Learning from Paul (The Preventive
Approach)
What prompts
you to pray for someone? Are you more
apt to pray when someone is facing a crisis or an immediate need? Typically, our prayers are shortsighted in
nature and focus on the physical rather than the spiritual. The Apostle Paul was prompted to go to prayer
for unusual reasons and with kingdom results.
-How can we learn to pray beyond the immediate “answerables” to see long-range
outcomes?
Read
Ephesians 1:15-23. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians+1:15-23
Imagine that
someone you greatly respect wrote this to you.
-How would you respond?
-How or why
are you usually prompted to pray for someone?
-What prompted
Paul to pray for the Ephesian believers?
Paul asked God to do something for the Ephesians so that
something else would occur in their lives.
-What did Paul want to see happen? “I keep asking that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may ___________________ so that .”
-What would
be the benefits in the lives of the Ephesians if that prayer was answered?
-Would that
prayer produce the same results if prayed for someone today?
-How can we learn to pray beyond the immediate “answerables” to see long-range outcomes?
ReplyDeleteA: Be kingdom minded. Be eternal minded. The temporal has to be put aside to consider what is it that God wants and is best to glorify Him and best fits His eternal plan. Doin this requires often that one put not only the temporal mind aside, but along with it any selfish thought of gain.
-Imagine that someone you greatly respect wrote this to you. How would you respond?
A: I would be encouraged by the work He is already done in me that is notable to a brother. I’d feel loved that a brother gives thanks for me and remembers me in their prayers. I felt this way recently when a brother included me in their prayers. I was humbled by the mention. I’d also be humbled and look forward to continuing growth with refreshed perspective of how great and capable the God I serve is.
-How or why are you usually prompted to pray for someone?
A: Multiple ways and reasons. Generally I pray for them whenever they come to my mind but occasionally God lays them on my heart and I feel what could almost be considered a burden to pray for them. The prompting varies really though. I could just be driving down the road praying and their name comes into my mind or if it’s for leadership of nations or a whole culture or what not, same thing… Just pops into mind at the time. At other times, it can be from a specific request. I like to try to pray right when a request is made (when time and situation of course permits). But at times I will purposefully sit in the prayer closet and consider just those specific request people have made known to me. We as a family also pray over different areas of the 10/40 window and specific missionaries we know of or support. These type of prayers are regularly scheduled events and so the schedule prompts those. Thankful for the age of technology as there was a time where I may become too busy to pray until it was too late. Not because of it not being a priority but just from forgetting. Now we have a network of smart phones with little reminders that pop here and there throughout our days reminding us not to get too busy to do that morning family prayer or evening family prayer, etc. A valuable tool for the otherwise forgetful who long all too late to have made better choices during their day.
-What prompted Paul to pray for the Ephesian believers?
A: The evidence of God’s work in them. Faith and love aren’t tickets to converse with God. Rather they are an evidence of our time spent in His presence and being molded by Him. It is these characteristics that shined in the young believers at Ephesus; not only that they loved God, but that they loved one another. That they had love for all the saints caused notice for Paul to be moved to a thankful heart for the great work God was doing in them. Salvation has evidence. We are not saved by our actions but by Christ’s actions and our faith in that legal transaction that took place on the cross. Never the less, following this realization, our belief in it is evidenced by change. Paul got to see the fruit of change from the seed of faith that was planted. Such a rare blessing this day and age to be able to plant, and water, and weed, and see the production of God’s work in the garden/harvest fields.
“The real evidence of God's work in us is not the love we claim to have for Him, but our love for His people that others can see” – David Guzik
Paul asked God to do something for the Ephesians so that something else would occur in their lives.
ReplyDelete-What did Paul want to see happen? “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may _give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; _ so that _ you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe__.”
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding[c] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
-What would be the benefits in the lives of the Ephesians if that prayer was answered?
A: There is so much to say here in light of the location and culture of the time. Ephesus was in the middle of an economic crisis due to the deforestation that had occurred there some years before this point. As a result they leaned heavily on another form of income that comes from tourism. In this case one of the main things visited was the temple of the female goddess Artemis (also known as Diana). A prostitute of nature you can imagine the type of festivals and celebrations held in her honor in this very city and time.
Paul made several visits (3 that we know for sure of) to Ephesus during this time ministering in the open squares, temples, and of course the synagogue. He was invited back by church members but not widely received as the more who converted, the more money the city lost from idol worship and buying idols or sacrifices and wine, etc. When he wrote this letter is was following one of those times that he was not received so well. He wrote from prison in Rome as he prayed for and considered the great hardships of persecution as well as corruption and temptation from sin not only surrounding but also penetrating the church there. He writes to correct them and does so in the most understanding and loving of ways. This letter has a proven approach to correcting the followers of Christ. Thus Paul starts with this encouraging and not condemning prayer. His speech is such to uplift and edify the believer that they would want to move forward and make positive changes in live and in the members of the body of Christ. He writes in such a way as to build up hope that would cause the Ephesian church to want to stand up against sin and corruption and grow and be a light into the world; and influence to others more than influenced by that idol and adulterous nation surrounding them. The benefits?... Just that. That the church would in right recognition of the work being done in them and to be done through them, and already done on the cross, would stand up, take up their crosses, and follow Christ with their very lives. That there would be no more compromise or backsliding. That they would unify and turn away from riches, sins of the flesh, idolization and learn to lean on the power of God as they took hold of their proper roles as ambassadors for Christ.
-Would that prayer produce the same results if prayed for someone today?
ReplyDeleteA: A question that requires one to assume control of the plan the God is in charge of. I’d say this instead- That we ought to pray this same prayer today in idea and that we just as our many past examples ought to physically seek to be the answer to that prayer as well, spending time to mentor and assist all those whom we are given opportunity to. However, the prayer and doer must remember the heart of the issue (also the reason I have to visit this question differently)… It’s not us who does the heart work. God is the One who moved upon the members of the body of Christ at Ephesus causing their hearts to be changed and strengthened. He may have used the Paul as one of His tools in the process but by no means is man needed for God to move. Availing ourselves to God for His use needs to be seeded in His will and not our own. That being said, to answer this question I’d simply say, “if it be God’s will, then yes. Absolutely the same fruit may come of the prayer”.
Learning from Paul:
ReplyDeleteRead Ephesians 1:15-23
Imagine that someone you greatly respect wrote this to you. How would you respond?
I would be greatly encouraged to know that not only my Heavenly Father is interceding for me, but someone was praying for me that I may have the spirit of wisdom and revelation and come to know Him better. This prayer also reminds me of the hope that I have in Christ now and in the days to come.
How or why are you usually prompted to pray for someone?
There are a lot of times that I wake up in the middle of the night with a nudge to pray for someone specific, sometimes a face or a name pops in my head and I feel prompted to pray, or if I notice someone is in need of prayer. I pray that others would come to know Christ and recieve Him as their Savior and I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ.
What prompted Paul to pray for the Ephesian believers?
Paul knew the Ephesians had a love for Christ and a love for the followers of Christ, or saints.
Paul asked God to do something for the Ephesians so that something else would occur in their lives. What did Paul want to see happen?
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." He longed for the saints to have a closer relationship with Christ so that they would know His will for them and their lives.
What would be the benefits in the lives of the Ephesians if that prayer was answered?
Their will would be aligned with God's will.
Would that prayer produce the same results if prayed for someone today? Absolutely!
Paul frequently prayed for one thing so that something else would occur. List the request and the desired result in the following passages:
Ephesians 3:16-19
ReplyDeletePrayer: Strengthen us with power through His Spirit
So that: Christ will dwell in our hearts through faith.
Philippians 1:9-11
Prayer: That their love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.
So that: they may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless and filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Christ, until Christ's return.
Colossians 1:9-4
Prayer: Prayed for them to know God's will using spiritual wisdom and understanding.
So that: they might live a life bearing fruits, pleasing Him, living and growing in the knowledge of God.
Why do you think Paul did not pray for immediate physical needs, but for something with long range results?
Paul's main concern was for his brothers and sisters in Christ to grow spiritually. God promises to take care of our physical and spiritual needs when we are following after Him.
How will Paul's example shape your prayers for friends and loved one's?
I will pray that they will know His will and will grow in Him that they may bear spiritual fruit.
I see we completed the next week of assignment too. "Ginus" LOL
Deletethat link is up now by the way. ;-)
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