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“Praying Always”. Weekend of July 12 th & 13 th. Introduction. History records that on August 6, 1945, after four long years of World War, President Harry S. Truman gave the order for the ultimate weapon.
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“Praying Always” Weekend of July 12th & 13th
Introduction • History records that on August 6, 1945, after four long years of World War, President Harry S. Truman gave the order for the ultimate weapon. • On this B-29 plane, the Enola Gay; • The first Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.
Introduction • Three days later, a similar bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. • These ultimate weapons brought a clear and decisive end to years of death and destruction. • Sometimes in war, the situation calls for the most powerful weapon at our disposal. • In the Spiritual War, the battle over the souls of men and women, we, too, are to employ the most powerful weapon at our disposal. Prayer!
Prayer - Our Ultimate Weapon • Paul says in Ephesians 6:18 “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.” • I think Paul is saying that prayer is our ultimate weapon for the battle that we’re in. • Prayer should not be our last resort, or when everything else fails; • Christians are to pray on AllOccasions!
Our Ultimate Weapon • Paul tells the Church at Thessalonica “to pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). • But how realistic is it, to pray always? • We are busy with all kinds of things, so how can we really pray always? • We complain, “I don’t have the time to pray always!” • But the truth of the matter is, we find time for what’s important to us.
Our Ultimate Weapon • So, how important is prayer? Where, on our priority list, does prayer fall? • In the language of St. Paul, we are in a war. • When in a war, things we thought were important, end up being moved down on our list to what’s Most Important. • In prayer we call down power from above and are able to focus it on specific targets, just like laser-guided missiles are used in war. • When Paul says, we are to “pray always,” he is really talking about a “life-style of prayer.”
Our Ultimate Weapon • While there are times when we go into our prayer closets and spend specific and pointed time in prayer; • Paul is calling us to see all of life as communion with God, our dearest Father; • I think Paul sees prayer as our “spiritual breathing;” • Do you ever have to remind yourself to breath? • No, it is something we do naturally, almost without thinking about it. • What if we could be that natural about praying, doing it almost without thinking? Right?
To Pray In the Spirit • Notice that Paul says, “we are to pray In the Spirit.” • What does it mean to pray “in the Spirit?” • It means to be under the influence of the Spirit. • Back in Ephesians 5:18, Paul says, “Do not get drunk on wine… Instead, be filled with the Spirit. • How do you act when you are drunk on wine or whatever? Is it an improvement?
To Pray In the Spirit • But being “drunk on the Spirit,” allowing that Spirit of God to have full control over us, is an improvement! • Christians are to live their lives “under the influence” of the Spirit. • What I am saying here is that we are to let the Holy Spirit have full control in our lives. • This is not just “saying our prayers,” but letting the Holy Spirit guide and direct us for what we ought to pray. • Paul says in Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
To Pray In the Spirit • Are there not times in our lives when we don’t know what to say in prayer? • Maybe, we just can’t find the right words to say; • Maybe, we are so confused with what’s happening in our lives, that we are at a lose as to what to say; • When we are hurting so much, we don’t know why or what to ask for; The Holy Spirit does! The Holy Spirit knows! The Holy Spirit prays for us!
Pray For All the Saints • When Paul encourages us to “Pray for all the Saints,” he is not talking about “dead people.” • Several months ago, I asked you to shout out names of disciples of Jesus. Remember what happen? • Everybody yelled out names of the “original disciples” rather than name themselves. • Today, if I asked you to shout out names of saints, who would you call out? • We normally think of “saints” as dead people. People in heaven?
Pray For All the Saints • If that were true, then why does Paul encourage us to pray for the saints? • They are already with Jesus, right? • Do they need our prayers? • Paul is talking about you and me: • We are to pray for one another; • We do that here in our worship time together; • We print last week’s prayer requests in our bulletin; • But how many of you will take those requests home with you and pray all week over them? • This is what Paul means “to pray for all the saints.” No! We are the Saints!
Pray for the Ministry of Jesus • Back in Ephesians 3:1, Paul says he is a “prisoner of Christ Jesus for your sakes.” • Paul does not say he is a prisoner of Rome or Caesar; • Paul does not pray for release or rescue from prison; • Instead, Paul says “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
Pray for the Ministry of Jesus • Essentially, Paul’s request is for courage, that he might fearlessly proclaim the Gospel’s message. • If you or I were in St. Paul’s position, we might well have asked for release – He doesn’t! • Paul is in prison for preaching the Gospel already. • He can think of nothing else but to have the courage to continue to declare that precious news of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Ministry of Jesus • I visit with a lot of elderly people, at home or in nursing homes and the one question they ask me is “Why am I still living? What purpose does God still have for me?” • What do you have more of than any younger person? • So, pray for your Pastor; pray for your church; pray that the message of the Gospel is preached and taught clearly for people to hear and believe! • How badly does our world need this kind of prayer? This is what I say! Time – to Pray! Time!
Our Prayer Life • How is your prayer life going? • Flourishing or floundering? • Praying always or almost never? • Praying constantly or very erratic? • Your car is hurling down a rain slick road sideways, towards oncoming traffic. What do you do? • But what do you do when the weather is nice and the drive is peaceful? Pray! Forget to Pray?
Our Prayer Life • You have just delivered a healthy baby. What do you do? • What do you do when the diaper needs changing and the little booger has awaken you in the middle of the night? • Our prayer life is a great indicator of the relationship we have with our heavenly Father. • How goes your prayer life? Thank God in Prayer! ???? Are you a 24 - 7 Prayerer?
Our Prayer Life ??? Comments? -or- Questions? • If not, why not? • Today, I am calling you to pray: • To pray powerfully! • To pray specifically! • To pray constantly! • Ephesians6:18“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.”
