PLACE, PRACTICE AND POWER OF PRAYER

PHIL 1:3-11 and COL 1:3-12

A little about the setting;
Paul is writing to both churches and it is around 60-64 AD
He is a prisoner of Rome under house arrest.
He was called to Philippi by a vision Acts 16:9-12
He had a fatherly care for the church and regarded them as his children.
The church at Colossae was planted by Epaphras but Paul still cared for this as he did with Philippi.
Going to look at 3 aspects of Prayer:
Place
Practice
Power of prayer

PLACE
As Paul is a prisoner in Rome, his isolation physically did not deter his enthusiasm and want to encourage the church and we obtain a little insight to some of his daily life:
Rom 1:10 “Always in my prayers…”
Phil 1:4 “Always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all”
Col 1:3 “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying for you in our prayers.”
1Thes 1:2 “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.”
2 Tim 1:3 “I thank God in whom I serve with a clear conscience, the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day.”
His life is a life of prayer even though he is under very strong restrictions as to where he can go.
It shows you don’t have to be physically present to pray.

But it is not just about our physical place it is also about how much emphasis we place on prayer in our Christian life.
Romans 8:15 “but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out Abba, Father.”
Intimates that as a Christian communion with God through Christ in prayer is part of our life..
In his book “Does prayer change things” R C Sproul says:
Prayer is to the Christian what breath is to life.
Alan commented last week if you don’t breathe you die!!
Prayer is a means of growth and communion with God and requires work but sometimes the importance we place on prayer can take prayer to a place of lesser importance.
Paul places a great amount of importance in time and energy in prayer and us as individuals and also corporately need to work towards that model and example – Jesus Christ Himself.
See Luke 22:39-62…”Jesus took some disciples to the Mount of Olives and said “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Jesus went on to say if You are willing remove this cup from me YET not my will but your will be done.” He came back and found them sleeping and once again said to them to pray that you may not enter into temptation. “
So let’s look at Peter as an example:-
He tried to stop the soldiers by drawing his sword and cut of an ear and then went on to deny Christ.
Is it true of Peter that it can be said of us – we fall in private long before we fall in public?
Where do you place prayer?
Be encouraged, start small and be regular and ask for Gods help through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luther said that he prayed regularly for an hour every day except when he experienced a busy day – then he prayed for 2 hours.
Just as Paul placed a lot of emphasis on prayer, then we also in both church and personal life need to place it high.
2nd miracle
Son with an intercussepsion of the bowel. Prayed without ceasing 1Thes 5:16-18
Rejoice always
Pray without ceasing
In everything give thanks: For this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.

PRACTICE
Prayer was an important part of Paul’s life and also very much part of the life of Jesus on earth.
Prayer is action, whether it is in the serene quietness:
Ps 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”
Or in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty:
Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus stills the sea when the disciples became afraid.
When we pray we are not passive observers or even neutral,
James 5:16 “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”
If prayer is action then we need to look at the word ACTS.

A – Adoration
Is to express our adoration and praise to God. What was your first love like?
Love-struck teenager – story.
I wrote poems and a diary when I first became a Christian and filled 2 reasonable size notebooks.
So how do we express our love and adoration to God?
We need to read His word, be motivated by the HS and understand what God has done through Christ.
When we begin our prayers in adoration, we set the tone for coming to God.

C – Confession
1 John1 v 9 says “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This repentance and confession needs to be of the contrition kind, not the attrition kind.
E.g. child caught in act of disobeying parent saying sorry, please don’t spank me. Attrition is repentance motivated by fear of punishment, like the sinner who confess’ his sin to God – not out of remorse but to try and secure a ticket out of hell.
BUT true repentance reflects contrition which is Godly remorse for offending God, here the sinner mourns his sin, not for the loss of reward or for the threat of judgement but because he has done injury to God!
See Ps 51 David did not ask God to consider the circumstances that produced his sin, he did not minimise the gravity of the sin in God’s presence, there was no rationalizations of self-justification, v3-4 “ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge”NIV
He then pleaded for restoration – v10 “Create in me a clean heart.”
When we sin, our only option is repentance through confession, without which there is no forgiveness v16-17 “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.17 The sacrifices of God are [3] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
Forgiveness should never be a surprise as God keeps His word and promise but we should be amazed by His grace and mercy though.

T – Thanksgiving
In Phil 1:3 Paul was truly thankful to God and we should be able to reflect our thankfulness in our prayers.
Romans 1:21 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened”
In short God is honoured by thanksgiving and dishonoured by the lack of it.
What have you to be thankful for today? Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? Are you thankful for what He has done?
Luke 17:16-19 talks of the 10 lepers healed and one goes back, “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
See the consequences of being thankful?

S – Supplication
Is to humbly ask, pray, entreat.
Phil 1:9-11 Paul asks for a variety of Christian attributes – love, knowledge, discernment, sincerity.
It is through praying that our lives are enriched and attuned to God to know His will. Both corporate and individual prayer enriches the lives of the saints.
We need to act as a church and as an individual.

POWER
Hebrews 11 gives a catalogue of men and women of faith summarised in vs33-36 “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women
received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.”
The bible doesn’t catalogue the heroes of the power of prayer but here are a few:-
Gen 32 by prayer Esau’s heart changed toward Jacob so that they met in a friendly manner.
Ex 7-11. Prayer of Moses – God brought and removed the plagues of Egypt.
Joshua 10. By prayer Joshua had the sun stand still.
Judges15. By prayer Samson’s thirst quenched by God who brought water out of the hollow.
Judges 16. By prayer Samson’s strength restored to pull down Dagon’s temple and kill more philistines that day than he did in his life.
1Kings 17-18. By prayer Elijah prayed no rain for 3 1/2 years then by pray caused it to rain.
2 Chron 14. Asa’s prayer for God to confound the armieas of Zerah.
There are many more examples of the power of pray and also in the NT answered prayer on healing and miracles;
John 9:31 “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.”
John14:13. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
John15:7. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
1 John 3:22. “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.”
1John5:14 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us”
It is not mere asking but:
Trusting in God
Reverence to God
Obedience to His will
Communion with Christ
Remember Jesus prayed for Peter, about Judas and for Simon Peter. He is our high preist
Heb 4:14-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Some reasons as to why we pray:-
Because God commanded it, and He is glorified when we pray.
It prepares our hearts for what we will receive from Him.
Much is accomplished.
To adore Him, praise Him, express wonder at His majesty, sovereignty, and His mighty acts.
To confess our sins, to experience grace, mercy and forgiveness.
To thank Him for all He has done.
To make known our supplications to Him.

To summarise:

The Place of prayer:-

Both physical and emphasis.

The Practice of prayer:-

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

The Power of prayer