18. Lesson 18 Ephesians chosen to pray Ephesians 6 verse 18 and 19
Notes
Transcript
Church of Christ Dapto
The letter to the Church in Ephesus
Lesson 18 – Chosen to pray
Ephesians 6:18-24
In addition to the armour
Pray in the Spirit
Ephesians 6:18a And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Praying is reverent speaking to God.
Requests are when we ask for His help in any situation.
Whenever we pray, we are to pray in the Spirit.
Whatever we pray for, or whatever we ask for, we are to pray in the Spirit.
How do we pray in the Spirit?
Praying in the Spirit is an admission of a believer’s ignorance and dependence on God. 1
Such prayer will be guided by the Spirit who gives access to God, and the one who prays thus will pray not
merely for himself or herself, but for the saints and for the bold progress of the gospel.2
(Prayer)...with the heart, soul, and spirit engaged in it; it is put up with a true heart, and a right spirit, and
without hypocrisy; in a spiritual way, and with fervency, and under the influence, and by the assistance of
the Spirit of God.3
Our access to God is by His Spirit
Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Not praying in the Spirit
Following our natural instincts
Jude 1:17-19 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to
you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." These are the
people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
Praying in the Spirit is not praying to satisfy your sinful desires or achieve your personal plans or to ask God
to help you escape from a problem of your own making without any desire to know Him. Praying in the Spirit
is not to ask God to do what you think is right despite the request contradicting His Word.
Asking with doubt
James 1:6-8 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of
the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the
Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
Praying in the Spirit is not “giving prayer a try” when you have no other options, or seeking a magical
solution, or you do not really believe that God will answer in His will.
1 Wallace, D. B. (2017). Perseverance of the Saints. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1879). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
2 Turner, M. (1994). Ephesians. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1244). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL:
Inter-Varsity Press.
3 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible Dr. John Gill, D.D., (1697-1771) Published in 1746-1766, 1816; public domain.
He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4
Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series
The Letter to the Ephesians – Lesson 18 Chosen to pray
February 2, 2020
Asking with the wrong motives
Page 2
James 4:2-4 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you
quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive,
because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You
adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?
Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Praying in the Spirit is not asking God to satisfy your needs in the way you want them satisfied, when He has
promised to satisfy them in real ways that glorify Him. Praying in the Spirit is not asking God to give you
more of what satisfies your lusts, or to bend others to your will.
Praying in the Spirit is not seeking God’s help to make you more popular or successful in this world to live by
their standards.
Asking without obedience
Proverbs 28:9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.
Praying in the Spirit is not praying without obeying God’s Word, but rather living by your own rules and
experiences.
Asking without knowledge
Proverbs 1:28-29 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me,
since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.
Praying in the Spirit is not trying to use God, or use Who you have decided God is when you choose to consult
Him. You cannot pray in the Spirit if you refuse to know God, or fear Him.
Asking without listening
Zechariah 7:13 "'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the LORD
Almighty.
Praying in the Spirit is not ignoring God until you decide you need Him; refusing to listen to the Holy Spirit
working in you but demanding God listen to you.
Asking while cherishing sin
Psalms 66:17-19 I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my
heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.
Praying in the Spirit cannot occur if you refuse to give up the sins Christ died to save you from. If there are
parts of your life which do not belong to God because you enjoy sin, God will not listen.
Asking without Truth
John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
Praying in the Spirit is not praying lies to God: making promises to Him that you have no intention of
keeping, or presenting a false face to Him to convince Him He should answer you.
Praying within limits
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Praying in the Spirit is not praying only when you need something and believing that there are parts of your
life God which are too trivial to pray to God about.
He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4
Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series
The Letter to the Ephesians – Lesson 18 Chosen to pray
February 2, 2020
Page 3
Living by the Spirit
Romans 8:13-15 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds
of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you
received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about
your adoption to son-ship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
The Holy Spirit is within you because of Christ so that you can put your sin and disobedience to death: these
have no more power over you because your life belongs to Christ.
When the Spirit is within you, you have no fear of God’s judgement, are one of His children, and call to Him
on every occasion as you call to a loving Father.
Praying in the Spirit
The Spirit helps our prayers
Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray
for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts
knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will
of God.
(Intercede) has the idea of "to intervene, interfere." It is not that the Holy Spirit pleads in our behalf, but
that He throws Himself into our case, takes part in it. In Hebrews 7:25, it is not that our Lord is ever
interceding for us, but that He is always meeting us at every point in our lives and intervening in all our
affairs for our benefit (Vincent).4
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he
always lives to intercede for them.
Our prayers must be in the Spirit
Jude 1:20-21 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy
Spirit, keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to
eternal life.
Our prayers must honour and acknowledge God.
Matthew 6:9-13 This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your
kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us
our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
the evil one.'
Our prayers are addressed to our Father
Matthew 6:6-8 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.
Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on
babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like
them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Our prayers show we are His.
Matthew 5:44-45 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be
children of your Father in heaven.
4Word Studies in the Greek New Testament by Kenneth S. Wuest Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4
Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series
The Letter to the Ephesians – Lesson 18 Chosen to pray
February 2, 2020
Page 4
We must pray with perseverance.
Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Luke 18:7-8 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and
night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.
However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
We must pray with devotion, watchfulness and gratitude
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak."
Colossians 4:2-3 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God
may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in
chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
We must pray in His Will
Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is
possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be
taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his
will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we
asked of him.
We must pray like Christ
Hebrews 5:7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and
tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
All kinds of prayers and requests
Petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving
1 Timothy 2:1-4 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all
people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness
and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come
to a knowledge of the truth.
Petitions - prayers for one’s personal needs
Prayers – honouring God and acknowledging Him
Intercession – approaching God in free and familiar prayer
Thanksgiving – acknowledging God’s provision and God’s answers
John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be
complete.
He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4
Dapto Church of Christ Sermon Series
The Letter to the Ephesians – Lesson 18 Chosen to pray
February 2, 2020
Page 5
Topics for prayer in the Spirit
The people of the Lord
Ephesians 6:18b With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.
Proclaiming the Gospel
Ephesians 6:19-20 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly
make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may
declare it fearlessly, as I should.
What does this verse mean for your life?
I wish to obey all that Christ has commanded me to do, because that is how I reveal my love for Him.
I must pray in the Spirit whenever I pray.
I will examine my prayers to see if they are guided by the Spirit or aimed to satisfy my lusts.
I pray in the Spirit by praying for the people and situations that God calls me to pray for.
I pray in the Spirit by praying that God’s will be done in all situations, not asking Him to do my will.
I pray to acknowledge my faith in His power and love.
I pray in the Spirit by praying in all situations, no matter how trivial they may appear, or how difficult they may
seem, because I thus acknowledge that the life I have is His through Christ and not my own.
I will seek out people to pray for, especially the people of God, so that He will be glorified.
As I pray in the Spirit I know that He has heard me and that, as He promised, He will answer.
After I pray I will look to see His answers in my life and the lives of those for whom I have prayed, and in seeing
them will acknowledge Him and thank Him.
As I pray I will not doubt that God hears me, or believe that I have to be good enough for Him to hear. I rely on
Christ’s holiness and the righteousness He gave me.
I know and give thanks that the Spirit helps my prayers and carries my requests to God.
I thank God for what His Spirit has taught me in our study of His Word in Ephesians.
I show my love and obedience by obeying all that He has taught me.
He chose us in (Christ) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4