Prayer That Works Greater Prayer Religion Essay

Martin Luther had a good friend and helper by the name of Friedrich Myconius. In 1540, Myconius became ill and was expected to decease shortly. On his deathbed he wrote a stamp farewell message to Luther.

“ I command you in the name of God to populate because I still have need of you in the work of reforming the church. The Lord will ne’er allow me hear that you are dead, but will allow you to last me. For this I am praying, this is my will, and may my will be done, because I seek merely to laud the name of God. ”

While those words might look bold and brash, the fact is that Myconius, who had already lost the ability to talk when Luther ‘s answer came, shortly recovered from his unwellness, and lived six more old ages. He eventually died two months after Luther did.

Well we ‘re back to discoursing the whole topic of our conversation with God and how the ‘talking ‘ side of our relationship can better – and my conjecture is that most of us need it!

The purpose of this current series – Prayer That Works – is n’t to do anyone experience guilty – but the opposite. It ‘s to assist us existent acquire entree to God and see what he can make in and through us as we pray more efficaciously.

I ‘m Jane Moxon – and it ‘s my pleasance to ‘anchor ‘ these Word Alive broadcasts.

Derek Stringer has been taking us through assorted ‘model ‘ supplications in Bible. We ‘ve looked at Bold Prayer, Faith Prayer – and a whole batch more. You can acquire free transcripts from our office to an electronic mail reference. The Cadmium ‘s are besides available and I would promote you to acquire the inside informations. This is an of import series where we ‘ve all got a batch to larn. We ‘ve now settled on some of the apostle Paul ‘s supplication. There ‘s a batch that we can pick up for our benefit as we check out how he prayed.

Today ‘s topic is based on Ephesians 3:14 to 21. The rubric is Greater Prayer. Dr. Derek Stringer is the National Director and Bible Teacher for Good News Broadcasting and he ‘s back one time once more to assist us research and detect. I ‘ll besides make the usual thing and bit in with a Bible quotation mark as appropriate. Here ‘s Derek –

Derek

Thank you Jane.

Well, you know – one of the best ways to larn how to pray is to analyze the supplications of the Bible. By listening in across the centuries, we learn a great trade about the content of scriptural supplication and the strength with which we should pray. Content is obvious but the construct of strength may be new to some people. Many modern-day Christians find themselves easy distracted when they attempt to pray. If the truth were told, frequently we are playing about at our supplications alternatively of nearing supplication with a holy strength.

There is a great lesson here if we care to take it. Prayer is genuinely the window of the psyche. What we pray for, we care for. We all pray for what concerns us. And the contrary is besides true. What we do n’t pray approximately, we do n’t care approximately. That ‘s a solemn and convicting idea, and though we may seek to get away its force, we can non get away the truth. We can state all we want about how much something means to us, but if we ne’er bring it before God in supplication, we can non truly say that we care profoundly about it. What we pray about, we care about.

There are a assortment of things that hold us back in the country of supplication.

For illustration – we fear that we do n’t pray frequently plenty.

Besides we worry that we wo n’t utilize the right words or we fear we ‘ll state the incorrect thing.

And another thing – we think we do n’t hold adequate religion. Or more accurately, we ‘re certain we do n’t hold plenty faith to be heard by God.

That ‘s why here and at that place the Bible records the supplications of great saints of God.

And scattered throughout the epistles, we have legion short supplications by the Apostle Paul. These scriptural supplications truly are given to us as theoretical accounts and illustrations. They are non signifiers to be slavishly followed, but ushers to assist us border our ideas as we come before the Lord in supplication. If we need assist in supplication ( and we do! ) , so we will be amply repaid as we study the supplications of the Bible.

I am particularly thankful that Paul wrote one of his supplications in Ephesians 3:14 to 21. Beyond inquiry, this is one of the greatest supplications in the full Bible.

Jane

Actually, one author called it: “ The Holy of Holies in the Christian life. ”

Another author called it: “ A supplication for the impossible. ”

Derek

And that is a really disposed description. This is the 2nd supplication in Ephesians.

Jane

We looked at the supplication in Ephesians 1 in the last programme. That ‘s a supplication that the eyes of the bosom might be opened so that we might cognize God better.

Derek

If the first supplication is for enlightenment, the 2nd supplication is for enablement.

If the first supplication is for cognition, the 2nd is for power.

As we look at this supplication, one time once more it ‘s easy to acquire lost in the inside informations. At first reading, it appears to be a complex agreement of phrases piled one on top of the other, all taking to a really powerful doxology in poetries 20 through to 21.

If we look at it that manner, we ‘ll lose the chief point. A better manner to analyze this supplication is to concentrate on the chief petition in poetry 16 where Paul prays that God might “ beef up you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. ” This is a supplication for religious strength in the inner being ( literally in Greek, the “ interior adult male ” ) .

Paul prays for one thing and one thing merely in this supplication. He asks God to beef up the Ephesians by the Holy Spirit on the interior so that they can carry through God ‘s will for them. Though this supplication has many parts and physiques to a large flood tide, there is merely one basic petition. Keep that in head as we look at this text together.

How can I be so certain that there is merely one basic petition? The key is found in poetry 13, merely before the supplication begins:

Jane

It says there: “ I ask you, hence, non to be discouraged because of my agonies for you, which are your glorification. ”

Derek

The phrase “ non to be discouraged ” can be translated “ non to lose bosom ” or “ non to give up. ” This is highly relevant because so many things sap our strength: discouraging fortunes, humdrum modus operandi, physical failing, personal failure, unwanted breaks, unfinished duties, and unsolved struggles.

Any one of those things could strike hard us out of committee, but frequently two or three of them hit us at the same clip. And so we are knocked to the floor and happen it difficult to acquire up and acquire back in the battle.

Seen in that visible radiation, this is a supplication for something most of us urgently need every day-spiritual strength. When we feel weak, supplication can be hard or about impossible. In those minutes, here is a supplication that is ever appropriate. It is a supplication to pray before you get excessively exhausted. If you are on the brink of giving up, take this supplication to bosom before you throw in the towel.

When you are weak, you need strength. And strength is the exact antonym of “ losing bosom ” in verse 13. To be “ strengthened with power ” means to be made strongly strong so that you can get the better of the obstructions set before you. The word for power is dunamis, from which we get the English words dynamic and dynamite.

When you are made strong in the interior adult male by the Holy Spirit, there will be power to blare out the disbelief, and power to get the better of desperation, and power to lift above choler, and power to maintain traveling when you would instead discontinue. Note that this power is put to work in the “ interior ego ” or the “ interior adult male. ” That “ interior adult male ” is the control room of life where every great determination is made. This is the topographic point where we need the most aid.

As you think about this petition, it occurred to me how different it is from most supplications I hear and ( to be honest ) from most supplications I pray. Most of our supplications fall into two classs:

There are Pain-avoidance Prayers:

“ Lord, this hurts. Make it halt. ”

And there are besides Change of Circumstances Prayers:

“ Lord, I do n’t wish this. Change it, delight. ”

No 1 likes hurting and no 1 enjoys hard fortunes. It ‘s natural to pray that your hurting would halt and that your fortunes would better. The job is, those two classs can overpower all our supplications so that we ne’er pray for anything else.

Yet Paul ne’er references anything remotely related to either class. By the manner, do you cognize where Paul was when he wrote Ephesians? He was in prison in Rome. Most governments think he was chained at all times to two Roman guards. Yet he ne’er mentions that fact until about the terminal of the epistle. And his petition is non, “ Pray that I will acquire out of here, ” but instead “ Pray that I will be bold for Christ even though I am in ironss. ”

Jane

We should inquire why does he pray for beef uping by the Spirit in the inner adult male –

Derek

And that ‘s because our greatest demand is for religious power on the interior. No truster of all time progresss so far that he does n’t necessitate God ‘s power. We have n’t got what it takes.

And that means we ‘re all in the same boat together, all of us urgently in demand of the Holy Spirit to beef up us on the interior.

So the supplication is non, “ Lord, take away my loads, ” but instead “ Lord, give me stronger shoulders to transport the burden. ” It is a supplication for religious strength to make the work God gives us to make.

We particularly need this in certain countries of our lives:

To make our day-to-day undertakings with joy.

To defy enticement with bravery.

To digest persecution lief.

“ This is my way, Lord, the way you have chosen for me. Make me strongly strong in the interior adult male to walk where you are taking. ”

That ‘s the bosom of this brilliant supplication.

Everything else flows from this basic petition.

The remainder of the transition reveals the consequences that come to us as we are strengthened by the Spirit on the interior.

The first great consequence is found in the first portion of verse 17:

Jane

“ That Christ may brood in your Black Marias through religion. ”

Derek

The word “ dwell ” comes from the Greek word, which itself comes from two smaller words “ down ” and “ house ” or “ place. ” The supplication is that Jesus might be “ down place ” in your bosom. It ‘s the image of a adult male at place in his ain house. We all know there is a difference between a house and a place. A house is a edifice ; a place is a dwelling topographic point. It is really possible for Jesus to be “ in ” your bosom but non “ at place ” at that place.

Let me exemplify. Suppose I go to see a really nice place. The lady of the house says, “ Derek, do yourself at place. ” I look about and appreciate the beauty of the place as I study how good appointed it is and how nicely everything is arranged. It is lovely in all respects, but I do non experience at place at that place. I do n’t cognize where anything is. I do n’t cognize where the bathroom is, I do n’t cognize where the life room is, I do n’t cognize where the computing machines are, I do n’t cognize where the dining room is, and ( most significantly ) I do n’t cognize where the distant control is. How can a adult male be at place if he ca n’t happen the distant control?

If you come to my house, you ‘ll see a adult male to the full at place. I know where everything is, and if I do n’t cognize where it is, I know where to look for it. And you can rest assured that when the Football comes on later in the twenty-four hours, I ‘ll cognize precisely where the distant control is because it will be right beside me.

Jane

Many old ages ago Robert Boyd Munger wrote a small brochure called My Heart, Christ ‘s Home. In it he imagines the truster ‘s bosom as a place with many suites. The bosom has a life room, a dining room, a sleeping room, a kitchen, a computing machine room, a Television room, many cupboards, and an Attic.

Excessively many trusters keep Jesus in the entry-way, as if to state, “ Jesus, I ‘ve got you in the door. Now stay at that place and do n’t trouble oneself the remainder of my life. ” But the Lord wants to come in every room. He wants to come in your kitchen, your sleeping room, your sofa, and he wants entree even to the “ Attic ” of your bosom. Equally long as you keep the doors locked, he can ne’er be “ at place ” in your bosom –

Derek

And you will ne’er be happy as a Christian.

You see – the inquiry is non, “ How much of the Lord do I hold? ” but instead, “ How much of me does the Lord hold? ”

O Christ, come in and sublimate my head, ennoble my ideas, steer my lips, and direct my way.

This, so, is a supplication for a deeper experience between Christ and the truster. Name it what you will-sanctification, entire resignation, dedication, or even the filling of the Spirit. I call it “ what we urgently need that most of us lack. ” Until Christ is at place in your bosom, he will ever look like a alien to you even though he lives in you.

He ‘s non merely watching me, he ‘s with me.

He ‘s non merely with me, he ‘s in me.

He ‘s non merely a visitant, he ‘s at place in my bosom.

This is the first consequence of being strengthened in the interior adult male by the Holy Spirit.

Let ‘s look into out the following –

Jane

“ And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may hold power, together with all the saints, to hold on how broad and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to cognize this love that surpasses cognition. ”

Derek

The 2nd great consequence of being strengthened by the Spirit in the interior adult male is that you will hold a turning comprehension of the love of Christ.

The Grecian word translated “ appreciation ” has the thought of hold oning and keeping on to something. It means a turning personal experience of love of Jesus Christ.

There is a sense in which all Christians experience the love of Christ. But love itself has many dimensions. Paul is stating, “ I pray that you may turn in your day-to-day experience of the love of Jesus. ” He even says, “ I pray that you will come to cognize ( in a personal manner ) this love that surpasses cognition. ” No affair how far you go in your cognition of Christ ‘s love, you will ne’er come to the terminal of it.

When a adult male and adult female meet and day of the month and autumn in love, their love is existent and true, but it is non complete. The relationship can intensify. As the old ages go by, romantic love may give manner to a love that springs from a deep personal committedness made stronger and more profound by the altering seasons of life. And so a hubby may truly state old ages after the nuptials twenty-four hours, “ Darling, I love you more today than the twenty-four hours we got married. ” That is more than poesy or sentiment. In a good matrimony, that is world.

Now take that rule into the religious kingdom and you will understand what Paul means by the comprehensiveness and length and tallness and deepness of the love of Christ. The early church took this as a mark of the cross. The “ comprehensiveness and length ” stood for the crossbar on which the weaponries of Christ were nailed. The “ tallness and deepness ” stood for the perpendicular piece to which his legs were nailed. It is a fitting image because nowhere is the love of Christ more clearly seen than at the cross where Jesus died for us.

Jane

One Pastor likes to speak about “ God ‘s love in four dimensions ” from John 3:16:

“ For God so loved the universe ” Breadth “ He included you ” .

“ That he gave aˆ¦ his Son ” Length “ He sent Jesus to decease for you ” .

“ Should non die ” Depth “ He reached down for you ” .

“ Have everlasting life ” Height “ He lifts you up to heaven ” .

Derek

Yes – Jesus ‘s love is broader than the existence, longer than clip, higher than hope, deeper than decease. As we are strengthened by the Spirit on the interior, we will come to a new comprehension of his love for us. “ That you may be filled to the step of all the comprehensiveness of God. ”

This is the whole end of the Christian life. Do n’t H2O it down. The word for “ filled ” has the thought of being dominated by something. If you are filled with fury, so ramp will rule your life. If you are filled with love, so love dominates your life. If you are filled with joy, so rejoice dominates your life. When you are filled with God, so God himself will rule your life. It pictures the entire transmutation of the human personality by virtuousness of the presence of God in your life. This is an astonishing thought-to be filled up with all the comprehensiveness of God. Do n’t shy off from the deductions of this truth. As trusters we have been created to be the containers of God. He desires to pour his life into ours and to make full us until we ‘re full.

Let ‘s say you have a large jar of boggy H2O that you desire to see go a jar of clear H2O. What ‘s the quickest manner to do the transmutation? Take a garden hosiery and hook it up to a spring filled with clear, cool, pure H2O. Now place the hosiery in the jar and bend on the H2O. As the clean H2O hastes in, it flushes out the boggy H2O. If you let the hose stay in the jar long plenty, the boggy H2O will finally be wholly displaced by the clean H2O.

This is a parable of the Christian life. All of us are like that large jar of boggy H2O when we come to Christ. Some are muddier ( and slimier ) than others, but all of us are dirty when we find the Lord. It is the work of a life-time to replace the boggy H2O of our iniquitous dispositions with the pure H2O of God ‘s holy character. This is the reply to our entrenched resentment, lecherousness, greed, hatred, enviousness, restlessness, dishonesty and infidelity.

“ Your love, O Lord, come into me and drive out my choler. ”

“ Your sanctity, Lord, enter and thrust out my greed. ”

“ Your pureness enter and thrust out my lecherousness. ”

Jane

“ Your clemency make full my psyche and rinse off my enviousness. ”

“ Your forbearance come in and my restlessness will disappear. ”

“ Your grace make full me within and I can forgive. ”

Derek

That ‘s it! – “ All that you are, Lord Christ, All your reflecting beauty, all of it, come in this minute and make full me now. ” This is Paul ‘s supplication. This is exactly what verse 19 envisions for every truster when we are filled up with the comprehensiveness of God. If we believe that in Jesus Christ dwells all the comprehensiveness of God ( and we do ) , and if we believe Christ dwells in our Black Marias by religion ( and we do ) , so we may believe that in our lives today the comprehensiveness of God, the beauty of God, the grace of God, the clemency of God, the sanctity of God, the kindness of God, all that God is may make full us and drive out the evil-the lecherousness, greed, restlessness, unbelief, critical spirit, and the angry intolerance that holds us back.

As the Holy Spirit alterations us, the flawlessness of God is reflected in us.

No affair what we may believe, this is non impossible. It all goes back to the first petition. When we are strengthened inside by the Holy Spirit, this is the terminal consequence. Yet it seems so far out of our range. Unless God intervenes none of this can of all time come true for us.

Jane

You ‘re listening to Word Alive and Derek Stringer is taking Paul ‘s supplication in Ephesians 3 – it ‘s all about being strengthened and filled by God ‘s power and Christ ‘s love. It ‘s about being the sort of Christian who is more than simply spiritual by going a fantastic illustration of what Christ can make with an ordinary individual in extraordinary ways.

Now – here ‘s the large inquiry we need to turn to – How can we cognize God will make it? It ‘s such a large supplication! Back to Derek!

Derek

And that ‘s an of import inquiry. Travel back to Paul ‘s supplication and we ‘ll acquire the reply from him. Paul gives us the reply in poetries 20 to 21.

The reply to this supplication is non up to us ; it ‘s up to God! And that brings us to the brilliant doxology that concludes this supplication: “ Now to him who is able to make immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, harmonizing to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all coevalss, for of all time and of all time! Amons. ”

Paul is n’t stating, “ I hope this will go on but I ‘m non certain about it. ” We all live with a certain grade of inability. We live in a hope so, possibly so, might be, I ‘m non certain sort of universe. That ‘s okay. It ‘s non a mark of failing to acknowledge your failing when you truly are weak. In contrast to that we have this brilliant statement that God is able to make whatever it takes to reply this supplication.

Jane

John Stott points out that there are seven phases in this great statement by the Apostle Paul:

He is “ able to make ” because he is non idle or inactive or dead.

He can make “ what we ask ” for he hears us when we pray.

He can make “ what we think ” for he knows what we think before we think it.

He can make “ all we ask or think ” because he knows it all and can make it all.

He can make “ more than we ask or think ” because his programs are bigger than our programs.

He can make “ much more ” than we ask or think because there is no keeping back with God.

And one more: He can make “ extremely copiously ” beyond what we can conceive of because he is the God of the superlative.

Derek

Pay close attending to the phrase “ extremely copiously. ” The transcribers chose that preparation because Paul coined a Grecian word that had ne’er been used before. It ‘s one thing to make what person asks you to make.

It ‘s another thing to travel beyond what they ask you to make. But it ‘s something else to travel boundlessly beyond what they ask you to make.

God ‘s ability is “ off the chart. ” It ca n’t be measured. It ‘s so great it ca n’t even be imagined.

This poetry is learning us the “ exceeding, abundant, unmeasurable, infinite able-ness of God. ” He is non limited by our supplications, our jobs, our dreams, or even by our meagre theories about who he is.

Now – of import inquiry – How should we use this text?

Let me demo you.

Let me use it to this church. Suppose that the Apostle Paul were the curate of our Church. Do you believe he would be impressed with what we have done? Would he look at the stained glass, the pipe organ, the beautiful sanctuary, the beautiful graphics, and state, “ This is astonishing ” ? I do n’t believe so. Would he travel, “ Wow! You ‘ve got Power Point and the Worship Band play more than three chords ” ? I doubt it. If Paul were the curate of our church, I think that every clip he lifted his eyes to heaven he would hear God stating, “ I can make more in this church than you have yet asked or thought. ” That would take him to pray for power and so step out in a new venture of religion for the Lord. When he looked once more to heaven, he would hear God say, “ Paul, I can make more! ” So he would strike out once more in a venture of religion, and God would state, “ I can make more! ” Each clip he heard that, Paul would stretch himself out of his comfort zone and into the kingdom of impossibleness. No affair what he did, the response of God would ever be the same: “ I can make more aˆ¦ more aˆ¦ more. ” God can ever make more.

Let me besides give a personal application.

When you are weak, pray to be strengthened in the interior adult male. This is a supplication God will ever reply. And as you pray this supplication, inquire God for these three things as a consequence: Ask that Jesus might be at place in your bosom. Ask for a turning comprehension of the love of Christ. And, besides ask for the comprehensiveness of God in your life.

Our greatest demand is lack of strength-so pray this supplication. Our greatest enticement is to do alibis or to seek better circumstances-so pray this supplication. As we pray this brilliant supplication, we will detect:

That the Holy Spirit might beef up us. That Jesus might indwell us. That God himself might make full us.

I want to underscore the simpleness of our response. There is one important word in the text that I passed over earlier.

Verse 17 says that “ Christ may brood in your Black Marias through religion. ” How simple this is. Pray in religion and all these things will go on to you. Faith and nil else is required by God. Jesus comes in when religion opens the door. And he brings the comprehensiveness of God with him.

Take the tiniest atom, infinitesimally little, far smaller than the bare oculus can see. Take that atom and split it. You will let go of power beyond human computation. Now take the simplest, smallest supplication offered in religion. That supplication will give supernatural consequences in your life.

So, so, on the footing of this text: Pray GREATER supplications!

Possibly you ‘ve heard of J. B. Phillips ‘ book, Your God is Too Small. Person should compose a book called Your Prayers are Too Small. Pray large supplications to a large God.

“ Open broad your oral cavity and I will make full it, ” says the Lord in Psalm 81. At the terminal of the twenty-four hours there is one concluding inquiry our fearful Black Marias may inquire. You may inquire, “ Is God able to assist me? ”

No affair what I say in this Word Alive programme, no affair how many poetries you read, still interior fright and deep uncertainty combine to wipe out any flicker of hope. The inquiry is existent: Is God able? If we believe the Bible, the reply must be yes.

Is at that place plenty sunshine to illume a room? Is at that place adequate H2O in the ocean to make full a thimble? All excessively frequently our focal point is on our jobs when it ought to be on God. If you look at your ain failing, the logical decision will be discouragement, uncertainty and defeat. But if you focus on his limitless power, you will happen faith and hope in malice of your fortunes. How weak we are.

See God. Think on Him.

How strong God is! Who knows what he will make? God has a 1000s times 1000s times 1000s of ways to assist us.

He is able to beef up us when we are weak.

He is able to reply far more than we ask.

He is able to hear the faintest call.

He is able to raise our loads in the clip of crisis.

He is able to steer us when we have lost our manner.

Jane

So we stand at the terminal of this supplication and wonder at its profusion. An astonishing supplication tied to an astonishing promise. It is an impossible supplication made possible because “ God is able ” to make “ extremely copiously ” beyond all we can inquire or believe.

A concluding word from Derek –

Derek

It merely waits for us to pray. God wants us to pray, he invites us to pray, he waits for us to name upon him. He is able to hear us and to reply us. If we do our portion, God can non neglect to make his.

We ever appreciate your calls, electronic mails and letters. If you ‘ve ne’er been in touch but find these Bible times together of usage to you delight see allowing us know. Besides, stating us on what station you listen – things like that – is a existent aid to us every bit good.

We ‘ll pray for you and we would love your supplications for us. We do direct a free intelligence missive upon petitions please ask. We ‘ll besides direct you other resources if you request it.

Here are our contact inside informations. My thanks to Jane Moxon who has them ready to go through on to you. My thanks besides to Phil Critchley our Producer – Here ‘s Jane –

Derek

We need to maintain looking at these great illustrations of Prayers That Work we find in God ‘s Word – so we ‘ll come back to it in the following edition of Word Alive. I hope that you ‘ll be able to fall in us. Until so – adieu for now and every approval to you.

Jane

Good-bye.