by Roy Almasy

Pastor Steve Tompkins led our devotional this morning with the prayer, ‘Lord teach us to pray.’  Is prayer more like a passive wish or agonizing combat?  Are we fighting against everything our selfish, religious hearts cling to, and running to the cross of Christ?

Our Purpose (Romans 15:30 paraphrased): I urge you brothers, by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayer to God the Father for the glory of the name Jesus

Colossians 4:2-6
²Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. ³At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison- ⁴that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. ⁵Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.  Paul’s command here was embodied by Epaphras, the man who originally planted the church in Colossae, in verse 12:

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.

This is the word agōnizomai from which our English word agonize is derived.

Jesus uses this word in Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

Q: What do you think this means or implies?

In John 18:36 this word is translated as “fighting,” and Paul uses it in 1 Cor 9:25 to describe the intense competition of the ancient athletic games.  Paul also uses it in Romans 15:30 to describe fighting in prayer, and a related word is used to describe Jesus’ “agony” in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Paul uses this word to describe his ministry:

• Colossians 1:29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
• 1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Paul also uses this word to describe the Christian life:

• 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called . . .
• 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Q: What do you think is at stake in the way we live the Christian life?  If it is possible to be alert or asleep; to be blindsided or to stand firm in victory (Eph 6:11-13); to “take hold” of the eternal life to which we have been called or to fail to fight; what do you think is at stake in how we live the Christian life?

Brothers, let us not be foolish (see Eph 5:14-21).  Let us understand what the will of the Lord is.  Let us look carefully at how we walk in daily life, making the best use of the time.  Let us be filled with the Spirit.  Let us be in solid relationships in community.  Let us fight for each other in prayer, and let us fight that we might God’s will done on earth as it is in Heaven-that we might know the joy of being used by our Lord to see His name hallowed.

Let’s pray, and let’s keep praying after we are done praying:

• Pray for the opening of our eyes to see (Eph 1:18; 2 Cor 4:18) not just our circumstances (or our “prison”), but to see Jesus with us as our sympathetic High Priest (Heb 4:14-16), and as our Sovereign King and Lord reigning over our circumstances (Eph 1:16-23; Col 1:9-20).

• Pray that, having our eyes open, we would repent of sin, being revived in our affections for Jesus, and seeking that we would see the conversion of many thousands of souls.

Dr. Isaac Watts wrote the following in the Preface to A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God by Jonathon Edwards (this is Edwards’ account of the conversion of many hundreds of souls beginning in Northhamption, New Hampshire in New England):

Certainly it becomes us, who profess the religion of Christ, to take notice of such astonishing exercises of his power and mercy, and give him the glory which is due, when he begins to accomplish any of his promises concerning the latter days: and it gives us further encouragement to pray, and wait, and hope for the like display of his power in the midst of us. The hand of God is not shortened that it cannot save, but we have reason to fear that our iniquities, our coldness in religion, and the general carnality of our spirits, have raised a wall of separation between God and us: and . . . seem to have provoked the Spirit of Christ to absent himself much from our nation. “Return, O Lord, and visit thy churches, and revive thine own work in the midst of us.”[1]

• Pray that, having our eyes open, we would be awake, alert, and watchful so that we are aware of our enemies schemes, and watchful that we don’t drift off to “sleep.” (2 Cor 2:11; Eph 6:11, 18)

• Pray for open doors of opportunity for the gospel and for God to be glorified in and despite our personal circumstances.

Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake
Philippians 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel
Philippians 1:20 It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

• Pray for genuine community (for each of us) where we share our lives honestly and pray for each other with our Bibles open

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

• Pray for open doors of opportunity for the gospel and for God to be glorified in our neighborhoods and community centers.

• Pray for boldness and resources to make the most of these opportunities when God leads.

Ephesians 6:19-20 [pray] also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

• Pray for God’s Spirit to awaken in us a heart that will wrestle and agonize in prayer for His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

• Pray in the face of weakness and fear, pray with humble yet bold expectation knowing, and SEEING the King to whom we pray (Heb 1:3; Rev 1:12-18)

Acts 4:29-31
²⁹And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, ³⁰while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” ³¹And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

In 1540 Luther’s great friend and assistant, Friedrich Myconius, became sick and was expected to die within a short time. On his bed he wrote a loving farewell note to Luther with a trembling hand. Luther received the letter and sent back a reply: “I command thee in the name of God to live because I still have need of thee in the work of reforming the church…. The Lord will never let me hear that thou art dead, but will-permit thee to survive me. For this I am praying, this is my will, and may my will be done, because I seek only to glorify the name of God.”

Those words are shocking to us, but they were certainly heartfelt. Although Myconius had already lost the ability to speak when Luther’s letter came, he recovered completely and lived six more years to survive Luther himself by two months.[2]

• Pray for the Building that Jesus intends to give us as the permanent home for our campus.
• Pray for the 1&2 Peter sermon series beginning this Sunday.

Finally, as we fight let us not forget the words of our Lord:

Revelation 3:5-6 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. ⁶He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

[1] Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 1, Originally Published in 1834, p344.

[2] John MacArthur, Colossians (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996, c1992), 180.

Prayer Requests for our Campus:

1. Thank Jesus for the $500k lead gift toward a building for the Shoreline Campus! Pray now that Jesus will bring much glory to His name as we seek to raise matching funds to reach our goal of 1 million dollars.
2. Continue to pray for Jesus’ prefect timing in finding and securing the right permanent facility for Shoreline in the right location.
3. Pray for those in our campus and the surrounding area with financial needs, and that God would move us forward from the Grace given to us to respond with Generosity to those we can help;
4. Joyful, Spirit-filled, missionaries dwelling in unity, loving people as an expression of the gospel
5. Campus:  Pray that volunteers would step forward and meet needs.
6. Pastor Kerry – Prepares to launch Open Redemption Night in Shoreline this month & that many will benefit from this vital ministry; Redemption Groups and counseling
7. Justin – Winter administration, Amy pregnant, Amy recovering from surgery for tumor on her spine.
8. Pastor Mark Bergin – Biblical Compassion Content
9. Husbands and wives relationships with each other and Jesus as they are continuing to respond to the Peasant Princess sermon series, with humility and repentance.
10. Steve – Focus, priorities, energy, health, wisdom, rest and guidance from the Holy Spirit to connect the sermon back to the Gospel of Jesus Christ each Sunday.
11. Pray for those in our campus with health needs: A pregnant woman due in mid-January with pneumonia, a woman with rheumatoid arthritis, a woman recovering from surgery, a woman with painful arthritis and insomnia.