Praying with Paul: Desperate Enough to Ask

Intro:

Ephesians 6:18–19 NKJV

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Tonight, we will continue [Praying with Paul]. Tonight, we will look at being, [Desperate Enough to Ask].

We have spent some time look at what Paul prayed for the Ephesian Church. He spent much of his time praying for them, but as we noticed last week, he changed course.

Instead of praying for them, he requested them for prayer.

It is difficult to really grasp the life of the Apostle Paul. For years he thought he knew God. It is true that he knew about God. He was a Pharisee.

He could quote hundreds of Scriptures about the Lord. He knew the prophecies concerning God. But I think it is safe to say he had an empty prayer life.

Jesus described the Pharisees this way:

Matthew 6:5 NKJV

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

Matthew 23:27–28 NKJV

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

The Pharisees knew all ABOUT God, but they did not have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus stood before Him, longing to redeem and save them, and they plotted for His death.

Paul was numbered among those arrogant and self-righteous Pharisees, until one day everything changed. His willingness to surrender his life to Christ shifted his relationship with God.

No longer did he know ABOUT Him, He knew Him personally. His personal encounter with Jesus changed everything for Paul. It revolutionized his:

life

thinking

actions

beliefs

relationship

Knowing Jesus personally is the greatest decision we will ever make.

We looked last week that Paul was humble enough to ask for prayer, now I want us to see how he was desperate enough to ask for prayer.

I have three points, [His Reality], [His Request], and [His Responsibility].

Let’s begin

1. His Reality

Ephesians 6:20 NKJV

20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

People are often placed in two categories— idealists and realists.

For Paul, I would say he was both. He was idealistic in that he firmly believed that the Gospel had the power to change people. No one was too far from God in Paul’s mind.

Part of the reason he believed this was that for years, many assumed he was too far from God. He was too radical, too arrogant, and too ruthless.

1 Timothy 1:15 NKJV

15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

His position in Christ shaped his reality. He viewed everything from the lens of his faith in the Lord.

He was idealistic, but he was also realistic. Notice his self-description— I am an ambassador in chains.

Ambassadors and chains do not mix.

I remember being in Guyana in 2010. I heard the story of the Buxton Bandits. A group of criminals over took the village of Buxton. The height of their tyranny happened when they kidnapped the security chief of the U.S. Embassy in Guyana.

He was on the golf course and two man, one armed with a handgun and the other with a rifle kidnapped the man.

I asked one of the locals what happened. He told me, the US came and took care of the bandits. I asked, do you mean arrested them, and he simply said, NO.

I discovered what it meant to “take care” of someone.

The reason the US had the authority to come in was due to the fact that they dealt with the Ambassador’s staff. An ambassador possesses citizenship from their home country, but they live in another country.

Their home/work, the embassy, sits on foreign soil, but is actually property of their home country.

Paul knew his reality. He was one of God’s representatives, but he was in chains.

When we pray, it is okay to be honest and real about how we feel and what we face.

We do not have to shy away from our reality. Instead, acknowledge where we are and then ask for prayer.

2. His Request

Ephesians 6:20 NKJV

20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

The New Testament Church had this knack of keeping their prayer requests in proper order.

When persecution came, they did not ask God to life the burden, instead they requested boldness. They wanted supernatural power.

Paul was no exception. True, he was an ambassador of God. He represented God everywhere he went, but he was in chains. He could not freely move and travel to do God’s work.

Paul was up front with God and those that prayed for him, I am chained as a prisoner, even though I am his ambassador.

But here is Paul’s prayer, do not ask God to free from any of this, only I request that God will help me speak for Him.

What was Paul’s driving force to continue to speak for God?

He knew the need was great. The church was in the minority in comparison to the many lost people.

He explained it this way to the church in Rome:

Romans 10:14–15 NKJV

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Paul came to Christ because the sky literally split open and Jesus spoke to him. But that is not the way it always happens. Instead, people HEAR about Christ because someone TELLS them about Him.

Paul had one request, ask God to release the chains so that I might have the freedom to tell more people about Jesus.

God wants to give us a burden for the lost.

All we have to do is ask Him. God we are your ambassadors, give us boldness that we might speak.

3. His Responsibility

Ephesians 6:20 NKJV

20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Paul’s request came from his responsibility. It was not only his desire to tell others about the Lord, he was his assignment from heaven.

He possessed divine direction for his life:

Acts 26:16–18 NKJV

16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’

Paul’s responsibility was given to him directly from Jesus. He was to:

receive revelation from God

teach the Jewish people

teach the Gentile people

Help them turn from darkness

lead them to a place of repentance

Notice something, Paul’s request shows the desires of his heart, his responsibility shows the desires of God’s heart.

He asked for boldness that he MAY speak

But he tells us that he OUGHT TO speak

Paul was unique in that He allowed God to shape his life and not the other way around.

Many people know God has a plan for their lives, but they place their needs and wants above what the Lord wants for them.

Their requests to God focus on what THEY want, not their responsibility of what God WANTS them to do for Him.

We are responsible to request help to do all God has called us to do.

Close:

Paul was desperate. He had, a great need or desire. He wanted to continue to serve God with everything in him. The problem, he was in chains.

Because of his situation, which many might have thought was hopeless, Paul requested prayer.

He was honest about his reality.

He made a bold request

He prayed according to his responsibility.

Eventually, God answered Paul. He was released from house arrest and he continued to share Jesus with others.

God heard Paul’s desperate cry.

Are we desperate for God?

Do we sincerely desire to do ALL we can for Him?

Are our prayers more ME focused or more GOD focused?

God answers people who are desperate for His will in their lives.

I have probably shared this story before, but the Lord reminded me of it as I wrote this message. In the 1970s, my pastor’s wife in Oklahoma, Betty, developed a terrible pain in her back.

He had ruptured discs and many other problems. It was so bad she was bed ridden much of the time. She had been prayed for by many people for a long time.

Then one Wednesday, she knelt at the altar, praying desperately for God to touch her. Finally, after this prolonged illness, the Lord asked her, “Betty, why do you want me to heal you?”

She answered, “So I can better serve you.” Instantly, she felt her back pop and all the pain leave her body. She never suffered with back problems again.

Are we desperate to serve God?

Do our requests focus on His will?

Do we long to fulfill our responsibility on earth?

Let’s pray for two things tonight— God make me desperate for you, give me a desperation to do your will.