Praying for Strength
Notes
Transcript
Praying for Strength
Praying for Strength
What do I want them to know? We are to pray for strength, knowledge that leads to fulness, and praise the Power of God
Why? It leads to strength and hope
What do I want them to do? Pray for strength, knowledge of God (that leads to fullness), and praise the Power of God
Why? It leads to strength and hope
ME/WE
How do we get through this season we are in of a PANDEMIC (that is upending many peoples lives emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially) , POLITICAL UNREST (effected us EPSF), AND PAIN?
What should our response be during the PANDEMIC, POLITICAL UNREST, AND PAIN?
Should we make human plans?
Should we move human strength?
Should we hibernate? Hunker down? (is this what God says to His people in scripture.... “When hard times comes hibernate, hunker down in hiding?”....When an ice age, many people are labeling 2020 affect not a a long season of winter but an ice age, comes hibernate
NO
What should one of responses, a major response, not the only response, be during this PANDEMIC, POLITICAL UNREST, and PAIN?
it is the same response Nehemiah had when we saw Jerusalem, it is the same response Jesus had in the garden of Gethsemane the night before he was going to be crucified, it is the same response David had when Paul was chasing after him trying to kill him, and it is the same response Paul has for the church in Ephesus
PRAYER
What God calls us to do during this season is be PRAYER WARRIORS…you need it, I need it, the world needs it.
There is power in prayer
This is what he calls Paul to do for the church in Ephesus who are facing persecution....they are in pain, suffering.
Paul is so passionate about this we need to look at his posture....Paul purposely writes the posture he is praying
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
This is big deal to ancient readers....Why? because you normally prayed standing up, you only kneeled when it is a big deal, that is was something you were passionate about.....not to always bring up the Browns, but it serves as a good illustration, you know this posture when you are watching a close game
God I am passionately asking you to have the Browns make that field goal
In a different manner Paul is doing a same thing
What does Paul pray for?
Provision? No, though he could pray for that
Protection? They would be protected from the persecution? No, though he could pray for that
What does Paul pray for?
Something deeper
Strength
Filled with the fullness of God
Praise the Powerful One/God
Strength
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
Why does Paul pray this?
The one thing you will need and I will need no matter what season we are in is STRENGTH
Here’s the deal every season this side of heaven you will have three enemies trying to take you down
The world
The flesh
The devil
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.
It matter very little to us and to the church in Ephesus to have momentary protection and provision....if they have no strength.....
Spiritual strength keeps us buoyed and anchored to withstands any season
No matter rain, winter, summer, fall, or ice age we remain standing.
We need spiritual strength
How do we get spiritual strength?
Supernally through the Spirit and Prayer
Paul knows the power of prayer…Paul has seen God move in mighty ways, do mighty things....he has seen the blind see, he has seen Peter released from prison by an angel of the Lord at night as the church was praying from them, he has seen those oppsed to God come to know Jesus (the hardest or hard hearted people) …Paul has seen it work and he knows that the Spirit is able to Strengthen them
Paul knows the Power of Prayer and He prays with passion, persistently because Paul knows PRAYER IS THE WORK
ONE MOVE FROM GOD IS STRONGER THAN ALL OF OUR STRENGHTH COMBINED
IT WORKED....PEOPLE CAME TO KNOW JESUS EPHESUS AND
Strengthen so much that the church of Ephesus becomes the sending missionary agency for all of Asia heard the Word of the Lord.
THEY WERE STRENTHEN SO MUCH THAT ALL OF ASIA HEARD
This dark city is reached by Paul, Pricilla and Aquilla
THEY WERE STRENGTHEN THROUGH THE POWER OF PRAYER OF THE SAINTS
There is power in prayer
How often has this been true in our lives???
We are struggling or have a season of confusion of our future (our vision is blurry) or facing pain
Then the saints pray for us, our brothers and sisters pray for us....maybe they do in their our personal prayers
GAL 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
I HAD A FRIEND LIVING A DARK LIFESTYLE OF HOMOSEXUALITY, DRUGS AND SIN....AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE BELIEVING MOM DID? EVERY MONDAY FOR 7 YEARS SHE FASTED FOR HER SONS SALVATION
…other times it is personally…they fervently intercede for us, lay hands on us, give us prophetic words, they lift us up in prayer
What does this do to us?
STRENGTHENS US
WE NEED TO BE PRAYING FOR EACH OTHER FOLKS....PRAYING FOR STRENGTH
THERE IS POWER IN PRAYER
Not only when we pray it for others, but when we pray for ourselves
Listen to what Phil 4:6-7 says
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Do be anxious about the season you are in.
Do not be worried
Pray and peace and strength will come
THEIR IS POWER IN PRAYER THAT IT HAS THE POWER TO CALM ANY STORM
2. Filled with the fullness of God
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
What does Paul pray?
That they would be filled with the fullness of God
1 Cor 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
God resides in you and what Paul prays is God residing in you to be full…that you would be fully full of God
Why?
If you are full of God what are you not full of what?
Fear
Worry
Doubt
Ungodly Anger
Lying
Deeds of darkness
If you are full of God you are absent the things not of God, darkness
BUT IF YOU ARE FULL OF GOD YOU, you are full of fruit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
If you are full of God you are absent of things that bring darkness and death.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
How do we get filled with the fullness of God? HOW DOES GOD MANY TIMES ANSWER THIS PRAYER
Supernaturally by Holy Spirit and Prayer AND PRAISE
Scripture
Church
1. Paul prays that you Supernaturally filled with God by Holy Spirit and Prayer AND PRAISING GOD
WHEN WE PRAY FOR IT, OTHERS PRAY FOR US, OR IT IS JUST BECAUSE WE ARE GOD CHILD THAT GOD SUPERNATUALLY SPEAKS TO US
How many us had this moments, we are driving in our car, walking outside, laying in our bed....and Holy Spirit speaks, he reveals something to us supernaturally and it fills us up
You are driving to work and your driving to work has now turned into a Holy Commute or your morning on the couch is now a Holy morning. Holy Spirit spoke
That’s God’s goodness
2. GOD ANSWERS PAUL’S PRAYER THROUGH SCRIPTURE
The Word of God is nourishment
Matt 4:4
But he answered, “It is written,
“ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
Just as we need physical substance we need spiritual substance.
- The word of God fills you up
Most of us had times when we are reading the Word of God and the Word just fills us up with the fullness of God....We just feasted on God’s word and we are full of God.
The word of God is not only a book that shows us how to live....it fills up with the knowledge of the love of God.
SM LOCKRIDGE
3. GOD ANSWERS PAUL’S PRAYER OF FILLING YOU UP THROUGH THE CHURCH
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Paul is praying the church would keep spurring each other on....picking each other up…help people be filled with the fullness of God....helping them get rid of their darkness.
SPEAKING TRUTH
SPEAKING FRUIT
SPEAKING LIFE
SPEAKING BLESSINGS
Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
There is power in prayer
3. POWER IN THE Praise OF the Power of God
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
DO YOU KNOW YOUR GOD IS?
HE IS THE GOD OF ABUNDANTLY MORE
HE IS THE GOD OF MORE
HE IS THE GOD WHO
Split the sea
Delivered His people
Raised the dead
Healed the sick
Walked on water
Caused the blind the sea
Defeated death
Created the heavens and earth
One of the things you will see over and over in the scriptures is SAINTS (Nehemiah, Paul, David, Moses) praying and when they remember and rejoice in the power of God.
WHY DOES PAUL END WITH PRAISE THE POWER?
When know how powerful God is it will strengthen us
Paul is rejoicing in God being a God who is all powerful.
Ps 105
There is power in prayer
REJOICING AND REMEMBERING THE POWER OF GOD STRENGTHENS US
IT REMINDS US THAT GOD IS GREATER THAN THE PANDEMIC HAS NO POWRE ON GOD, POLITICAL UNREST HAS NO POWER ON GOD, PAIN HAS BEEN DEFEATED
Prayer
Strengthens us
Fills us with God
Praising His power strengthens
US
What is God calling us to do is pray
Small Group
What did God speak to you during today’s worship service?
Why is it vital that we pray what Paul prays in Eph 3:14-21?
How have you been doing during this season we have been as a country and world? How can we pray for you and can we pray for you now?
Spend some time praying for each other and the Cleveland area the things Paul prays (strengthened by Holy Spirit, full of God, praise the power of God).
