We are following up where we left off last week on the topic – Spirit-Filled praying.
II. THE CONTENT OF PRAYER
This text tells us some of the things that should fill our prayers. Paul divides our Prayer lives into two parts. – “Prayers” and “Supplications”.
He mentions “prayers” – This refers to prayer that is general in scope.
It is the praying we do that is sometimes non-specific. For instance, there are times when we will pray for faithful preachers and missionaries. We pray for our persecuted brethren worldwide, and we pray for our fellow churches, and we pray for many other things in the same way.
He mentions “supplication” – This word refers to very specific prayers. In these verses, Paul speaks about some specific areas that should occupy our praying.
– “All saints” – Ephesians 6:18 – Remember “supplication” refers to “specific requests”. While I sometimes we don’t know what you need, there are other times when I do.
Q: What are specific requests we can make on behalf of the saints?
When the need is known, the prayer should be specific. When we pray specifically, and God answers our prayer, it gives us confidence in our prayer lives and assurance in the power of God to both hear and answer our prayers.
“For me” – Ephesians 6:19-20 – Now, Paul’s request for himself is that he might preach the Gospel in a way that God can use to draw the lost to Himself. His prayer is that God will bless his preaching and that God will use him and his imprisonment to bring others to Jesus. By praying for him in this way, the Ephesian believers would share in Paul’s success in Rome.
Jesus repeatedly calls on us to pray specifically.
• “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (John 14:13 KJV). “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (John 15:16 KJV)
It reminds us that it is okay to request prayer for oneself. There is a caution we should keep in mind here. Our primary focus should be on others. A healthy believer is more concerned with the needs of others than he is with his own needs. The root of all psychological and spiritual sickness is a preoccupation with self.
So, in short, the content of our prayers should be “supplication for all saints”.
III. THE CONTEXT OF PRAYER
Paul says that all of our praying should get done “in the Spirit.” just like the Christian life is to be lived in the Spirit, Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5:16, all Prayer is to be prayed “in the Spirit”.
Living “in the Spirit” and “walking in the Spirit”, refers to a life that is “controlled” by the Spirit. When the Spirit controls lives, He reveals His control of our lives by producing “the fruit of the Spirit” in our lives, Galatians 5:22-23.
When we offer “prayer” and make “supplication” “in the Spirit”, He will make His control of our prayer lives evident as well.
Q: What does it mean to pray “in the Spirit”?
• It means that we pray in the “name of Jesus”. That is how the Lord commanded us to pray. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13–14 KJV) That does not mean that we can attach a magical “in Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers and that God has to answer every request prayed that way. When we pray “in Jesus’ name” means that we ask for the things He would ask for. Which means we pray for things that would glorify the Father.
• It means that we pray according to the will of God and the nature of God. We read what the Lord said about Himself in the Word of God, and we pray about the things He says He wants. In other words, we allow His Word to shape our prayers.
• It means that we pray in cooperation with the Spirit of God within our hearts. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26–27 KJV)
The Spirit of God guides our praying by promoting us to pray about those things that bring glory to the Father. Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish theologian, said, “Prayer does not change God, but it changed the prayer.” And that is the point of all true prayer. It does not serve to alter the plan of God, and it does serve to change the one who prays. So, pray “in the Spirit” about everything He places on your heart, knowing that He has promised to hear you and to answer you for His glory.
• “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3 KJV) “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24 KJV). “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” (Matthew 21:22 KJV)
Conclusion
Prayer is a valuable resource, and we should make it one of the top priorities of our lives. To be in contact with the Lord and to know that He hears us and answers our prayers is a blessing beyond belief. At any time, we can call on the name of the Lord, and we can request His help, share our burdens with Him, and address any situation that arises. This should give us great confidence as we serve the Lord in this world. Let’s commit ourselves to Him and seek His help to be the prayer warriors He would have us to be. Let us labor to make the most of prayer that God might get glorified in this world and through His church.
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