Doctrine for Prayer

The Apostle Paul was taught many things by Christ, like the revelation of the mystery of the gospel of the grace of God. Another thing was how to live in this age or dispensation of grace; including how we ought to pray. That prayer pattern is one it would behoove us each to practice always. In fact part of it calls for us to pray without ceasing,now that doesn’t mean literally always praying aloud every second but to always be praying in our hearts in supplication to God through the Spirit in addition to deeply dedicated, deliberate, directed prayer. It’s this type of prayer I wish to present the doctrine or pattern for tonight. This is the powerful prayer approach Paul used in Romans 1.

Notice how this prayer progresses in just four steps.

1. Thanksgiving- Paul begins where we all ought in giving thanks to our bountiful Father for the innumerable blessings in each of our lives. My son is nearly 14, going through the whole teen moods thing and I am always reminding him that if he will just start naming off all the blessings he has in Christ pretty soon he’ll forget what the worldly issue that was stealing hidden.
2. intercession- he prays without ceasing making intercession for his brothers and sisters in Christ. How he loves and cares for his brethren, as should we. We ought to do the same, not only in praying for those near and dear to us but praying as Paul did for those far, far away whom we may never meet on this earth and know not even the name of. Not only does Paul pray for the members of the body of Christ but he beseeches them to pray for him as well as we see in these verses: “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;”  (Romans 15:30) ; “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,”  (Ephesians 6:17-19)
3. Making petitions. We see clearly that Paul makes requests to God in addition to interceding for others. A close study of his various prayers show him asking for strength, wisdom, courage. He asks for more of the Spirit basically, and he asks the same for others. This leads us to the final part of Paul’s prayer, a seemingly small almost hidden part but really the most important thing to remember in prayer.
4. To always walk in God’s will. If our prayers consisted only of points one and four they would encompass the other points without saying. For when we are thanks filled we can’t help but think of those we cherish both near and far. And when we pray to stay in God’s will we are making the greatest petition and intercession by submitting fully to what he’d have us to do and be, and seeking the same for our brethren.

Rightly Dividing: 12 – What’s the use…

Of the law today since we don’t need to keep it now? It’s main function is to act as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.

The law shows us for what we really are -jacked up, messed up, depraved, doomed, damned sinners. It does this by making it very obvious that there is no possible way for us to fulfill that law, I mean have you seriously read some of it, it’s crazy! Especially after Jesus gets through fully explaining it: I you just look at someone with list you’ve committed adultery with them in your heart and are guilty before God, or what about how if you hate someone it’s murder to God. Don’t lie steal or covet. Don’t take God’s name in vain, keep the sabbath which sounds easy till you really realize that when God said no work he meant none, don’t even kindle a fire or pick grain . If you failed at most of theses you received the just punishment too, death. (By the way that’s not just spiritual death either, it was physical by most likely by stoning Israel’s preferred method and one brutally horrid way to die).

So once the law points out to us that we are lost like a ball in high weeds it becomes clear we need redemption, and thus the law has fulfilled its purpose today in our lives. Cause when we realize we need redemption we turn to Christ our Redeemer.

That does not mean we are free to sin though so don’t think just cause your in Christ you can act however you want. No way baby, but I’ll go more into that tomorrow when I talk about our motivation to do right as believers.

Powerful Prayer of Thanksgiving

About a month ago I began a Bible reading plan that seemed ambitious but also exciting, read the entire Bible in 90 days. I probably won’t make it in the 90 days, it’ll take closer to 100 I think, somedays reading 10 – 17 chapters is hard to fit in. I kinda thought it might be overwhelming each day, that it’s just all be a blur, and honestly the days when there were a lot of genealogies it was like in the first few chapters of 1 Chronicles but then in the midst of all the this one ruled after this one and begat that one and fought this one God got my attention, spoke to my heart and showed me a simple yet powerful prayer I added to my journal and my life. It struck me for a couple reasons but mostly because it had the echoes of another simple powerful prayer that our sweet Savior taught. May this prayer bless you as it has me.

Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord and thou art exalted as the head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest overall; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now, therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

– 1 Chronicles 29:11-13

Amen! I wrote down other verses that were specific petitions and such but that right there is a lovely prayer of thanksgiving, thanks giving which we should be offering daily not on a specific day each year.

May you God continue to bless and keep you my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ and may we always remember to give Him all praise, honor, and glory as we humbly seek His will in our lives.