Final Instructions: Pray Continually

Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Theme: For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus . . . to pray continually.

Date: 05/08/2022 File: Final_Instructions_03.wpd File #: NT13-05

As the Apostle Paul closes out his letter to the Thessalonian believers he encourages them to pray continually. Now, no one can pray ceaselessly. No one can literally do what Paul is suggesting. He is saying that prayer ought to be a priority in our lives, and that each of us could probably pray a whole lot more than we do!

The Bible indicates that prayer is as important to your soul as air is to your lungs and life. If I were to ask you this morning, “Is prayer fundamental to a believer’s spiritual life?” I am sure I would receive a resounding “Yes!” from every one of you. Yet, if some of you were honest with yourself this morning you would have to admit that if you breathed air as inconsistently as you sought out God in prayer you just might suffocate!

In relation to our text this morning, I want to leave you with three thoughts.

Prayer to God is worship.

Prayer to Us is work.

Prayer to Satan is warfare.

The first is this:

I. PRAYER TO GOD IS WORSHIP

1. the offering and burning of incense in the Temple at Jerusalem was a twice-daily event in Israel’s worship

a. once in the morning and again in the evening a priest would enter the inner Temple with fire taken from the altar of burnt offering

b. he would place it upon the altar of incense, and then the incense itself would be sprinkled upon the flame

c. the priest would then bow toward the Holy of Holies and retreat slowly backwards

2. as the smell of incense, wafted through the temple — filling it with a sweet fragrance — it represented the prayers of the people being carried to God

a. it is a beautiful Old Testament illustration of the believer’s prayers ascending to the ears of our Heavenly Father

b. even King David recognized this:

“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2,NIV)

3. the prayers of the saints are a sweet smell in God’s nostrils

a. God is praised when we pray and that is worship

b. so how is prayer worship?

A. PRAYER BRINGS US INTO GOD’S PRESENCE

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, NASB95)

1. because of Christ’s sacrifice every Christian has direct access to God

a. Paul urges us to make the most of our access by approaching God in prayer with a sense of confidence and boldness, knowing that our prayers will be heard and answered

2. at the same time, however, we should never be so bold as to lose sight of our surroundings

a. prayer ushers us into the throne room of God — that is no light thing

b. if we don’t take a moment to absorb the implications of that, we can’t fully appreciate the magnitude of the event

1) remember the Prophet Isaiah when, in a vision, he finds himself standing in Heaven’s throne room?

“And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”” (Isaiah 6:4–5, ESV)

2) prayer grants us a personal audience with the One who created the universe, who parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, who kept Daniel safe in the lions’ den, who sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, who sacrificed His only Son, and who raised Him from the dead

c. it’s an astonishing opportunity, when you think about it — so we must think about it

3. approaching God in prayer should be mixed with a deep sense of awe and appreciation

B. PRAYER HELPS US RECOGNIZE OUR PLACE AND OUR PURPOSE

1. prayer is saying to God: “OK Lord, what’s next on your agenda for me and my life?”

a. this leads me to an observation

b. I think one reason why Christians may not pray like they ought to is because if we really did find out what God’s will for our lives is, it would conflict with what we wanted to do

2. prayer is saying to God: “I need you God . . .”

a. “. . . to help me handle my problems.”

b. “. . . to tell my frustrations to.”

c. “. . . to guide me in daily living.”

d. “. . . for simple fellowship.”

1) at this point, let me hasten to say that each of us would be better off if we spent more time seeking God’s face rather than seeking God’s hand

2) too often, our only reason for going to God is when we want something or need His help

“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (1 Chron. 16:11, NIV)

3. often, too often, when we turn to God in prayer, it’s in response to circumstances in our life — a medical crisis, a broken relationship, a job loss, a sense of helplessness or hopelessness

a. we pray in times of desperation, imploring God to do something on our behalf

b. more often than not, we have a pretty clear idea of what we want Him to do

1) in such cases, prayer becomes an “assignment” — we give God a job and wait for Him to complete it

4. God is gracious; He will respond to “emergency requests,” though not necessarily in the ways we want Him to

a. however, when we pray in such a shortsighted way, we limit prayer’s potential in our lives

b. prayer, in its most potent form, is a regular acknowledgment of God’s place in our lives — and of our place in His will

5. as we extol God’s virtues and praise Him for His power, His wisdom, His love, and His ability to bring ultimate good from any situation, we are using prayer to worship our God

C. PRAYER DIRECTS OUR FOCUS ON GOD

1. what’s the highest form of compliment that you can pay to somebody else?

a. the highest compliment you can pay someone is the enjoyment of their presence

2. how do we seek God’s continuous presence?

a. we focus on God through continuous prayer!

ILLUS. George Johnson, a Missourian who taught Bible at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for twenty-five years, had a favorite saying. When he died his family found it written in about a dozen places: “Every morning, lean thine arms awhile upon the window sill of heaven and gaze upon thy God. Then, with that vision in thine heart, turn strong to meet the day.”

D. PRAYER ALIGNS OUR HEART WITH GOD’S HEART

1. the most profound example of seeking God’s purpose in prayer comes from Jesus

a. in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before His arrest, Jesus felt the full weight of what He was about to endure

1) he begins His prayer by saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39)

b. it was certainly an understandable request from someone who was being pushed to the limits of human endurance

2. but it’s how Jesus ends His prayer that resonates with us

a. he follows His anguished plea with these words: “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39)

b. this is the essence of worship ...

“ ... “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10, NIV84)

3. our aim must be to follow our Lord’s lead in our own prayers

a. after we pour our hearts out to God, it is essential that we pray, in effect, “No matter how urgent or important these things seem to me, they pale in comparison to the urgency and importance of Your will. That is my first priority.”

... Prayer to God Is Worship

II. PRAYER TO US IS WORK

1. one reason so many believers pray so little is that they really don’t believe they are doing anything important when they pray

ILLUS. I collect cartoons about church life. One in my collection shows a pastor on his knees in his office, head bowed in prayer. The door is cracked open, and the church secretary is peaking in, and she says, “Oh good. You’re not doing anything important.”

a. unfortunately, I think that’s how so many Christians view prayer

2. if you would begin to pray for all those circumstances, events, situations, and people you are encouraged by the Scriptures to pray for, you would discover that prayer, indeed, is work

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth . . . I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4, 8, NIV)

ILLUS. The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict, are the oldest monastic religious order of the Catholic Church founded in AD 529. They are also sometimes called the Black Monks, in reference to the colour of their religious habits. Do you know what the motto of the Benedictine Monks is? In Latin it is Ora et Labora — To work is to pray!

3. prayer is not a passive undertaking — rather it is an energized exercise of faith

a. eager followers of Jesus are compelled by an intense commitment to pray

“Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 13 I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.” (Colossians 4:12–13, NIV84)

b. spiritual sweat flows from the pores of a soul earnestly engaged with eternity

4. adversity has a way of bringing us to our knees in utter reliance on our Lord

a. prodigal children bring parents together in prayer

b. death convenes communities and families in prayer

c. misunderstandings, mistreatment and misguided motives move hearts to pray

1) circumstances bring us to our knees with a need for holy help

d. but there is another type of laborious prayer that petitions Christ on behalf of others

A. INTERCESSION IS THE HARD WORK OF PRAYER

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” (Colossians 4:2–4, NIV84)

1. serious students of prayer know the hard spiritual work of interceding on behalf of their brothers and sisters in the faith

a. it means praying boldly for friends and family to stand firm in the will of God — not wavering in face of the world’s trials and temptations

b. it means pleading for those believers whose body writhes in pain because of persecution — go before God and pray for their relief

c. it means beseeching God to call out and send forth missionaries into all the world, and praying for the ones already in the world that their ministry might be fruitful

ILLUS. Elisabeth Elliot, whose husband Jim Elliot, was killed in 1956 while attempting to make missionary contact with the Auca people of eastern Ecuador, says this about intercession, “Intercession is the hardest work in the world — the giving of one’s self, time, strength, energy, and attention to the needs of others in a way that no one but God sees, no one but God will do anything about, and no one but God will ever reward you for.”

B. PRAYER DEMANDS WE SPEND TIME WITH GOD

1. I will tell you that even Jesus had to work sometimes at having a quiet time with god

a. like us, Jesus had those moments when he was so busy, and so preoccupied with events that he had to work hard just to find time alone with God

b. consider the events of Matthew 14:1-35

1) John the Baptist is beheaded, v. 9

a) John is Jesus’ first cousin

b) they were probably boyhood friends

c) I imagine they looked forward to family reunions

2) Jesus is distressed and goes off to grieve and to pray, v. 9

a) as was his practice, He sought to be alone with his Heavenly Father

ILLUS. James Stalker, in his book on the life of Jesus, wrote that the first thing Jesus always sought out whenever He went somewhere was the nearest mountain.

3) Jesus’ devotional time is interrupted by the converging crowds who have come to find him, v. 14

a) He heals the sick all day long, v. 14

b) He deals with the faithlessness and selfishness of the disciples and a bunch of hungry people, vv. 15-21

c) finally, after dinner, he sends the disciples and crowd away, v. 22

4) Jesus finally has his time alone with God, v. 23

5) Jesus, after his prayer time, has to catch up with His disciples

a) the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, right?

b) that straight line just happened to be right across the Sea of Galilee

c) so Jesus takes off and walks across the water!

6) the point of the illustration is this: There will be times in your life when you almost have to pull off a miracle in order to have a time alone with God to pray!

a) do it — find the time

“Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” (Psalm 119:2, NIV)

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

b)what is our reward for seeking God?

1) His presence

2. Jesus kept getting interrupted, but He kept working at trying to get alone with God until He finally succeeded

a. if prayer was that important to Jesus, and if the Son of God had to work that hard at times to get it done, then, my stars, what does that have to say about your need and my need to be with God?

b. Jesus, the Son of God, Jesus, the Eternal One, Jesus, the Living Word, needed continuous communion with God and guidance from the Father

... Prayer, Even to Jesus Was Work— So it Is for us

III. PRAYER TO SATAN IS WARFARE

1. do you want to make Satan howl in rage? ... pray!

a. every prayer you breath heavenward to God is like raising a battle standard in Satan’s face

2. if Satan can keep a child of God from prayer he has won a tremendous victory

3. when we pray, it is a tremendous triumph and it forces Satan to flee from us

ILLUS. Martin Luther, the 16th century Protestant reformer wasn’t only a theologian, preacher and pastor, he was a hymn writer. One of his compositions is A Mighty Fortress is Our God. Listen to the third stanza ...

“And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

we will not fear, for God has willed

his truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,

we tremble not for him;

his rage we can endure,

for lo! his doom is sure;

One little word shall fell him.”

a. when the believer prays it reminds Satan that his doom is sure

4. you see, Satan cannot stand the presence of God

a. God is light and Satan is a creature of darkness

b. prayer puts us in the very presence of God before His throne of grace

A. WE DO NOT WAGE SPIRITUAL WAR WITH ORDINARY WEAPONS

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4, NIV)

1. are you winning your battles against Satan and his temptations?

a. or have you been losing the battles of life?

ILLUS. Back in 2008 the gospel group Acapella released a song entitled Army of the Lord. Listen to the lyrics ...

Are we walking into the enemy's camp, laying our weapons down,

Shedding our armor as we go, leaving it on the ground?

We've gotta be strong in the power of his might and prove to the enemy

We are the army of the Lord and we've won the victory.

All around us a war's going on between the wrong and the right.

We've gotta choose which side we're on-the darkness or the light.

Some of the soldiers of the Lord just don't realize

That the captain of the army of darkness has come to blind their eyes.

Can't you see that we're in a battle and there's no place to hide?

The shields of faith are full of darts and their shooting from every side.

Just shake out the darts and run right at em' and remember who you're

Fighting for.

Don't fall asleep cuz' if they catch ya' they'll take you prisoner of war.

Are we walking into the enemy's camp, laying our weapons down,

Shedding our armor as we go, leaving it on the ground?

We've gotta be strong in the power of his might and prove to the enemy

We are the army of the Lord and we've won the victory.

2. when we cease to pray, it’s like laying our weapons down, shedding our armor as we go and leaving it on the ground

B. SATAN IS OUR ENEMY, BUT WE HAVE A SUPERNATURAL ARMOR

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10–28, NIV84)

1. every part of the Christian’s spiritual armor is essential — it is our greatest weapon for spiritual warfare

a. we will be more likely to keep that armor in place and overcome the enemy’s tactics if we pray for ourselves and others to be faithful unto God

2. Satan is our great enemy, Christ is our great Lord, and prayer is our great weapon that sends the great enemy fleeing

Many Christians face extremely difficult situations in life because of neglected prayer. We either pray too little or we pray too late, or we pray not at all.

There are so many infinite discoveries to be made in life when we pray continually and begin to see our life through God’s eyes. ILLUS. A.B. Simpson, a preacher of the early 20th century, wrote: “Our God has boundless resources. The only limit is in us. Our asking, our thinking, our praying are too small. Our expectations are too limited.”

I want to challenge you this morning to begin having a regular devotional time with God this week. For many of you, you are going to have to work at finding time to pray. Satan will not give in easily. His desire for your life is that you continue as is — the status quo — of you spiritual life. God’s desire is to be found and worshiped. If you diligently seek His face this week, you will find Him and your prayers will be like the sweet smell of incense to Him!