfare (Eph. 6:18a)
Prayerfulness Prepares Us for Spiritual Warfare (Eph. 6:18a)
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance,
At all times (Constantly/Always)
· Prayer is not meant to be episodic, routine, or circumstantial (before meals/in church/in tough times).
o Prayer should be constant in the church.
o Prayerfulness should be our basic disposition in life.
o Remember, all of life is lived coram deo (before God), so all life should be lived in prayer.
· Paul recorded two such prayers in Ephesians.
o Ephesians 1:15-23—Paul gives thanks for God’s work amongst the Ephesians
o Ephesians 3:14-21—Paul prays that God would continue to strengthen the church.
· We should pray at every opportunity.
· Romans 12:12 (ESV)—A summary of the content of Ephesians
12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
· Prayer is the activity of maintaining our humble dependence on the Lord’s strength rather than ours.
· Prayer is our fundamental activity in spiritual warfare.
o As constant as the spiritual battle is, so should be our constant prayer.
· Romans 12:21 (ESV)
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
· Praying in every circumstance promotes a wonderful self-consciousness in us.
o It reminds us that we are in need of God’s provision.
o It leads us to Christ to meet those needs.
In the Spirit
· As we lack the natural strength to endure in spiritual warfare, so to do we lack the ability to pray as we ought to.
o In God’s grace, the Spirit helps us.
· 1 Corinthians 2:11–12 (ESV)–He knows the heart of God and helps us in prayer.
11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
· He tells us what we ought to pray for.
o Because our scope is limited to our own intuition and understanding.
o We don’t always know what to pray for; what we should be praying for; but He does.
§ He leads us to pray at a higher level.
· Praying in the spirit means to pray in dependence on the Spirit and in conformity to what He desires.
o What is set forth in God’s Word.
o Towards the purpose of glorifying Jesus Christ.
· John 16:14 (ESV)
14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
· Characteristics of Spirit-filled prayer:
o Never mindless, but always sincere and from the heart.
o Not ritualistic: It can be fluent or it can be halting.
o Always dependent on God and in conformity to His revealed will.
By praying in the Spirit rather than in our own strength, we lay hold of God’s infinite grace and kindness towards us in Jesus Christ.
With all prayer and supplication (Diligently)
· Prayer has many forms and elements to it.
o Thanksgiving—adoration—confession—petition—intercession— even imprecatory (prayers for our enemies’ destruction).
o The attitude of our prayers, whatever their form, should be supplication.
§ We should be earnest in our prayer; like a child asking something from a parent.
· We see this present in the prayers of scripture.
· Genesis 32:26 (ESV)—Jacob has no leverage to press God for a blessing.
26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
· Isaiah 62:7 (ESV)—God invites us to pester Him with our prayers.
7 and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.
· Most famously, we see this kind of earnest, persistent prayer in the parable of the persistent widow. (Luke 18:1-11)
· Prayer should be expectant and believing.
o Expecting that God will answer.
o Believing that He can do all things.
· 1 John 5:14–15 (ESV)
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Faith that believes God’s promises will pursue him endlessly to call on Him, plead with Him, and cry out to Him to fulfill His promises.
Keep alert
· Vigilance is needed in warfare, lest the enemy catch us unawares.
· Matthew 26:41 (ESV)— Paul emulates Jesus’s own teaching.
41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
By being vigilant to pray at all times in the Spirit, we will find we are prepared for battle when it comes upon us.
With all perseverance
· Perseverance in prayer was one of the primary characteristics of the early church.
· Acts 1:14 (ESV)—They prayed while waiting on the Lord to move. (Paraphrase)
14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
· Acts 2:42 (ESV)—They prayed as a part of their regular lives together. (Paraphrase)
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
· Acts 6:4 (ESV)—Their leaders considered prayer as equally important to the ministry of the world. (Paraphrase)
4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
· Prayer and the Word go hand-in-hand in maintaining our unity and fellowship with the Lord.
· Perseverance in prayer pleases Him, and the continual pursuit of Him is edifying.
o If he delays in answering, it is so that we will chase after him all the more in prayer (like the persistent widow).
o Further, he prods us with our need, so that our need for his providence leads us to seek Him.
o Otherwise, we would never go to Him; we would just keep striving in our own strength (pride or despair).
There is a great comfort in knowing that God is never wearied by our prayers.
Prayerfulness Builds Up the Body in Love (Eph. 6:18b)
Prayerfulness Builds Up the Body in Love (Eph. 6:18b)
To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
· Paul transitions from personal prayers to corporate prayers.
· We are members of one body, and we all have a part to play in building this body up.
· We must stop seeing prayer as a personal thing.
o Prayer is supposed to be the activity of the church, gathered in Christ’s name.
· Romans 14:19 (ESV)—The attitude of Christians towards the church should be toward edification.
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
· The fundamental commandment that Jesus gives us regarding our brothers and sisters is that we love our neighbor as ourselves.
· Galatians 6:10 (ESV)—This is especially applied to our fellow believers in the church.
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Loving our Christian brothers and sisters around the world means that we should be praying just as hard and just as earnestly for them as we do for ourselves.
· We are the grace of God given to one another and for each other’s good.
Like Greek Hoplites in a Phalanx formation, each man’s shield guarding the man next to him.
· 1 Corinthians 12:26 (ESV)—Christianity is a team sport, and so is prayer.
26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Prayerfulness Protects the Witness of the Church (Eph. 6:19-20)
Prayerfulness Protects the Witness of the Church (Eph. 6:19-20)
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
And also for me
· Imagine this for a moment. Paul, broken in body, but mighty in the Lord.
o He pleads that the Ephesians would pray for him.
o Paul makes clear that he is no less dependent upon the Spirit to withstand the spiritual warfare that he faces.
That words may be given to me
· An interesting request from Paul. Who would say that Paul has ever been short of words.
· But we must understand that Paul is not asking for more words, or better words, but the right words.
o The incisive words that cut through and strike home, convicting the heart and exalting Christ.
In opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel
· Paul’s singular ambition as a minister of the gospel is that the message of Jesus Christ would prevail.
o To that end, Paul desires the strength not to compromise.
· His God-given mission is to reveal that God has made peace a reality through His Son Jesus Christ.
o That all may draw near to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
· Philippians 3:13–14 (ESV)—Paul is self-abandoningly focused on giving his absolute all in service of the gospel.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Ambassador in chains
· Paul, as you will remember, is in prison in Rome for preaching the gospel.
o Paul doesn’t pray for, nor does he ask for others to pray for deliverance from trouble; he prays for boldness and faithfulness.
That I may declare it boldly
· Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)—Our message is too important to be timid.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
As I ought to speak
· 1 Corinthians 9:16 (ESV)—Our mission is too important not to cover it in prayer.
16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
· In Paul’s request, there is an implicit rule for us today.
o We should make prayer for those who have been set apart for the sake of the gospel to some special ministry a priority in the church.
§ That they would remain faithful to the calling that God has placed on their lives.
§ That they would be given the proper words to say.
· Eloquence is not powerful, nor is earnestness sufficient for the minister of the gospel.
o What we need is the Holy Spirit to empower our preaching.
§ That they would be given the boldness necessary to say it, regardless of the consequences to them.
· D.L. Moody once said, “Every Great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.”
o Evidence of the truth of this claim can be found in many great men and women of the church such as Martin Luther.
If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours a day in prayer.
· Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV)—Paul’s request for prayers may be rightly extended to other ministers in the church, in whatever capacity they serve.
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
o The church has great need of the ministry they do.
Conclusion and Communion
Conclusion and Communion
· The church today often spends much more time decrying the evil in the world rather than doing something about it.
· Prayer is relegated to a personal discipline for personal growth.
o But we are meant to pray together and for each other, as one body.
· Romans 8:26–27 (ESV)
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
· When we pray in the Spirit, humbly submitting our wills and desires to Him,
o He takes our limited nature and uses it with infinite wisdom and power to work all things out for good.
· Romans 8:28–29 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
o Through prayer, the Spirit continually transforms us in Christlikeness and renews our eternal hope in Christ Jesus.
The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper
· The Lord’s Supper is another gracious gift that God has given for the building up of the church and the maintaining of our fellowship with Him.
o In it we are reminded of the past, completed work of Jesus Christ for us.
o We are invited to have fellowship with Him in together in the Spirit.
o We proclaim our eternal hope in the return of Christ.
A Communion prayer
How good it is, Lord, to receive a broken Christ into a broken heart. We feed on your body broken, and your blood shed, as the sole, the only, the all-sufficient means of salvation by faith!
Lamb of God! Keep your table sacred from all leaven, both in the persons approaching it, and the offerings made upon it.
Do not allow the leaven of hypocrisy and wickedness here, but let all who meet around your table be of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
And Lord, please come into your house, to your table, to your people. Let each person hear and joyfully accept the invitation of the kind Master: Eat, O friends; drink, yes, drink abundantly, O beloved!
Then Lord, make us yours, altogether yours! Let our whole body, soul, and spirit be all yours, both by the conquests of your grace, as they are justly yours, and by the purchase of your blood.
Never, never more may we depart from you, but as did the church of old, may we exult in this blessed assurance, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.” Amen.
—Robert Hawker[1]
[1]Robert Hawker, “A Communion Prayer,” in Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans, ed. Robert Elmer (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019), 144.
