The Praying Church

Intro: Some years ago a young girl was very sick and not expected to recover. Because of her love for Jesus, she was troubled that she had not been able to do more for Him in her short life. Her pastor suggested that she make a list of people in their little town who needed Christ and pray that they might put their faith in Him. She took his advice, made a list, and prayed often for each person.Some time later God began to stir a revival in the village. The girl heard of the people who were coming to Christ and prayed even more. As she heard reports, she checked off the names of those who had been led to the Lord.After the girl died, a prayer list with the names of 56 people was found under her pillow. All had put their faith in Christ—the last one on the night before her death.Such is the power of definite, specific, fervent prayer.

1st Timothy was written as an exhortation to the church in Ephesus to teach proper doctrine to the leading men and give instruction as to how the Church is to conduct itself. In 6 short chapters Paul gives many instructions. However, inspired by God he begins with prayer. D.L. Moody once said the fruit of all ministry begins with prayer.

CPS: The church must pray, if the church doesn't pray who will!

I. The Importance of Prayer (1a)

The Church at Ephesus was troubled, found itself in trouble, false doctrine was being taught and the prayer life was lacking. Prayer is of such importance that the apostle’s first instruction was to get it in order. “I exhort thee, first of all.” Exhort is the Greek verb parakaleō which means to ask earnestly. It is a plea for the people to return to prayer.

Prayer is of such importance that the early church highly depended upon prayer (Acts 1:14a “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer” Acts 2:42 “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”) what a difference 30 years makes, this is a call to return to the basics!

ILL: The great football coach Vince Lombardi stood in front of his team, the Green Bay Packers, after a horrendous loss. The players expected a strong diatribe. Instead, Lombardi went to the center of the classroom and picked up a football. He held it up and said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” The coach took the players back to the basics.

Prayer at the basic level is simply communication with God, if I don’t communicate well with my wife, then I don’t have good relations with her. How much more should we have good communications with our Lord.

A. Prayer is an Obligation

Notice that Paul uses 4 different words for prayer by doing so he is driving home the importance of prayer as he teaches us to be humble, worshipful, trustful, and thankful as we come before our Lord in prayer.

B. Prayer is a Privilege

We too often treat prayer as an obligation forgetting the holiness of the One True God that we are speaking with.

ILL: A Comment made by Robert Cook, the once president of Kings College in NYC reminds me of the privilege of prayer. While speaking at the Moody Bible Institute, Cook said that the day before, he had been at a gathering in Washington and had talked with Vice President George Bush. Two hours later he spoke briefly with President Ronald Reagan. Then smiling broadly, Cook said, “But that’s nothing! Today I talked with God!”

I am convinced that the most important thing in the Church is Truth which is found only in the Word of God. But if the Church stands only on the Word of God and is lacking in prayer it will have much light but no heat.

As an old preacher once said, “Much prayer, much power! No prayer, no power!”

II. The Scope of Prayer (1b-3)

The subject matter of prayer should be “all people” but specifically calling out the governing authorities of the day.

A. All People

The Adj. all (pas) is used 5x in this text it means every or the whole of. For men the noun anthrōpos is used it means humanity. By Inspiration Paul calls the Church to pray for every person every where, regardless of sex, race, or status. We are called to pray for saints and sinners. The scope of prayer is universal, but there are 7.9 Billion people in the world today and we can’t pray for each individual by name, but we can pray specifically for each nation and its leaders.

B. All Leaders

Kings and all (pas) authorities, Paul points the Church to pray for the government officials (Historical Context… (NB) Nero was emperor.. outlawed evangelism) that they have wisdom to conduct their duties in such a way that it facilitates the spread of Christianity and that men and women can have inner peace with Jesus reigning in their hearts and that they are free to worship and make disciples openly leading lives of godliness so the entire world may know Jesus and walk in fellowship with Him.

III. The Focus of Prayer (3-7)

What is pleasing to the Lord is prayers for all people to be saved. Note, Paul calls God (theos) our Savior (sōtēr) (deliverer) for it is God who saves and at the center of our prayers is Salvation for all people!

A. God’s Will

God’s will (thelō) (desire, wish, want to) is for all (pas) men (anthrōpos) to be saved (sōzō) (deliver in to divine salvation). God’s will is that each man be reconciled to Him, this text does not teach universalism, people will die and go to hell but its not God’s desire for anyone to be utterly separated from Him. In His grace and mercy He made a means that mankind can be restored to his family.

This is and always has been God’s desire. (Ezek. 33:11 “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’”)( 2 Pet. 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”) (John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” )

B. God’s Bridge

There is only One God to all mankind and only one way to the One true God His name is Jesus. Paul calls Him the One Mediator (mesitēs = reconciler), a go-between, a middle man who stands between two and communicates with both.

ILL: Separating God and man is an infinite divide. Imagine that in order for you to reach God you had to leap from here to the foyer in one bound. We all could try but none of us would make. If we can’t make that jump how is man to cross the limitless space that divides God and man? It is accomplished by the mediator, the go-between… Calvary’s Cross is the only thing that can span the distance, Jesus is the only one who can stand in the Gap reconciling Man with God.

God desires all men to be saved, man needs to be saved, but only God can save. “The man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for all (pas)”

We have been instructed to pray for all men, our prayers is not limited to salvation, we are called to bring supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving but the focus of prayers should be that all mankind be saved because that is why Jesus sacrificed Himself and arose from the dead.

VI. The Condition of Prayer (8)

Prayer is a form of worship and in this text Paul sets forth conditions of effective prayer.

A. Obedience

Lifting of Holy hands is not a posture of prayer but is symbolic of leading a holy and obedient life. In 2 Samuel we learn that clean hands are figurative of a clean body, the emphasis is the manner of life the believer is leading. (2 Sam. 22:21 ““The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.”

If we have sin in our lives how we can pray and expect God to Answer!

Psalm 66:18 “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;”

to have an effectual prayer life we must live according to God’s Word and when we fall confess and repent . 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

B. Unity

In order to have an effectual prayer life we must be peaceable with each other. Wrath is the noun orgē it means anger, or state of fury. Doubting is the noun dialogismos which means dispute or argument. The better translation is without wrath and dissension.

for the Church to have effectual prayer we must settle disagreements in a peaceable way and forgive each others trespasses.

C. Faith

As believer we pray believing and we never give up! (Luke 18:1-8)

Conclusion: The Church must Pray! Praying is important it the first thing we do in regards of ministry, Its scope should be all people, its focus is to bring salvation to the souls of the lost, its conditions are obedience, unity, and faith.