Good Morning Friends,
“Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds
of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying
for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, 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.” (Ephesians 6:18-20)
Before Paul came to Christ he studied under the
finest teacher in Israel. He was advancing beyond many Jews his own age.
(Galatians 1:14) Paul was so well known among the Jews that he could go to the
high priest and ask for letters of authority to persecute Christians. (Acts
9:1-2)
After he came to Christ he was such an eloquent
speaker that the people of Lystra called him Hermes, the chief spokesman among
the Greek gods. (Acts 14:12)
As talented as he was, Paul knew that he could
accomplish nothing significant in the Kingdom of God without God’s help. Human
talent and effort would not advance the Kingdom. Only God’s blessing and power
would enable Paul to do anything worthwhile.
So Paul asked other Christians to pray for him.
He considered the prayers of others vital to the effectiveness of his work. Paul
wasn’t smart enough to discern what he should say to the crowds that he addressed.
He knew he needed God’s wisdom in order to touch the hearts of those who would
listen. He knew that human fear would paralyze him without God’s help.
Persecution awaited at almost every place Paul stopped to preach. He asked the
Ephesians to pray that he would be able to preach without fear no matter what awaited
him.
Prayer was important to Paul. He was a man of
prayer himself. He taught others to pray and asked them to pray for him. He
believed in prayer’s power. He believed God answered prayer.
Prayer is still powerful today. God still
answers prayer. Only God’s blessing and God’s power will enable any of us to do
anything worthwhile in God’s Kingdom and God’s blessing and God’s power come in
answer to prayer.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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