Plugging into the Power of Prayer Part 2

Honoring those who Labor

Labor Day is meant to be a time to pause and honor work and workers. It was heavily promoted in the nineteenth century by trade unions and labor associations as a day set aside to celebrate the “average man” and the hard and dangerous work of so many laborers, especially in the factories and building projects of the northeast United States. It was not an easy observance to get passed, but in 1894 it finally became a federal holiday.

It’s worth remembering that work is for the human person, not the human person for work. We aren’t meant to live for work, but to work so that we might fully live. As the maxim goes: “We are human beings, not human doers.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Colossians 3:23 NIV

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Special Prayer for laborers and business owners

Introduction

Optional joke: Two Very Different Parrots

I recently heard of a lady who had a parrot that she taught to be spiritual and so the parrot would always say, “Awwk! Let us pray. Let’s pray.” She met a guy who also loved, but he was a little rough around the edges. He also had a parrot that he taught to say, “Awwk! Let’s kiss.” As it would happen, these two got married and as they set up their house they introduced their parrots. The sweet, spiritual parrot said, “Let’s pray. Let’s pray.” The other parrot said, “Let’s kiss. Let’s kiss.” The first parrot said, “Praise God my prayers have been answered.”

So … What’s your prayer life like? Last week we asked; Do you enjoy prayer?

Last Sunday we learned … (refer to part 1)

Ephesians 3:12 NKJV

12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Ephesians 3:12 NKJV

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

Boldness, Access, and Confidence

**Establish conflict

The Ephesians were having a difficult time understanding their position “In Christ.”

This is Paul’s 2nd prayer for the Ephesians. The first one is found in .

Ephesians 1:18 NIV

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

“In the first prayer, the emphasis is on enlightenment, but in this prayer, the emphasis is on enablement. It is not so much a matter of knowing as being; laying our hands on what God has for us and by faith making it a vital part of our lives. Paul was saying; ‘I want you to get your hands on your wealth, realize how vast it is, and start to use it.” The Wiersbe Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe

Before we get to this powerful verse, we must lay the foundation of how Paul can proclaim such a truth.

eph

Ephesians 3:14–21 NIV

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

My desire this week is for you to understand …

The Posture of Prayer

Ephesians 3:14 NIV

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

The Bible never commands a specific posture of prayer…

In , Abraham stood before the Lord and prayed for Sodom

In , Solomon stood when he prayed to dedicate the temple

David “sat before the Lord” () when he prayed about the future of his kingdom

And Jesus “fell on his face” when He prayed in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39)

Joke: two pastors arguing over the best position of prayer. (Utility worker finally interrupts)

When Joni Erickson Tada was 17, she broke her neck in a diving accident leaving her paralyzed and a quadriplegic today. One time as she was reflecting on moment when she was at a conference and the speaker asked everyone to get on her knees and she was the only one who couldn’t. In tears that night she said this:

“Jesus. I can’t wait for the day when I will rise up on resurrected legs. The first thing I will do is to drop on grateful, glorified knees to worship you.”

We said last week that good theology makes for good prayer!

Prayer ultimately is not a posture of the body, rather a posture of the heart.

In Paul’s writing the the Ephesians, the emphasis is on spiritual posture:

Ephesians 2:1 NIV

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

Ephesians 2:4–5 NIV

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Prayer ultimately is not a posture of the body, rather a posture of the heart.

Ephesians 3:14 NIV

For this reason I kneel before the Father,

Understanding our “Father”

The God of the Bible is absolutely delighted with you, He “dances” over His children. When you come to prayer, your Father is way more excited to spend time with you than you are with Him.

We tend to struggle with our view of Our Heavenly Father due to our relationship with our earthly father.

The great church reformer Martin Luther said; “When I pray the Lord’s prayer, and I come to the words “Our Father” I struggle because my father was a harsh and unrelenting man.”

We must understand, appreciate and learn to love the relationship of “Father” if we want to have a vibrant and dynamic prayer life.

“But just remember, He is our most loving Father. Every other discovery of God without this, will but make the soul fly from Him” John Owens, Communion with God

To think of the greatness, power, awesomeness, omnipotence, omniscience, etc … without the relationship of “Father” would cause us to fear, run, and/or hide from him!

1 John 3:1 NKJV

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

“Behold what manner of love the father” (John)

“Behold” can be interpreted as “CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!”

“If the love of the Father will not make a child delight in Him, what will? Put then, this to the venture; exercise your thoughts upon this very things, the eternal, free, and fruitful love of the Father, and see if your heart be not wrought upon to delight in Him.”

1 John 4:19 NIV

We love because he first loved us.

The Petition of Prayer

Ephesians 3:16 NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Ephesians 3:16 ESV

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

I want you to understand this awesome truth: that God doesn’t give to us “out of His riches” but “according to His riches”

Ephesians 3:16–19 NIV

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:16 NIV

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

NIV “out of his riches”, ESV “According”

I want you to understand this awesome truth: that God doesn’t give to us “out of His riches” but “according to His riches”

Example: If I am a billionaire and I give you $100, I have given to you out of my riches; but if I give you a million dollars, I have given to you according to my riches. The first is a portion; the second is a proportion.

Ephesians 3:16–19 NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Holman New Testament Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians C. Paul’s Prayer for Power Resumed (vv. 14–19)

The prayer has four requests which build on each other, or which flow out of each other. The first request is for inner spiritual strength. This is not the “when the going gets tough the tough get going” kind of power. This is not self-discipline or the power of positive thinking. This is not mental renewing, or self-talk, or getting a grip on yourself, or turning over a new leaf. This is a fundamental work of God from his Spirit to our spirit.

Strength - “he may strengthen you with power”

This is the power that Jesus performed His earthly ministry with.

Ephesians 3:16 NIV

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Luke 4:1 NIV

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

It’s the same power that He promised to give us:

Acts 1:8 NIV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Depth - “dwell in your hearts” … “rooted and established in love”

Paul uses three pictures:

The verb “dwell” literally means “to settle down and feel at home.”

Abraham’s life is an illustration of this truth. God was going to bless Abraham with a son, so the Lord himself came down with two angels and visited Abraham’s tent. They came and visited with Abraham and felt very much at home that they even ate a meal with him.

The verb rooted moves into the plant world. It gives us the idea of roots needing to go deep into the soil to have both nourishment and stability. Paul’s prayer was for the Christian to have deep spiritual roots planted in the love of God.

The psalmist describes the person who “delights” in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night…

Psalm 1:3 NIV

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Psalm 1:1–3 NIV

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Established or “grounded” is an architectural term and refers to the foundations on which we build.

psalm

The Architect understands that you need “to go deep in order to go high”

Apprehension - “have power … to grasp”

This english word comprehend and apprehend stem from the same Latin word which means “to grasp”

A monkey is known to have a “prehensile tail.” A monkey’s tail is able to grasp a tree limb and hold on.

Our english word “comprehend” carries with it the idea of mentally grasping something; while “apprehend” suggests laying hold of it for yourself.

Fullness - “filled (with) the fullness of God”

Perhaps a more accurate translation would be “filled unto all the fullness of God.”

The means of our fullness is the Holy Spirit:

Ephesians 3:17–19 NIV

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 5:18 NIV

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,

Ephesians 3:17 NIV

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

I think that it’s important to note that in both of these prayers as well as Paul’s “prison prayers” (; ), deal with the spiritual needs of man rather than the material needs. Certainly it’s not wrong to pray for material needs, but we find Paul praying for the deeper needs of man - Our spiritual need!

The Plenty of Prayer

Ephesians 3:20–21 NIV

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:16 NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

eph 3.

“His glorious riches”

“Pauls draws attention not simply to the idea of source, thereby signifying ‘out of the wealth of His glory’, but also indicates that (God’s) giving corresponds to the inexhaustible of that glory. It is on a scale commensurate with his glory: He gives as lavishly as only He can.” Peter O’Brien, Pillar New Testament Commentary: Ephesians

God is never going to run out of anything that we need. Power, love, mercy, grace, etc …

AND HE DELIGHTS IN IT!!!

Ephesians 3:20–21 NKJV

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

eph 3.20-21

“exceedingly” = way beyond

“abundantly” = way more

“above” = way higher

Now unto Him that is

able to do all

above all

abundantly above all

exceedingly abundantly above all

God has a bigger plan for your life than you do!

God is more interested in what’s going on in your life than you do! It will boggle your mind!

Psalm 37:23 NKJV

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

“In his way” can be interpreted as “every detail”

Be determined!

James 5:17 NIV

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

Elijah “pray prayed”

Closing

“There is an inexhaustible fullness of grace and mercy in God, which the prayers of all the saints can never draw dry. Whatever we may ask, or think to ask, still God is still able to do more, abundantly more, exceedingly abundantly more. Open your mouth ever so wide, still he has the wherewithal to fill it.” Matthew Henry Commentary

Extra Material:

“There is an inexhaustible fullness of grace and mercy in God, which the prayers of all the saints can never draw dry. Whatever we may ask, or think to ask, still God is still able to do more, abundantly more, exceedingly abundantly more. Open your mouth ever so wide, still he has the wherewithal to fill it.” Matthew Henry Commentary

**Possible Closing illustration

Huge Reserves

During the depression there was a field that still today is referred to a “Yates Pool”. This field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Yates. Mr. Yates wasn’t able to make enough on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch.

With little money for clothes or food, his family (like many others) had to live on government subsidy.

Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would pay his bills. Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told him there might be oil on his land. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract.

At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day. Many subsequent wells were more than twice as large. In fact, 30 years after the discovery, a government test of one of the wells showed it still had the potential flow of 125,000 barrels of oil a day.

And Mr. Yates owned it all.

The day he purchased the land he had received the oil and mineral rights. Yet, he’d been living on relief.

A multimillionaire living in poverty.

The problem? He didn’t know the oil was there even though he owned it.