We might well refer to prayer as one of the laws of the universe. Just as God allowed men to discover his laws of gravity and motion, he wants people to discover his laws concerning prayer. Strangely, prayer is denied by some, ignored by others, and neglected by many. However, its treatment does not changed the irrefutable fact that God works in response to prayer. The Psalmist recorded God saying, "He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him" (Psalm 91:15). God said to Jeremiah, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3). Consider Jesus' instructions regarding prayer: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" (Matthew 21:22); "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (John 15:7).
One of our particular great privileges is to pray for doors to open for us and others to minister. The apostle Paul was in prison in Rome sometime around A.D. 60 when he wrote to the church in Colosse requesting prayer for opportunities to share Christ. He fully expected to get out of prison and return to his work of evangelism and church planting. Furthermore, he knew that the success of that future work depended on God providing the opportunities. So, what did he do in anticipation of returning to ministry? He enlisted God's people to pray on his behalf that God would make things happen. Paul could have prayed for his release from prison, more comfortable living conditions, or any number of things. Yet, he prayed for open doors for sharing Christ in the future. What does this tell us about the importance of praying that God would give us and others opportunities to share Christ with people?
If we want the blessing of God upon our lives and ministries and the gospel to be spread with success, we must pray for God to open doors for us and others. We must become mighty prayer warriors. Watch the following video that illustrates the power of prayer in evangelism and church planting.
Bro. Jack,
ReplyDeleteI could not agree with you more. Prayer is as vital to the Christian life as oxygen is to the human body. Without oxygen, the body has no life and without prayer, there is no Christian life.
The passage in Col. 4:2-4 begins with an imperative many tend to ignore. Paul said "devote" yourselves to prayer. This is a matter of discipline, as mentioned in the previous chapter -- "set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth."
(Col. 3:2)
When we study and meditate on God's Holy Word, we become heavenly minded and prayer becomes a spontaneous act as we see more clearly our need to depend on Him.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a sovereign work of God. It began by the powerful working of the Spirit of God. This is a spiritual ministry and must be done by the power of God's Holy Spirit. Our Lord modeled a life of praying always to Our Heavenly Father. The Apostle Paul understood it fully.
If Christ prayed to the Father and relied completely on His Father to build His Kingdom, we should do nothing less.
Thank you for sharing and reminding us of these vital truths! We are praying that God would open a door of opportunity for you (and us) to proclaim the mystery of Christ.
C.D. & Family