17 Eph. 1:16 Prayers Particulars part 17

Ephesians 1:15-23 Pleasure in Persistent Prayer 

Activate in Making Continual Requests v.15-23

 Captivate in a Mark of Perpetual celebration

      Prayers method v.16

Assertive                        making mention

Accurate                         of you

Appealing                      in my prayers;

Accuracy is a desire to try to identify with meticulousness the needs of those we are praying for.  To stumble in vague generalities like bless everyone everywhere lacks the relational interaction or careful attentiveness.

The tempering of accuracy is that personalizing with a real touch of feeling our interaction with the Lord.  As we present our thoughts to God we should be precise with the needs or wishes that we are asking Jesus about in the lives others.

There are some overall prayers in scripture that are larger then what Paul is referring to in this thought “of you”.

Abraham interceded with God for Sodom; and God said, in answer to his prayer,

 “I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.”  

Now there was some accuracy and precision that was active in this communication between Abraham and the Lord.

Moses, prayed for the people; and we learn that God would have destroyed the Israelites had not Moses, His chosen, stood in the gap:

Moses explains, “I prayed,” …”unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, destroy not Your people and Your inheritance, which You have redeemed through Your greatness.”

Samuel said,

“God forbid, that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” 

The Psalmist exhorts everyone to pray for the peace of Jerusalem,

“They shall prosper that love thee”  “Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.”  

Isaiah expresses his determination not to hold his peace (or the thought is that he was going to pray incessantly) for Zion’s sake, and for Jerusalem not to rest

“Until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burns.”  

Daniel humbled himself before God day and night, and fasted and prayed for the sins of the Jews.  These are all what I would call general but very specific prayers.

Jesus prayed and wept over the world, over the nation of Israel, over the city of Jerusalem, and over the individual, Lazarus.

We pray for each other because we’re not isolated and independent of one another.  We pray for others because we are members of one body; if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is strong and healthy; all the members share the health and strength.

We are not fighting a solitary battle but are to bind together in a love bond of care and compassion.  Prayer brings us into personal relationship with others by entering into each other’s feelings, needs and tragedy.

Paul said “OF YOU” as He was brooding in prayer over the Ephesians.

Prayer for others moves us from self into the sphere of compassion and kindness for others and more expressly each individual that surrounds us.

We are encircled every day with people that are hurting; as they gasp to survive and struggle in their grief and sorrows.  We can care and enter in to their suffering and need.  We have the privilege of bathing others needs in the affection of a heavenly atmosphere, by pleading to the Lord for them.

Appealing                        in my prayers; 

What a privilege to pour the love of God on ever individual we are around, just by praying for them.  One of the most amazing verses is Rom. 15:30 where Paul asks for prayer and the terms he uses in his requests are very interesting.

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

First he says he needs pray for the Lords sake, second it’s the mutual love and sympathy that the Spirit of God produces in the minds of all who are real believers.

I beseech you.  Beseech is a term which means to implore, beg, press and demand.  I’ve never asked anyone to pray for me with that kind of motivating intonation, and then to say for Jesus sake and because of the love of the Spirit.

Paul is saying this is how we manifest our love for others, by praying earnestly for each other, and in this case by praying with serious industriousness for Paul.

Then Paul really pours on the coals by saying: “That ye strive together with me” The word “strive” refer to intense “agony” or exertion, as was used by the wrestlers in the Olympic competition.

This is the “agony,” or strong effort, which a man makes in prayer, who earnestly desires to be heard. Paul wasn’t asking for passive prayer, no, he wanted “intense” effort in their prayers that he might be delivered.

We need to wrestle in prayer for each other to be kept from temptations; and especially for those who’re engaged, as the apostle was, in grueling, demanding exertion and hard work among ruthless individuals.  We need to prayer in our prayers for others that they would have protection, deliverance and a hedge of safety surrounding there every step, and for shelter and security.

John Phillips wrote:

“It is part of the genius of Christianity, that any believer can become a warrior in the battle, at any time, and in any place, and make his influence count to the ends of the earth, and high in heavenly places, simply by engaging in prayer.

By praying for missionaries a believer can place himself in a canoe in the Amazon, in an igloo in the Arctic, in a tent in the Sahara, in a submarine at the bottom of the ocean, in a plane high in the stratosphere. He can ward off from the missionary dangers in the jungle, diseases in the city slum, and disasters on the deep. He can arm the missionary’s witness with supernatural power, lift him from the slough of despond, route the unseen foes that lurk in the spirit world and strengthen his hand in God. By praying in the Spirit, the exercised believer can conquer time and space and have a share in the battle”

We’re to pray intentionally, pray intelligently and pray imploringly, pray intensely and of course pray incessantly.

There is an incredible reality that as we share in the spiritual battles we will reap the spiritual blessings as if we we’re there on the battlefront.

I don’t begin to understand the mysteries of prayer.  It’s a principle that God has placed in the universe just as He hangs the Sun over our heads like clockwork.  You may think scientist have this world all figured out but think again.  We haven’t scratched the surface of the universe and we definitely haven’t delved into the possibilities of prayer as we should.

We see a neat outline in Paul’s request for prayer from the believers.  It’s easy to think that Paul, the great apostle that He was, that he had everything all figured out in his day timer and had read all the management books and had every detail planned out.

But just as we find ourselves in need of direction from moment to moment He was dependant and felt a constant need for prayer support.

The word to focus on here, “Is striving together with me in your prayers” Strive together means join fervently and fight along with me, wrestle and agonize with me.

Paul wasn’t taking about some glib prayer but an intensity of passionate, precise requests, that are ardent and single-minded pleading together to God.

Romans 15:30-33 

A Pleading for Prayer     I beseech you, brethren.

  Earnest Appeal

A Prompting for Prayer For the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,  

A Power for Prayer

  Eager Attitude                 and for the love of the Spirit

A Passion for Prayer      

  Empathetic Agonizing Strive together with me in your prayers

A Plan for Prayer

Exact Agenda                 That I may be delivered from

Need for Release          them that do not believe in Judea 

Need for Reception     That my service, which I have for 

                                               Jerusalem be accepted of the saints

Need for Return         That I may come unto you…by the will of God 

Need for Refreshing      That I may come unto you with

                                                   joy… and…Be refreshed