Summary
Colossians 4:2-18 ESV
4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
NASB Devote yourselves to prayer,
NKJV Continue earnestly in prayer
- What can I do for the church?
- Maybe you are not a preacher
- Maybe God hasn’t placed you in a particular position
- Maybe you listen on the radio or internet and can’t attend
- Maybe you are physically disabled
- Maybe you want to donate funds for the ministries but can’t
- Or for whatever reason you FEEL under utilized
- You can still do GREAT things through prayer
- Too often prayer is our LAST resort
- It should be our first step
- Is prayer how you get what you want???
- No, prayer is how God gets what he wants
- God is sovereign and we pray
- God works through means, one of those is our prayers
- Prayer is OFTEN exploited on TV as a way to beckon God to do our bidding
- A way to manipulate God
- Speak it into existence
- Plant your seed
- Command it, command who?
- Prayer is not an outward RELIGIOUS act for others – showtime!
- A way to manipulate God
- No, prayer is how God gets what he wants
Matthew 6:5 NKJV
- Prayer is between you and God
- We humbly ask God for help, comfort, decisions, healing, wisdom, all things
- Prayer is ALSO another way to give God glory
- We humbly ask God for help, comfort, decisions, healing, wisdom, all things
Matthew 6:6 NKJV
- Verse 2, is concerning YOUR NEEDS
- Proud American, What? you have no needs?
Revelation 3:17 NASB
Charles Spurgeon
- Jan 6th 1861
- First sermon of the New Year
- Sent a New Year’s text – motto
- Prior to receiving this text, Spurgeon called for a month of prayer
- He later opened the text on New Year’s day
- He read: Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
- Jan 7th 2018 (157 years later)
- As Paul asked the Colossians
- As Charles Spurgeon asked his congregation
- I ask you, Devote yourselves to prayer
- In one ear and out the other?
- Do you believe God’s Word? – Then pray
- We have much to thank Him for
- We have many needs to pray for
- Start with yourself and your children
Matthew 7:7-8 NASB
- Verse 3, Paul is asking for specific prayer
- What does Paul ask for?
- Riches & Glory? No
- What does Paul ask for?
(3) At 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
- What do you see on TV, what do you hear on the radio?
- Christ centered preaching? Gospel? The Word of God?
- Listen for it, will you hear it???
- You will hear stories and remedies
- You will hear pleas for money
- Plant your seed money
- Invest in God
- If you hear the Gospel, you are fortunate
- I am asking you to pray for God to open doors
- Listen for it, will you hear it???
- Christ centered preaching? Gospel? The Word of God?
———-
- Too often, we ARE working on the structure without a foundation
- It’s raining, so you say we need a roof
- We build a roof
- It’s cold and windy, so you say we need walls
- We build walls
- We are only reacting to the problems
- We have become so busy fixing the problems
- We forget to lay the foundation
- People are being tossed too and FRO
- Faith is becoming shipwrecked
- Their house is torn down over and over again
- We must build the foundation FIRST
- It’s raining, so you say we need a roof
- Christ centered preaching
- THIS is about the person and work of Christ
- Not about me and my testimony
- Not about my stories
- CHRIST EXALTING, GOD GLORIFYING WORDS
- Why is our message not resonating, why are people not excited?
- I’m asking you to pray for open doors
- Not just for this Church but all Christ centered churches
- This country needs a revival
- Revivals begin with prayer
- THIS is about the person and work of Christ
Ephesians 6:18-19 NKJV
- Pray for boldness
- Pray for the right words
- Pray for the truth to be heard and received
- Calls for prayer didn’t last
- On August 2nd 1990 we went to war – Praying country
- On September 11th 2001, the nation knelt in prayer
- OKC Bombing, & severe drought
- Hurricane Harvey (Houston) & Hurricane Irma (Florida)
- 8 million acres burned in 2017, Prayers
- Not praying for the right thing – CHANGED HEARTS
- Is the country better today than in 1990?
- What about the church?
- We hear this verse invoked all of the time.
2 Chronicles 7:14 NASB
- This was given at the dedication of the temple under Solomon
- The new temple is Christ and Christ dwelling in us
- The new people are God’s elect from all nations
- What is the new land, is it the heart?
- We need to pray for the healing of the church
- Pray for the seed to fall on the good soil
- Ask God to remove the rocks, thorns and thistles
(4) that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
- Paul has needs of his own
- Paul is not asking for money
- Paul is asking to be able to speak the Gospel clearly
- In a manner worthy of his calling
- Paul is not asking for money
- Not everyone is called to preach
- Everyone is called to pray
- Not big on New Year’s resolutions
- But will you pray for people to hear and give Christ glory?
- Pray for people to want to hear the Word
- Pray for clear God glorifying messages – (20 minutes)
- We have the means to reach people – but changed hearts.
- Pray for clear God glorifying messages – (20 minutes)
Nehemiah 8:1-3 ESV
Nehemiah 8:8 ESV
- Pray for Roy, Scott, me or whoever is before you
- Pray for the churches not preaching and teaching the Word
- Pray that we & them may make the Word clear
- Pray for people to desire to hear
- Pray for understanding and changed lives
- Please, God will answer
- This is our motto for this year.
- NASB DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO PRAYER
(5) Walk in wisdom toward outsiders,
Ephesians 5:15-16 NASB
- It does not say sit in wisdom
- It says walk, or conduct yourself in wisdom
- How does one become wise? PRAYER and knowing the Word
- You can know the Word and be unwise
- Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes
- God imparts wisdom on those who ask for wisdom
- You can know the Word and be unwise
Ephesians 5:16
- How can we make the best use of our time?
- Pray constantly, keep the communion with God
- Psalms 1:2 ESV he meditates day and night.
- Be gracious not argumentative – you want people to listen
- Best use of your time
- Audio Bible – listening
- Dishes, clean the yard, driving
- Story Time
- CHRONICLES OF THE NEPHILIM, Brian Godawa
- What is the best use of your time?
- Netflix, Facebook???
- How’s that going?
- Audio Bible – listening
so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
- Will we give Godly advice or worldly?
- Can you defend your faith without sinning?
———–
- Series of Greetings – for communication
(12) Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers,
- Can we say we struggled in prayers?
Colossians 4:16 ESV
- Shows the letters were to be circulated
- Scholars think Ephesians was the letter from Laodicea
- Closes with
(18)
- Shows Paul was dealing with forgeries
- Today’s documentaries, Long Lost Letters of The Bible
- They are not lost and do not belong to the Bible
- Remember my chains
- Many sacrifices have been made for you to hear the Word
- Jesus Christ was crucified
- This should be enough
- Paul was imprisoned
- All but John was martyred
- The Christian’s killed under Nero
- The reformation and all who were burned at the stake
- Lastly, the pastor’s toil in hours of preparation
- In one ear and out the other???
- Might remember something after lunch
- Pray, pray, pray!!!
- God will answer if we call upon Him
- Pray for the message of this church
- Pray for the messengers
- Pray for the hearers
- God will answer if we call upon Him
- Jesus Christ was crucified
- Many sacrifices have been made for you to hear the Word
- Today’s documentaries, Long Lost Letters of The Bible
Mark 8:36 ESV
Leave a Reply