Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Prayer is one of the hardest spiritual disciplines.

Many struggle with other spiritual disciplines as well such as reading the Bible - but with a good Bible reading plan most people can at least be fairly consistent with it.

You can tangibly see the progress that you are making.

There is a way to measure how much ground you have covered.

And this helps keep you disciplined moving forward.

Prayer is more difficult, though.

Some prayers may not be answered for weeks, months, or even years.

While others are given the answer no.

How can you measure your prayer life?

How can you tell whether you are doing well or doing poorly in praying?

Practically, I think a prayer journal or a detailed prayer list of some sort is a great way to do this.

I don’t have a Bible verse to exposit regarding this, however, I know that when I look back at my detailed prayer lists and see answered prayers time and time again - it is a tremendous faith builder and helps me stay persistent in prayer.

I can look back and see my updates over time with each prayer request and see God moving - sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly - but always in His time and at the right time.

I see that my prayers matter and that God hears them.

In order to see the value in prayer, however, we need not look any further than the Apostle Paul.

He was a man of prayer.

We see this throughout his letters.

The introductions of most of his letters start with prayer and thanksgiving from the start.

We also see him insert teaching regarding prayer throughout the other sections of his letters.

Today’s Scripture is one of those such teachings on prayer from Paul .

In these three rich verses he lays out five principles of prayer for us.

This is by no means an exhaustive study or understanding of prayer.

But it does give a good foundation on which to build your prayer life.

Join me as we read God’s Word:

Let us pray.

Prayer

Today we are going to discuss five different ways that we should be a people of prayer as believers in Christ.

The first is:

I. Believers Should Be a People of Prayer…By Praying Persistently (Colossians 4)

Colossians 4:2 (ESV)

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.