Pray for One Another
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Introduction
Image - Meal with the Utterbacks
Several years ago Dana and I were having dinner with Dwayne & Nina Utterback at a restaurant. We have paid for our meal, filled our drinks, and found our seats. We had been doing a little shopping at an outdoor mall and were hungry but before we dug into our salads & sandwiches we paused, held hands, and prayed together. Once we finished thanking the Lord for the food and time together we began enjoying our meal. I had a meatball Panini that was incredible. A few minutes later a woman that was sitting near us with two other boys, I assume her son and grandson, finished their meal and were leaving the restaurant. When this gal passed by our table she stopped and said “A family that prays together stays together.” We agreed and wished her well.
I walked away from the encounter/interaction with two things on the forefront on my mind. First, people are watching as we live the Christian life. People notice when we pay. Secondly, her statement reminded me of the importance of prayer in our lives (biological family & spiritual family).
Need
As we spend the summer looking at various ONE ANOTHER passages in the NT we’re learning how to treat one another as members of God’s family. We’ve been challenged to love one another, forgive one another, serve one another, comfort one another, and be devoted to one another. Today we turn our attention to Praying for One Another.
· Funny Kids prayers – Some of the best prayers you’ll every hear come from children. It’s so great to hear the humility and honesty that comes out when a child talks to God. I did a quick Google search on kids prayers—I don’t know who wrote them or why they were written down but they are so good! (Six kids prayers – pics)
Haha! Our prayers can be humorous and hilarious and yet it’s serious business. Prayer is a vital aspect of our Christian life. Oswald Chambers writes that “Prayer is a Holy Occupation.” Prayer in its simplest form is communicating or conversing with God (talking and listening). Prayer in some form or fashion has likely been a part of your life in some form or fashion.
· Sanders Quote
I trust the majority (if not all) of the people gathered in this room has practiced some form of prayer—if you said something to God or asked God for something you have engaged in prayer—and our experience with prayer can vary from being formal (reciting them from memory or using a rosary) to more informal (talking with God in a very conversational manner). Some of you have were taught how to pray (parent, grandparent, or friend). Some of you learned how to pray on your own. No matter where you are at this morning in regard to prayer—you might be a prayer warrior who prays multiple times a day, someone who strives to pray at least once a day, or someone who feels completely inadequate in prayer—all of us grow in this area of our walk with God.
How many of you are satisfied with your prayer life? I suspect that most of us feel “inadequate”—we always feel the need to be more prayerfully dependent upon God—and we look up to the “prayer warriors” of this world. We can relate to the disciples who kept “falling asleep” after Jesus told them to “stay awake and keep alert in prayer” as He was preparing for HIs suffering and death in the Garden of Gethsemane. We are in desperate need to be awakened from our prayer-less slumber! Prayer is an extraordinary privilege for Christians. We must once again see prayer as one of the most incredible privileges one has in life—that you and I can freely communicate with our Creator—that we can come boldly to the throne of grace through the Son and by the Spirit! Are you kidding me? The God of the universe invites me to talk to Him, He listens to my rambling on and on, and He responds for my good and His glory!? Amazing!
Preview
Prayer is a vital privilege and priority for our lives individually and as a family. We would do well to invest our time in a sermon series dedicated to prayer but today we narrow the focus to “Praying for ONE ANOTHER” as we continue our summer series. Today we’re going to open up God’s Word to consider “The Call to Pray for ONE ANOTHER” and “The Commitment to Pray for ONE ANOTHER.”
I) THE CALL TO PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER ()
We begin with “The Call to Pray for One Another.” Take your Bible and turn to James Chapter 5. If you don’t have a Bible there should be one in the pew rack in front of you—if you don’t own a Bible take that home as our gift to you! . James (brother of Jesus) is a letter penned to a group of Jewish Christians that had been scattered to various regions. In we find “The Call to Pray for ONE ANOTHER. ().
The entire section of highlights “The Call to Pray” in the community of faith. We find several exhortations to pray in various circumstances. There is a great deal to learn about prayer in this section, some deep hearty truths about prayer! We’re not going to dig into the details of this entire section today. We’ll save that for a future sermon when we’re preaching through the book of James from beginning to end. Let’s consider a brief outline/overview of this passage (observations).
· The believer’s call to pray in times of trouble (5:13) – We’re called to pray when we experience “suffering, misfortune, physical pain, and distress.”
· The elder’s call to pray for others in times of sickness (5:14-15) – The elders are called to pray and anoint the sick with oil (ministry of prayer)
· The believer’s call to confess and pray for one another (5:16)
· The power of prayer illustrated by the prophet Elijah (5:16-18) – Why pray? Prayer is effective!
With that as a backdrop let’s turn our attention to the ONE ANOTHERS in which is the focus of our summer series. There are two ONE ANOTHERS mentioned here – confessing our sins to one another and praying for one another. I trust the call to confess your sins to ONE ANOTHER is a bit daunting—I grew up confessing my sins to a priest at confession—and here in the NT we discover that it doesn’t have to be a priest but a fellow believer. I trust that this might seem too personal, too scary, and too uncomfortable. These two ONE ANOTHERS (confession and prayer) are connected to the previous instructions for the elder’s ministry in times of sickness (“Therefore”). The idea that “sin” could cause “sickness” was a dominant mindset in the ancient world (Job’s friends & Jewish thinking). The NT reveals that sickness is not always caused by sin () – You can’t draw a hard line and say that all sickness is the result of sin, that’s not true. And yet the NT reveals that sin might be the cause of sickness (, , & ) or even death (). In this context James hints at the possibility that someone’s sickness might be the result of sin – thus the mention of “forgiveness” (5:13) – and the following exhortation to “confess your sins to one another and prayer for one another (5:14). Here’s the motivation for these ONE ANOTHERS - Since the Lord can raise up the sick through the elder’s prayerful intercession, providing restoration and forgiveness if the sickness is caused by sin, all the more reason for the Jewish Christians to “confess” their sins to one another and pray for one another so they would be healed physically & spiritually from any sickness caused by unconfessed sin. The entire section on prayer reveals that “praying for one another” impacts the spiritual and physical health of the family of believers. And while this call to “Pray for ONE ANOTHER” is directly connected to sickness, certainly this exhortation has broader application to our lives.
· John Stott - If the sick can call the elders to pray, and God has pledged himself to respond
so generously to their prayer, then surely we should be enthusiastic to lay hold of prayer in all
situations in life. [1]
We don’t have to limit “praying for one another” to times of sickness. We can certainly heed these exhortations in times of sickness trusting in the Lord’s healing power. And yet we want to live our this call to “Pray for ONE ANOTHER” in each and every situation of life. We see a broader application of this call to “Pray for ONE ANOTHER” throughout the NT. With that as a launching point, let’s consider how we might live this out in our lives as a family.
II) THE COMMITMENT TO PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER
Let’s move from the “Call to Pray for ONE ANOTHER” to the “Commitment to Pray for ONE ANOTHER.” Throughout the Scriptures we find examples of God’s people being committed (devoted) to prayer. Devotion to prayer has marked the church throughout history. The NT calls us to be devoted to prayer in our lives.
· : “The were devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching, and to fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer.
· : “Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.”
· : “Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.”
Today we want to consider the commitment to one specific form of prayer—intercession (). Intercession is the practice of speaking to God on behalf of someone else. Intercessory prayer is the act of praying for others and not just yourself. Sometimes we get consumed with ourselves. Me, me, me, me, me, me, me! We must be committed to praying for one another as a family. We must never neglect the practice of praying for (interceding) one another. All too often we say “I’ll pray for you” and by the end of the day/week forget. One of the things that hinders our commitment to praying for one another is we don’t know what to pray for specifically-therefore we have a few ways to keep us informed of pressing prayer needs.
· Weekly Bulletin Insert – specific requests/needs (Ignore…trash…forget)
· Email Updates
· Tuesday Prayer Meeting @ 5 p.m. – you are invited to come intercede with us for others!
We must be a family committed to “praying with one another” and “praying for one another.” Interceding in prayer for one another is a vital part of our life as a church family. We can and should pray for one another about anything and everything—from finding the keys to your car all the way to finding your way to a new job interview—from the pain of stubbing your toe all the way to the pain of losing a loved one. And yet I want to challenge us to go deeper in our commitment to praying for ONE ANOTHER.
The Scriptures record many beautiful prayers (OT & NT). I trust you might have a few favorites—Hannah’s prayer (), David’s prayers (Psalms), Solomon’s prayer () Nehemiah’s prayer (1), the Lord’s Prayer (), Jesus’ prayer for His disciples (), or others. Some of my favorite prayers in Scripture are found in the NT letters. In many of the NT letters the apostles who penned the letters would take the time at the beginning of the letter to let their fellow believers know they were praying for them (it’s important to tell others you’re praying for them) but occasionally the penman would also let his beloved readers know exactly what he was praying for in their lives as well. These NT prayers can serve as a prayer prayer guide for us as a church family.
Today we’re going to consider four specific NT prayers we can pray for one another as a family. We might think of them as a basic “Family Prayer Guide.” I encourage you to write them these four prayers down (Bulletin – Bible - Journal) and commit to praying these hearty prayers for ONE ANOTHER in the days to come.
1) Pray for the knowledge of God’s will ()
We begin in the book of Colossians. The letter was written to warn the believers about a disturbing heresy that questioned the power of the gospel and flat out denied the sufficiency and supremacy of Christ. The letter begins with an introductory prayer in Colossians Chapter 1 This morning we zero in on . (Read )
Prayer #1: (Family Prayer Guide): When we pray for one another, let’s commit to praying for “The Knowledge of God’s Will.” “The “Knowledge of God’s Will.”
Paul has a knack for writing incredibly long sentences, there is a lot packed into these four verses, but we find one primary prayer for the believers in Colossae. We note several things about Paul’s prayer for the Christians in Colosse.
First their prayer was persistent (1:9)—“we have not stopped (ceased) praying for you” (1:9). They were persistently praying for them on an ongoing basis.
Secondly, we see the specific request (1:9) – Paul informed the believers in Colossae exactly what they were praying for—“asking God to fill you with knowledge of Hs will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Paul and his ministry partners were “asking” God with great urgency—pleading, begging, and with the force of demanding God to “fill them with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Paul was pleading with God to fill up the lives of the believers in Colossae with the knowledge of HIs will! Paul refuted the idea that they needed a “deeper knowledge of a mysterious spiritual world, Jewish traditions, or mystical practices” in order to be “spiritual” or to live the Christian life (error being refuted in this letter). Paul prayed that the believers in Colossae would gain the “full measure” of knowing God’s will—not just facts & information in their heads but rather “overflowing” with an experiential understanding of God’s will that would be obtaining through “all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” The believers in Colossae wouldn’t gain this experiential knowledge of His will in their human strength or understanding—the overflowing knowledge of God’s will (purpose & plans through Jesus) would only come through the Holy Spirit who would give them wisdom and understanding. Paul was asking God to fill them with not simply “head knowledge” but rather an experiential “knowing” of His will that would come through spiritual wisdom and understanding.
3) We see the end goal (purpose/result) of knowing God’s Will (1:10-16) - Paul prayed that the Christians in Colossae would be given a deeper “knowledge of God’s will” in Jesus Christ for a specific purpose—in order that they would “live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way.” The goal of knowing God’s will (specifically His will in salvation through Jesus) was not merely information but transformation. Paul prayed they would “know” God’s will so that their “walk” (conduct or how they live their lives) would be worthy of their calling and please the Him. Our knowledge of God’s will changes our conduct—how we live our lives—living them in such a way that is worthy of Christ and pleasing to Christ. Goda life that is lived worthy of the Lord and pleases Him in every way! Colossian 1:10-12 highlights the characteristics of a worthy walk that pleases the Lord!
· Spiritual growth (1:10) – bearing the fruit of good works and growing in the knowledge of God A life of good works
· A life of perseverance & patience (1:11): Being strengthened (passive) from God’s power (His glorious might) to persevere (calm when provoked) and be patient (bear up under pressure/suffering) in suffering
· A life of joyful gratitude (1:12): Joyfully giving thanks - A life of joyous thankfulness is a life that pleases God
Paul prayed that God would give the Christians in Colossae will be filled with an experiential knowledge of His plans and purposes in Christ so they would live worthy lives that please Him.
APPLICATION
Prayer #1 in our “Family Prayer Guide” is “The Knowledge of God’s will.” Let’s be committed to praying this prayer for ONE ANOTHER so that we’ll live our lives worthy of Jesus and in a way that pleases Him! Let’s pray for a deeper knowledge of God’s sovereign will—not simply praying for the head knowledge about God’s will but rather an experiential knowing of God’s will through the power of the Holy Spirit—so that our lives will be transformed.
· Biological family (Parents) – what a great prayer to pray for your kids! We want our kids to be healthy, successful, and happy and all too often we pray to that end. Better yet to pray for them to have a deeper knowing of God’s will for them in Jesus so they will live their lives in a manner worthy of Jesus and in a way that pleases Him.
· Spiritual family (Brothers & sisters) – what a great prayer to pray for one another! We can and should pray for one another’s health, jobs, attitude, and relationships. And yet let’s commit to praying for a deeper knowledge of God’s will through the power of the Holy Spirit so that our lives will be lived in a manner that is worthy of Jesus and pleases Him!
Please pray this for me and I’ll pray this for you. We must pray for a deeper experiential knowledge of God’s will so that each of us will have a worthy walk that pleases Him—a life characterized by the fruit of good works, a growing knowledge of God, strength to persevere under trial and be patient in suffering, and joyful gratitude—a transformed life that that is worthy of Jesus our Savior and pleases Him. Isn’t this what matters most when it’s all said and done—living a life worthy of your calling in Jesus and one that pleases Him? Let’s pray for “The knowledge of God’s will” so that our lives will be lived worthy of Jesus and in a way that pleases Him.
2) Pray for the strength to know the full measure of Christ’s love ()
Let’s consider a second model prayer for our “Family Prayer Guide” by turning to the book of Ephesians. Ephesians Chapter 3. The emphasis on Paul’s Ministry () shifts to “Paul’s Prayer” for the Christians in Ephesus (). This is the second time Paul has informed the Christians in Ephesus of his prayer for them (1:14-19) and it’s the second addition to our “Family Prayer Guide.” (Read )
Prayer #2 (Family Prayer Guide): When we pray for one another, let’s commit to praying for “The Strength to Know the full measure of Christ’s Love.” “The Strength to Know the full measure of Christ’s Love.” Let’s take a closer look at Paul’s “Intercession” for the Christians in Ephesus.
First, Paul mentions his “Posture” (3:14) – Paul “kneels” before the Father from whom His whole family in heaven and earth derives its name” (3:14). Paul got down on his knees before the Father to intercede for them—calling upon the One who is Father of all both in heaven and earth—calling upon the One who had brought Gentiles and Jews together to be a part of His family. We pause to consider the cosmic scope of the Father’s reign.
Secondly, we find Paul’s “Plea” for the Christians in Ephesus (3:15-17). Paul asked God to give the believers in Ephesus to strengthen them with power through the power of the Holy Spirit resulting in Christ residing in their hearts by faith. The power would come from the wealth of God’s glory, poured into their inner being through the Holy Spirit, and resulting in Christ taking up residence in their lives by faith (3:15-17). Having been rooted in grounded in Christ’s love, Paul prayed that the Christians in Ephesus “may have power (together with all the saints) to grasp (fully realize, understand, and comprehend) how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—causing the believes in Ephesus being “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (3:18-19). Paul prayed they would be given the strength to know the vast measure of Christ’s love so they will experience the fullness of God. This prayer is a bit of a paradox because Christ’s love surpasses knowledge—and yet this is not a futile prayer but rather the humble recognition that Christ’s love is inexhaustible—for there is always more to grasp and know about Christ’s love. If there was any doubt (question) if this could be accomplished Paul declared that God is able to do more than we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us—all for His glory in the church and in Jesus forever and ever!
APPLICATION
Prayer #2 for our “Family Prayer Guide”—Pray for the strength to know the vast measure of Christ’s love. The heart of Paul’s prayer is a plea for the Christians in Ephesus to be strengthened by the wealth of HIs glorious power through the Holy Spirit so that they will be able “know” the full measure of Christ’s love resulting in being filled to the fullness of God (spiritual maturity). Let’s commit to praying this prayer for ONE ANOTHER. We desperately need the strength to know the infinite measure of Christ’s live in our lives. All too often our hearts are filled with doubt—we question the depth and fullness of His love for us—and we need the strength to “grasp” and “know” the measure of Christ’s love so that we’ll be filled to the fullness of God!
· Spurgeon
We can’t fully know Christ’s love but we must ask God to give one another strength to know Christ’s love more and more each day! What would happen in our church family if we pray for one another in this way? What would happen if you bowed your knee, asking the Father to give one of your brother and sisters the strength to know the vast measure of Christ’s love for them? What a difference that would make in their life!
· Spiritual Maturity—Knowing the vast measure of Christ’s love results in being filled to the fullness of God, sharing in the divine nature and becoming like Christ (3:18)
· A Renewed Rest in His love – Knowing the vast measure of Christ’s love will keep us from trying to earn His love.
I want to be given the strength to know the full measure of Christ’s love. How about you? I want to comprehend the full measure of Christ’s love, completely blown away and floored by it, so that I will experience the fullness of God in my life. How about you? Let’s commit to praying this prayer for ONE ANOTHER. Let’s add this to our “Family Prayer Guide.”
3) Pray for opportunities to share the gospel with others ()
When we pray for one another let’s pray for “The Knowledge of God’s Will,” “The Strength to Know the full measure of Christ’s Love.” Let’s add one more prayer to our “Family Prayer Guide.” Turn back to the book of Colossians. In Colossians Chapter 4 we find a third addition to our “Family Prayer Guide.” (Read )
Prayer #3 (Family Prayer Guide): When we pray for one another, let’s commit to pray for “Opportunities to Share the Gospel with Others.”
In we find a call to be “devoted to prayer.” The Christians in Colossae were given this charge—“Devote yourselves to prayer”—it’s a call to be “associated with, adhering to, and strong in prayer.” Their dedication to prayer should be marked by “watchfulness” and “thankfulness” (4:2). Devotion to prayer is marked by “keeping alert” in it and “praying with a heart of gratitude.” Our life of prayer should be marked by attentiveness (“keeping watch or staying alert in it”) and appreciation! Don’t be weary—remain spiritually alert for temptation, persecution, or Christ’s return (, , , , Thessalonians, 5:16, & )—and persistently pray with an attitude of gratitude.
The opening exhortations to be devoted to prayer is followed by Paul’s request for prayer. In we find the call for “Intercession.” Paul presented his prayer request to the Christians in Colossae. Paul asked the Colossian Christians to continually pray for his gospel ministry. Paul asked them to pray that God would open up the door for their message—he wanted them to ask God to grant him many “open door” opportunities to proclaim (announce) the mystery of Christ—to speak about God’s salvation in Jesus Christ for the Jews & the Gentiles clearly even though the preaching of the gospel had already landed in him prison. Paul briefly mentioned that he was in chains for speaking about Jesus Christ, and yet desired that God would give him he an open door to proclaim the good news to others.
Notice what Paul asked the Colossian Christians to pray for? Paul wanted them to pray for open doors for him to share the good news of salvation in Jesus while he was in prison. Paul did not ask the Christians to pray for the prison door to open but rather for an open door of opportunity to proclaim Christ in his current circumstances (-30-31 and ). Paul also asked the Colossians to pray that he would be able to communicate the gospel clearly (make known the message of the gospel simply and plainly). Once God opens the door, Paul wanted them to pray that God would help him communicate it clearly, to reveal the message of the Gospel plainly, and to share it with others in a way that they can understand and respond.
APPLICATION
Prayer #3 for our Family Prayer Guide: When we pray for one another, let’s pray for “Opportunities to Share the Gospel with Others.” Let’s pray that our circumstances will be used as an opportunity to be a witness for Christ—that whatever situation we find ourselves in the coming week it will be used as an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ—and that it those moments we’ll communicate the gospel clearly by the power of the Holy Spirit. The more time we spend thinking about our life as a family, the easier it is to become inward focused, and we can forget about our call to be witnesses to the world! We can’t lose sight of sharing the good news with others.
All too often we ask people to pray for our circumstances to change, nothing inherently wrong with that request, and yet it’s possible that God has us in a specific circumstance in order to share the gospel! Many times it’s a unique circumstance that provides an open door to share the gospel that we otherwise would never have in our lives.
· Tractor break down/flat tire (missed opportunity)
· Tragedy
· New job
· Sickness/Hospital stay – witness in this setting (ICU waiting room – Suzi’s dad)
In each and every circumstance how might God open the door to share the love of Jesus? How an you speak of your Savior in these settings when given an open door of opportunity. Let’s pray that our various circumstances in the coming week will provide new open doors of “Opportunity to Share the Gospel with Others.” Who know what doors will open this week as we pray this for another? Perhaps someone will come to know Christ because in the coming week because we’re praying for another?
Conclusion
Refresh ~ Prayer is a vital part of our life as a family. Every so often you’ll be reminded of this truth – perhaps after praying together over a meal at a restaurant someone will notice, come to your table, and say “A Family that Prays together stays together.” Let’s be a praying family! Let’s pray with one another and for one another.
Let’ be committed to praying for ONE ANOTHER as brothers and sisters. I hope you wrote down these three prayers we can pray for ONE ANOTHER.
· The Knowledge of God’s Will to live a worthy life
· The Strength to know the vast measure of Christ’s Love
· Opportunities to Share the Gospel with Others
Use these prayers as a “Family Prayer Guide.” Let’s be commit to praying these three prayer for ONE ANOTHER in the days to come. What a difference these prayers will make in our lives.
I realize that praying “three prayers” for ONE ANOTHER can be overwhelming—we’re a big family (200+)—where do I start? You can begin by praying them when you pray for a meal. Regardless of who you are with, when you sit down to eat and prayer over the meal, pray one of these for each person sitting at the table. Secondly, Andy Stanley has a great “motto” he encourages people to live by—"Do for one what you wish you could do for all.” I think this is great approach to this “Family Prayer Guide.” Instead of trying to pray all three prayers for every member of this family—how about each of us begin with just one or two? To that end, there are a few people ready to hand out a piece of paper & pencil. Please take one. I want every person to write their name down on the paper and fold it up. Once every one is done, we’ll collect them in these trays – then we’ll pass the trays and I want every one to pick one name out. Begin praying these prayers for that one person in an effort to “do for one what you wish you could do for all.” Let’s commit to praying these three prayers for ONE ANOTHER (name you have) for the next month (August 15). I trust this family will be transformed as we deepen our commitment to Pray for ONE ANOTHER in this way in the next month.
Pray!
[1] J. A. Motyer, The Message of James: The Tests of Faith, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985), 201.