What Are You Praying For?
What Are You Praying for?
Pray for my boldness to make known the mystery of the Gospel
Here is a dearly beloved family member who is in jail and imprisoned for no fault of his. He has just written you a very encouraging and challenging letter. He never for once mentioned feeling sorry for himself and the injustice he is receiving. He ends the letter by making just one request for you to pray for.
Surprised! He is not asking you to pray for his release from prison. He is not evening asking you to pray for his daily up keep and food. Just one thing –“boldness to make known the mystery of the gospel”.
What are you and I praying for? What fuels our prayers? If all our prayers are listed, what will be the most common theme? I submit to you that most of our prayers are motivated by fear. Unlike Paul, his prayers were motivated by love for His Lord. These are two different perspectives and two different results.
Listen to Paul in Ephesians 6 on spiritual warfare and prayer:
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 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, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
First, we are being encouraged to pray “always” or without “ceasing”. What is it in our lives we do always and without ceasing? We breathe without ceasing. When we stop breathing we have expired and no longer in this body. Likewise as we breathe, we must pray. Prayer is our breath because we should thank God for every breath we take.
We are also to pray “in the Spirit” - the Spirit of God that we received when we believed and trusted in Christ. In essence, let the Spirit of God that lives in us pray through us. Let the prayers we pray be only inspired by the Spirit and not by our emotions. The Spirit is always in agreement with the Word, so let our prayers be inspired by the Word of God.
We can learn from Paul’s prayers and what he asked others to pray for him. Paul cried out, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” Philippians 3:10. The love for His Lord and desire to know His Lord inspired Paul’s life and his prayers.
So in our current passage, he makes the request, pray” 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, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak”. Paul is not asking for boldness because he is afraid, but rather he wants to do all to please the Lord he loves even if it will cost him his life.
Paul prayed for others and most of his prayers focused on thanking God for these people, and praying that they will know more of God (see Ephesians 1, 3, Philippians 1, Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 1, Colossians 1, 1 and 2 Timothy 1, etc.). Paul’s prayers are for establishing and maintaining vital relationship with God the Father, and the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, “Ask anything in my name” (in the way I would have asked it or as if I am the one asking). In Jesus name is not a stamp at the end of prayer. We are to pray for everything and all things. Please don’t get me wrong. However, we should have a priority of prayers. Jesus helped us to prioritize as follows:
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”. Matthew 6
So, what are you praying for?
Father, we thank you for granting us the grace of life in you. Thank you for forgiving our sins and accepting us in your beloved Son Jesus Christ. We confess our fears and inadequacies and how they have influenced our relationship with you and have affected the way we pray. Father, purify our heart desires so that we will only desire you and you alone.
Lord Jesus, we confess our love for you because you have first loved us. Help us to love you more than ever before. Take away our worries and cares for this world for you care for us. You are in us and with us therefore we are not afraid. Help us to always remember this truth of your presence in us. Help us to pray your prayers as we seek first your kingdom and your righteousness to be done in us and in the world around us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Will your prayers change going forward? Pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your life. Pray that the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, patience etc.) will be abundant in your life i.e. building your character. Pray that God will grant you the boldness to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit He has put in you i.e. living out your calling (Ephesians 2:10). Please pray the same for me and for others. Thank you.
When we pray the right love-motivated prayers, there is no room for self-pity and feeling sorry and fearful. Whatever you do, just keep praying and never cease to pray.
Pray for my boldness to make known the mystery of the Gospel
Here is a dearly beloved family member who is in jail and imprisoned for no fault of his. He has just written you a very encouraging and challenging letter. He never for once mentioned feeling sorry for himself and the injustice he is receiving. He ends the letter by making just one request for you to pray for.
Surprised! He is not asking you to pray for his release from prison. He is not evening asking you to pray for his daily up keep and food. Just one thing –“boldness to make known the mystery of the gospel”.
What are you and I praying for? What fuels our prayers? If all our prayers are listed, what will be the most common theme? I submit to you that most of our prayers are motivated by fear. Unlike Paul, his prayers were motivated by love for His Lord. These are two different perspectives and two different results.
Listen to Paul in Ephesians 6 on spiritual warfare and prayer:
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 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, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
First, we are being encouraged to pray “always” or without “ceasing”. What is it in our lives we do always and without ceasing? We breathe without ceasing. When we stop breathing we have expired and no longer in this body. Likewise as we breathe, we must pray. Prayer is our breath because we should thank God for every breath we take.
We are also to pray “in the Spirit” - the Spirit of God that we received when we believed and trusted in Christ. In essence, let the Spirit of God that lives in us pray through us. Let the prayers we pray be only inspired by the Spirit and not by our emotions. The Spirit is always in agreement with the Word, so let our prayers be inspired by the Word of God.
We can learn from Paul’s prayers and what he asked others to pray for him. Paul cried out, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” Philippians 3:10. The love for His Lord and desire to know His Lord inspired Paul’s life and his prayers.
So in our current passage, he makes the request, pray” 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, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak”. Paul is not asking for boldness because he is afraid, but rather he wants to do all to please the Lord he loves even if it will cost him his life.
Paul prayed for others and most of his prayers focused on thanking God for these people, and praying that they will know more of God (see Ephesians 1, 3, Philippians 1, Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 1, Colossians 1, 1 and 2 Timothy 1, etc.). Paul’s prayers are for establishing and maintaining vital relationship with God the Father, and the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, “Ask anything in my name” (in the way I would have asked it or as if I am the one asking). In Jesus name is not a stamp at the end of prayer. We are to pray for everything and all things. Please don’t get me wrong. However, we should have a priority of prayers. Jesus helped us to prioritize as follows:
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”. Matthew 6
So, what are you praying for?
Father, we thank you for granting us the grace of life in you. Thank you for forgiving our sins and accepting us in your beloved Son Jesus Christ. We confess our fears and inadequacies and how they have influenced our relationship with you and have affected the way we pray. Father, purify our heart desires so that we will only desire you and you alone.
Lord Jesus, we confess our love for you because you have first loved us. Help us to love you more than ever before. Take away our worries and cares for this world for you care for us. You are in us and with us therefore we are not afraid. Help us to always remember this truth of your presence in us. Help us to pray your prayers as we seek first your kingdom and your righteousness to be done in us and in the world around us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Will your prayers change going forward? Pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your life. Pray that the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, patience etc.) will be abundant in your life i.e. building your character. Pray that God will grant you the boldness to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit He has put in you i.e. living out your calling (Ephesians 2:10). Please pray the same for me and for others. Thank you.
When we pray the right love-motivated prayers, there is no room for self-pity and feeling sorry and fearful. Whatever you do, just keep praying and never cease to pray.
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