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Title - Prayer Changes People
Colossians 4:2-6
Title - Prayer Changes People
Many times we see that the prayer changes us as much as those we pray for.
Big Idea - Prayer effects how I minister to those who do not know Christ.
Martin Luther the father of the reformation was a very busy and persecuted man.
Martin Luther said about prayer, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
Sometimes we see prayer as a spiritual activity that gets in the way of our day.
I.
I need to pray like I breath.
Prayer is the power through which we face our day.
I.
I need to pray like I breath.
When you breath - you don’t stop.
I remember being so tired after work during several summer days in college that after working a 14 hour day my chest ached when I breathed .
I wanted to stay alive, but I also wanted my chest to rest - not have to rise and fall.
Impossible - to live I must breath.
To stay connected well with God we must pray.
Transition - What does Paul challenge us with?
vs, 2, Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
1A.
Be Steadfast in prayer -
1A.
Be Steadfast in prayer -
Never stop praying, Devoted, Persevering
Devoted, Persevering
Why?
Because prayer and the scriptures are our lifeline to God.
When prayer is not a regular part of your spiritual walk, your spiritual walk is going backwards.
The beauty of prayer is that it is an outward expression of our dependance on God.
-When we pray, Our hearts attitude is:
-God I need you.
-I want to spend time with you.
-I trust that you can supernaturally act in someones life.
-Conversly, when we don’t pray, our heart attitude is:
-Conversly, when we don’t pray, our heart attitude is:
-God I’ve got this on my own.
-God, now is not a good time to talk.
-God supernaturally working is someones life is not a big deal right now.
Transition - And Paul tells gives us specifics in how to pray in verse 2.
2B.
Be Thankful in Prayer
Why emphasize thankfulness in prayer?
Does God need us to be thankful and to boost his ego?
No, God is eternally content and happy with who He is and what He has done.
He has no need for us to boost His ego by being thankful.
Being thankful in prayer:
Keeps our hearts focused upward and outward.
Challenges us to be looking for what God is doing.
Attributes all things that are truly good to Him.
-Young Mothers/Fathers, Thank you God that feeding time with my child was without tears.
-Thank you that last week when I thought I was going to loose my mind, when my kids wouldn’t go to sleep, that you saw me through.
When you see someone who struggles to walk.
Lord give them grace to travel.
Thank you that for now, my legs are working.
Lord, I don’t have much money in the bank, but we aren’t homeless.
You really do provide.
When you see a rough looking person who looks like they love a wild broken life.
God please bless that person and help them come to you.
Thank you that you have saved me.
I could easily be struggling like that person.
-When your feet hit the floor in the morning - thank you God you’ve given me a day to serve you.
So, we are to walk through life constant and thankful in prayer.
-Thankful prayer points us to the Kings greatness.
Transition We pray often being thankful and we pray for the greatness of God through the Gospel to go out.
2. I must pray for the Gospel to be shared with unbelievers.
We pray for the Gospel to be shared with unbelievers for very serious reasons.
We know this:
-Everyone who does not hear the Gospel will go to Hell.
-Some who hear the Gospel will be saved.
-We must share the Gospel.
-Since we cannot share the Gospel with everyone, we must pray that the Gospel will go out through others.
How do I do this?
A. Prayer specifically.
Pray for people you know that don’t know Jesus.
B. Pray for opportunities
, we are to pray, “…that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ...”
Illustration - In my very simple prayer journal.
I have a prayer that says this.
“That the Gospel will go our through FBCL and that people will get saved through our ministry.”
-That the Gospel will go out through our people (that’s you, you sharing the Gospel)
-Part of how you do this is to pray for opportunities.
C. Pray for clarity - That God will help you and others to share about Jesus with clarity.
-Isn’t it interesting that Paul asks for prayer for clarity.
When you read the Pauline letters you think, this is not a man who needs clarity.
-However, Paul realized that he is not involved in an academic effort.
-Paul can’t bring people to salvation by convincing people.
4. Prayer and the Gospel
He is in a spiritual ministry.
A ministry of heart transformation.
He needs as much help from God’s as he can get.
-If Paul needs help with clarity, how much more do we all need help with clarity.
-One of the reasons that we have a Gospel focus every week is so that you will hear with clarity the Gospel.
The more you hear with clarity, the more you will be able to repeat what you hear with clarity.
The “Gospel Focus” in worship serves several objectives.
One of the objectives is training.
Training you how to share about Jesus.
Transition - Finally in our passage we see a shift from praying about the Gospel to sharing the Gospel.
3. Witnessing with words is to be a lifestyle
vs. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
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