Pray for everyone

Today I will attempt to show that God expects us to pray for all people. We should pray not only for ourselves, our families, our congregation, fellow believers, but for all men; kings and enemies alike.

In 1 Timothy 2:1 -4 it says “¹First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,² for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. ³ This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”

Paul was writing this to Timothy to the church at Ephesus to help combat the false teaching that had arisen there. It is speculated Paul wrote this letter just after his release from Roman imprisonment (Acts 28:16-31) possibly from Macedonia. We see the advice in 1 Timothy 2:1 as an echo of Acts 10:45 “And those believers from the circumcision who had accompanied Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles,”.

 In verse 2 “for kings and all in high positions” would have, at the time, included Roman emperors who would have been violently persecuting Christians. This brings to mind Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ^{45 k}so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Also in 1 Tim 2:2 is an echo of Ezra 6:10 “…they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons” Further in 1 Tim 2:2“that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” To pray that we may live free from persecution of the government and be able to openly demonstrate our faith. In America today we take this for granted, not so in most of the world, and certainly not at the time this was written.

Finally 1 Tim 2:4, which is for me the most important verse, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” It is probably the most difficult to discern. For it comes down to election, a doctrine which I find ill prepared to address here. Suffice it to say that while “knowledge of truth” refers to the hearing and understanding of the Gospel message, it does not replace faith as a response to the gospel message.

The Gospel message shocks us and challenges us to pray for ALL people, to forgive ALL people. I recently read in Tim Kellers book “The Reason for God” that “forgiveness is the beginning of the end of evil” Forgiveness needs to start somewhere, and it started with Jesus on the cross dying for our sins. Will you pray for forgiveness of your sins? And will you forgive those who sin against you? Jesus tells us to pray about it. So let us pray as He taught us….Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen, and Amen.

Fasting and Prayer

These past few weeks have been physically rough for our church body, with so many people getting sick or with declining health, or having procedures done it’s been overwhelming. The prayer list for healing grows almost on a daily basis.

For this reason I have been looking for more effective ways to pray and ways of petitioning the Lord, and one thing has come forward time and again, fasting.

Trying to compact what the Bible has to say about fasting into a short and useful lesson is not easy, and I hope to break it down specifically for the purpose of healing up our Congregation. I believe the Lord hears our prayers, and further I believe that by fasting our prayers will become that much more intense, focused, urgent, respectful, humble and yes effective.

 It has intrigued me that depriving oneself of food would cause our Lord and Savior to sit up and take notice, as if He would say “well they must be serious now, they passed up lunch and dinner. I guess I should get on that.” However I find it to be less and less like that as I search into fasting. One thing I have found is that if you fast it will cause you to concentrate on the reason for the fast and in fact the reason for the prayer. You will remember with every hunger pang, or every time you miss the “thing” from which you are fasting why it is you are fasting.  (If for medical reasons you should not fast from food, give up something else that you enjoy, like watching your favorite show or something similar)

So what is fasting? Fasting is first and foremost to be a private matter as we see in Isaiah 58:4 ^4” Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.” And again in Matthew 6:16 “And ^twhen you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. ^uTruly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷ But when you fast, ^vanoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. ^wAnd your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Next we see fasting as an act of humbling oneself before the Lord, especially in times of mourning. Daniel 9:3 ^“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” However in Acts 13:2-3 we see it as part of worship, ^2” While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ^r“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” Also in times of danger such as in 2 Chronicles 20:3-4 “Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. ⁴ And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.”

As a side note I can’t help but wonder that when you have a family member who is suddenly taken ill or in the hospital, typically the last thing one thinks about is food. I can’t help but think that is the Holy Spirit sustaining us and guiding us to prayer and worship. So I humbly ask that you consider, if you do not already, pick a day to fast and pray for your brothers and sisters who need physical healing. I ask that you do it wisely, and pray about it.  Now as we all know; it is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. ”

Prayer in the Power of the Holy Spirit

One aspect of the triune God I think I have neglected to show the importance of in prayer is the Holy Spirit. This morning I will attempt to show our utter dependence on the Holy Spirit in prayer and in life. Without the Holy Spirit we are not righteous, not good Christians, and dare I say not Christians at all. However with the Holy Spirit in us we can do bold things, do right things in a winsome and righteous way. For example:

In Acts 3 we see where Peter and John are going to pray and are stopped by a lame beggar, and in the name of Jesus they heal him. This amazed the others going to pray who had seen this beggar for years, probably sitting in the same spot. People quickly gathered to see this miracle, and Peter immediately began to preach the Gospel to them. This drew the attention of the Sadducees, who were none too happy (to the point of jealousy), and they had Peter and John arrested.

The next day when the High Priest’s inquired by what “power” they had healed the beggar, Peter answered them boldly. Now mind you this is same Peter who had denied Jesus three times, who could not even stand up to the little servant girl who had pointed him out as being with Jesus. (Luke 22:56) And it gives witness to the power of the Holy Spirit that can change a person when Peter says to the High Priests(Acts 4:8): (And if I may take some artistic license and read this as I think Peter may have said it), “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

And notice the reference to Psalm 118 that the Sadducees and High Priests would have no doubt picked up on.

^“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.  This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it. Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.

²⁷ The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us.”

The Sadducees are basically dumbfounded at the miracle and the boldness of Peter and not knowing what to do, they tell Peter and John to not speak in the name of Jesus anymore, to which Peter and John respond that they have no choice but to do so. So the Sadducees again warn them to knock it off or else and then let them go.

As soon as they return to their friends they pray and give thanks, and again quote a Psalm 2:1-2 of David, “said by the Holy Spirit” Acts 4:25

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— “

The chapter concludes with Acts 4:31

“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

As noted in “The Complete Summary of the New Testament” by Keith Brooks the summary conclusion to Acts Chapter 4

“The more resolute are Christ’s servants to witness of Him, the more spiteful will be the agents of Satan—therefore, let Satan’s agents be ever so spiteful, Christ’s witnesses must be resolute, for the Holy Spirit may be counted upon to enable them to do their part. Persecution gives wings to the truth.”

In terms of prayer I think this gives witness that we must call upon the Holy Spirit to give us the boldness to proclaim His name, especially in the times of persecution, because we are not strong enough. But if we rely upon the Holy Spirit to guide our actions, our words, and our prayers we can be sure that while persecution will come, we can be faithful witnesses to Him.

So this morning we pray, come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts and our minds, that we will be faithful witnesses in our deeds, words, and thoughts in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Lord Help my Unbelief

Mark 9:24 “Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."”

Do you ever pray about your unbelief? Surely you say “I am a Christian, I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I believe!” It is an act of faith no doubt. Yes we know our doctrine fairly well, we attend church regularly, and we pray. We feel the Holy Spirit come into our hearts as our love for Him grows. Surely We Believe! We have so many other things to pray about, do I need to pray about my unbelief?

I am currently on my third reading of the Bible this year, well ever actually. I don’t say this to impress anyone.  If I had read it and understood, fully and wholly understood it the first time, it would be foolish to read again; but I did. I will continue reading it until I can understand it fully; and so I imagine I will read it for the rest of my life, God willing.  

As we see in John 13:31 -38 Peter wants to follow Jesus, even unto death. “I will lay down my life for you.” He says. But Jesus knows how Peter will deny him 3 times.

This is a man who has seen the miracles first hand, experienced the teachings of Jesus first hand, and yet he is still capable of denying Christ. Yes we all know after the resurrection Peter went on to be a great witness for Christ even until death, and I pray that if I can be half the man Peter was I shall be blessed.

I also think of Pastor Youcef in Iran, imprisoned today for his refusal to deny Christ, imminent death hanging over his head, his wife and children await his release, which could be granted with that denial. Yet he says that “he cannot” deny Christ. There are many others as well imprisoned to this day for Christ.

Could you do the same? I pray that I could, I pray that I would not find excuses to deny Him. “It’s only a little lie I will tell, but God knows I love him.” “Surely God does not want me to die, my children need me, He will understand. “ “Surely God has more for me to do, I will deny Him now, but I don’t mean it”

So I pray Lord help my unbelief! Lord help me to learn your Word wholly and completely! Lord help me to be faithful to you! Lord help me to realize I am but a sinner that without your Grace I am lost!

I also pray for others who claim to be Christians or religious and will go to support Chick-fil-A, “because they hate fags”, and “god hates fags”. The problem with these people is not their religion, but their ignorance of it, or unbelief. I pray I and they will not judge someone just because they sin differently than I and they do, Lord I pray to remove the plank from my eye.

Pray with me that through the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus that we will glorify God in all that we do and be faithful to his name even unto the death. Amen!

Chick-fil-A and the "Nevers" of the Gospel

With all the Chick-fil-A talk and many other things going on lately, I have been feeling a little self-righteous lately. Aggravated that others cannot see “the Truth” I pray that I will overcome and give over my stiff neck to Jesus. So let me read from The Valley of Vision about the “Nevers” of the Gospel.

O Lord,

May I never fail to come to the knowledge of the truth, never rest in a system of doctrine, however scriptural, that does not bring or further salvation, or teach me to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, or help me to live to soberly, righteously, godly; never rely on my own convictions and resolutions, but be strong in thee and in thy might; never cease to find thy grace sufficient in all my duties, trials, and conflicts; never forget to repair to thee in all my spiritual distresses and outward troubles, in all the dissatisfactions experienced in creature comforts; never fail to retreat to him who is full of grace and truth, the friend that loveth at all times, who is touched with feeling of my infirmities, and can do exceeding abundantly for me; never confine my religion to extraordinary occasions, but acknowledge thee in all my ways; never limit my devotions to particular seasons but be in thy fear all the day long; never be godly only on the Sabbath or in thy house, but on every day abroad and at home; never make piety a dress but a habit, not only a habit but a nature, not only a nature but a life.

Do good to me by all thy dispensations, by all means of grace, by worship, prayers, praises, and at last let me enter that world where is no temple, but only thy glory and the Lamb’s.

Acts 4: 19-20 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges.  As for us we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard”

Acts 4:31 after they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

And so let us pray to God, by the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus, that we will proclaim His name boldly, Amen

Fullness of Joy in Prayer

“Prayer is God's appointed way to fullness of joy because it is the vent of the inward burnings of our heart for Christ” - John Piper

It’s a great definition of prayer! Now I would like to ask, when do you pray, in the morning or at night? When you are sad, happy, desperate, lonely, or thankful? Perhaps you pray before a big meeting or before a big life event?

These are all great times to pray, it’s hard to think of a time when it not a good time to pray. We are all so flawed, but He is perfect, and I think it is natural to ask for help from the One who can, the only one who can, ultimately help.

Anyone who says that they don’t need help is lying, as John Donne said “No man is an Island” and as we read in John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

We all need help, but how do we ask for help from God? We pray. This is why I think in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 it says “never stop praying”…..we always need help

To paraphrase the John Piper quote on prayer; if your heart burns for Christ, you are happiest when in prayer, for it brings out your deepest desires.

·      When sad we can be happy when you turn your cares over to Him, through prayer

·      Joyful when desperation turns to hope in Him, through prayer

·      When loneliness turns to acceptance into His family, through prayer.

·      When thankfulness turns into glorifying God for all that he has done, and you recognize all He has done in your life for His glory

So pray with me this morning that we will never cease in praying, under all circumstances, for any reason, and that we will glorify God by the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

John 17

Not to bring anyone down this morning but I must ask this question; what would you pray for if you knew you were dying? Make no mistake about it; just as you are living you are dying. Knowing this truth do you have the consolation of knowing Jesus and that with Him you will live forever? Are you living your life getting to know and in preparation of meeting God? These are some questions I ask myself when I get ready to pray, if I knew I was going to die tomorrow, what would I pray for.

In the Gospel of John verse 17:1- 26…the longest prayer by Jesus is, in large part and graciously, about us. Jesus is speaking to the Father about the followers of the Word, His followers, you and I. Awesome! I would read the whole chapter, but I will leave that to you, but I just have to read my favorite verse John 17:9 Jesus says, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, for they are yours.”

If that doesn’t give you a chill up your spine, or a leap in your heart, I’m not sure what will.

Like when we sing the song “the wonderful cross”

Oh, the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die
And find that I may truly live

Die in your old ways, come live in Jesus, and ask to be sanctified by the Word as Jesus has prayed for you! Pray to God by the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus that we are dying of this world to truly live in His name. Amen!