5. The Power of Joy In The Prison Of Pain in Philippians (part4)

   Prayers Purpose      Philippians 1:5

     Relating to Others

        Association        For your fellowship in the gospel

                                        from the first day until now;

Fellowship is close association involving mutual interests.  Fellowship is sharing, communion, and entering an intimate relationship.  This connection is a partnership and participation in a common purpose with Jesus. 

The Gospel means good news.  This is not just any good news but news that is an announcement of perfect joy through a declaration of victory in Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection.

Luke 2:10 the angel said…I bring you good news of great joy

We promote this partnership and participation in this declaration of joy and victory by an insistent determination in prayer.  We fight a battle with a cadre of lies backed up by organized platoons of demonic powers.  The way for truth to conquer the deceptions of pain and sorrow is by persistently overcoming prayer.    

The purpose of prayer is communication with the Lord.  Through this connection and rapport, communication achieves a relationship with Jesus Christ that grows. 

Relationship is authenticated by communication.  The genuineness of our connection is validated by having the ears of our heart listening to the Spirit’s voice in God’s Word and through this listening, the Spirit’s voice links up in dependent prayer back to our Father God.

Our hearts are tuned to various sounds that give us fun, happiness and relaxation.  These sounds may come in the form of music, movies, sporting events or maybe we’ve developed a relationship with a person who we just enjoy being with, talking to and hearing their voice. 

Jeremiah writes that he found his joy in God’s voice, listening to Him, digesting His individual words and writing them down.  He asserted:

Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I did eat them; and Your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

This is more then the motivating opportunity of just meditating on God’s Word as a discipline, but it’s hearing God’s voice in every Word as our total Joy and then fellowshipping back in praying adoration.        

Verbal interaction is the only way we can get to know someone.  We can easily forget God is a person, a tender person with feelings.  His desire is to relate to us. He’s invested an extreme sacrifice to get us to trust in Him.  The Lord has never demanded our worship; He’s not insisted on our praise or required our gratitude.  He’s earned our respect and deserves it.  He merits our adoration by creating us in His design and then after we irrationally rejected and damaged His design purpose, He has restored us by paying an infinite eternal price. 

The purpose of prayer is change.  The change is not so we can achieve our will but its reception of God’s kingdom and His will that we solicit and implore to be accomplished.  We’re not talking God into something He doesn’t want to do.  We’re petitioning for His will not our will to be done.    

The purpose of prayer is confidence, certainty and conviction.  I dislike admitting it but my lack of prayer is a lack of confidence in God.  It’s insecurity, indecision and vacillating hesitancy in my heart that breeds lonely despair. 

But in prayer fellowship in the gospel of joy the prison of pain in the lies of lonely despair is replaced. We can find God’s design in His control of each detail in life.

I was crushed… so much so that I despaired even of life, but that was to make me rely not on myself, but on the God who raises the dead…He on whom we have set our hope, He will deliver us 2 Cor. 1:8-10     

The stress of pain builds a value for the joy of real life. Every moment is a new beginning in God. Our pressure gives us a feel for the heartaches in others, to understand and lift them up.

Death works in us, but life in you 2 Cor. 4:10

Resistance is what presses us to the source of our strength.  It’s in the struggle of opposition that we are pushed to joy in the communion with the Lord of all.    

 Prayers Position v.6

   Pray Confidently            Being confident of this very thing,

   Pray Competently          that he which hath begun a good work in you

   Pray Completely             will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ

Prayers Pressure v.7

   Pray Concerned               Even as it is right for me to

                                                        think this of you all, Because

   Pray Compassionately I have you in my heart

   Pray Committed             inasmuch as both in my bonds

Prayer Participation

   Pray Convincingly

    Endorse                            and in the defense

    Encourage                       and confirmation of the gospel,

    Embrace                           ye all are partakers of my grace.

Prayers Passion v.8

    A Stable Fact                   For God is my record,

    A Sincere Fixation        how greatly I long after you all

    A Sensitive Feeling       in the bowels of Jesus Christ

Prayers Petitions v.9-11

      Increased Love v.9         and this I pray, that your Love

                                                     may abound yet more and more

      Improved Learning

         Comprehension            in knowledge

         Capacity                          and in all judgment;

      Insightful Living v.10

        Approval                            

        Advisability                     things that are excellent;

      Indisputable Legitimacy

        Sincere                             that ye may be sincere

        Sensitive                          and without offence till the day of Christ

      Imbued Light v.11

       Controlled                       Being filled with the fruits of righteousness

       Christ like                        which are by Jesus Christ,

       Commendable               unto the glory and praise of God.