Prayer Goals: I want to pray through my weaknesses.
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Introduction
Introduction
Prayer has been our focus for the last six weeks. I have expressed 5 goals for our prayers lives.
I want to pray for other people.
I want to pray with 100% certainty.
I want to pray for miracles.
I want to pray with humility.
I want to pray with joy and thanksgiving.
Prayer must be the focus of every Christian. We cannot neglect this practice if we want to carry out the Great Commission. Prayer is the vehicle for every Christian to know God, serve Him, and have the power to overcome the enemies obstacles.
Do you ever set goals for yourself and fail?
Personally
Professionally
Spiritually
We all have weaknesses that keep us from doing what we know we ought to do.
Jayton has been a town of sick people. Many of us know that our bodies can’t always do what we want them to do.
The blessing for every Christian to know is this: Being weak is not a disadvantage!
Paul discovered that his weaknesses gave him the ability to pray like never before.
Prayer Goal # 6: I want to pray through my weaknesses.
2 Corinthians
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!
Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.
For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.
But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
2 Corinthians is Paul’s most personal and pastoral letter. It contains more autobiographical material than any of his other writings. He was writing in preparation to see them again. Since he had last written the church in Corinth, they had probaly improved upon the issues that Paul brought up in his 1st letter.
Intruders had come and caused great problems for the church. Paul wrote instructions of how to work with a wrongdoer in their church body. Paul was going through his own afflictions which we just read about.
He had a thorn in his flesh that made ministry difficult.
1. Weakness is guaranteed for all believers. ()
1. Weakness is guaranteed for all believers. ()
A thorn (skolops) was given him in the flesh. The word skolops, found only here in the New Testament, was used for anything pointed, e.g. a stake, the pointed end of a fish-hook, a splinter or a thorn.
The apostle further describes the thorn in his flesh as a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated.
In the story of Job, Satan is allowed to harass the great hero of faith, but only within the limits of God. In Paul tells his readers how he longed to revisit them after he was forced to leave Thessalonica (cf. ), but could not do so because Satan hindered him.
It is important to recognize that Satan has no power other than that which God allows Him.
What was this thorn in the flesh?
Spiritual harassment
Persecution
Physical ailment
It certainly was something personal, affecting him individually, and not just as an apostle. A strong constant striking.
Paul prayed 3 three times to the Lord for this to be removed and His prayer was not granted.
In my life, there have always been situations that had a catch to them. We are going on vacation, but I’ve got dry eyes. I’m about to graduate, but I don’t have a tassel. I’ve got a baseball game, but I forgot my glove. I got asked to the Sadie Hawkins dance, but I’ve got the flu. Aren’t these moments frustrating? Why do weaknesses hinder us as Christians?
You don’t get to skate through life. There is something that will give you the impression that you are being held back. You can ask God to remove your weaknesses.
2. Weakness teaches man to focus on God’s goodness. ()
2. Weakness teaches man to focus on God’s goodness. ()
Paul was being harassed but Jesus brought encouraged and strength to Paul.
Paul didn’t get the answer he wanted but Jesus did respond.
Essentially the word of the Lord to Paul was that while the thorn would not be removed, his grace would enable him to cope with it.
God would use the weak of the world to shame the strong. This he did in order that no human being might boast in his presence, and so that those who do boast might boast of the Lord. So the Lord’s response to Paul’s request for the removal of the harassment was to remind him that his power is manifested in the weak. It also provides, in this context, justification for Paul’s rejection of the type of boasting indulged in by his opponents, and for his own practice of boasting in weakness.
I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Having been taught that Christ’s power is made perfect in weakness, Paul is glad to boast of his weaknesses. This does not mean he enjoys weaknesses as such; what he delights in is the power of Christ that rests upon him in these weaknesses.
Paul’s experience itself then illustrates his message to the church. The true boast of an apostle, of one sent out by the Lord on a mission (for that is what the title truly means), is that in the course of such a mission, the Lord has faithfully provided power in moments of necessity so that the apostle may claim “when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10)
Paul claims that he learned a lesson from the Lord. The experience of the thorn in his flesh taught him to learn on the Lord completely. When he is helpless and vulnerable, Christ empowers him to endure and fulfill his vocation.
Visit with Ron at Hendricks Hospital.
We can choose how to see our weakness. Weakness either makes excuses for why we can’t or it leans upon the God who can.
3. Weakness has a helper. ()
3. Weakness has a helper. ()
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans
Since we all have a weakness, we must have an advocate. The Holy Spirit! , ‘Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.’ When believers pray ‘in the Spirit’, the Spirit himself intercedes on their behalf.
our weakness Refers to people’s limited capacity and susceptibility to sin and death. Paul encourages the Roman believers that the Spirit does not condemn them in their weakness.
our weakness Refers to people’s limited capacity and susceptibility to sin and death. Paul encourages the Roman believers that the Spirit does not condemn them in their weakness.
Spirit himself intercedes Even with the assurance of future hope, believers who patiently endure suffering may, at times, face troubles that exhaust their strength and try their faith. Paul urges such believers to find encouragement in the intercession the Holy Spirit makes on their behalf in these circumstances. This is one aspect of how the Holy Spirit serves as an advocate (paraklētos) for followers of Christ. See note on .
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Spirit himself intercedes Even with the assurance of future hope, believers who patiently endure suffering may, at times, face troubles that exhaust their strength and try their faith. Paul urges such believers to find encouragement in the intercession the Holy Spirit makes on their behalf in these circumstances. This is one aspect of how the Holy Spirit serves as an advocate (paraklētos) for followers of Christ. See note on .
unexpressed groanings May refer to the groaning of the Holy Spirit or the groaning of the believer (compare and note).
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
The Holy Spirit is inside of you. He knows the mind of the Lord and gives you the ability to pray even when you don’t know what to pray for.
unexpressed groanings May refer to the groaning of the Holy Spirit or the groaning of the believer (compare and note).
God is at work on your behalf through the Holy Spirit.
When we hear the words, “They were in the right place at the right time”, we can begin to understand that people often are serving God without knowing completely what’s going on. There are times when the Holy Spirit will compel you to pray for someone without details. He knows more than you do.
God is aware of every single weakness in your life and He is give you to ability to overcome because of the Holy Spirit inside of you.
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.
So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.
“Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.
“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.
And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.
Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.
Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.
For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
