Four Characteristics of Biblical prayer

Transcript

GR 994
2/08/1998
Four Characteristics of Biblical Prayer
Colossians 4:2-4
Gil Rugh

We're going to return to our study of the book of Colossians this morning. So turn in your Bibles to the book of Colossians and the fourth chapter, Paul's letter to the Colossians, chapter 4. The book of Colossians, you may remember, follows the pattern that is normal in many of Paul's letters. He begins the letter by discussing and laying the foundation of basic truths regarding our salvation, our relationship to God through faith in Christ, how God has provided in Christ cleansing and forgiveness for sinners, and has provided that those who believe in Christ alone as their Savior should be cleansed and made new. And in Colossians chapter 1 and 2, the apostle has set that which we would call the doctrinal, or teaching, foundation. He has discussed our identification with Christ, our dying with Him, being raised with Him to new life. We have truly been made new. The order is important because after talking in the opening part of the letter in Colossians chapters 1 and 2 about truly being born again through faith in Christ, then in chapter 3 and into chapter 4, he talks about how we should live our lives as God's people. Now I stress the order because many, many people are confused today, and they truly believe that if they live their lives the best they can, if they try hard, they can be pleasing to God. And we must remember what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John's gospel chapter 3 - you must be born again, or you will never see the kingdom of God. One of the religious leaders of the day, one of the students of the Old Testament, Nicodemus - and yet Jesus said, you must be born again.

And so in Colossians in chapter 3, Paul began his discussion of how those who have been born again, who have trusted in Christ and been made new, are to live their lives. In the first 17 verses of chapter 3, he dealt with some of the personal characteristics of a true believer in Christ, some of those things that must be true of our lives, some of those things that are to have no place in our life as God's people. Then with verse 18 of chapter 3, he focused in on specific groups or roles for different people. He talked about the wives in verse 18, husbands in verse 19, children in verse 20, fathers in verse 21, servants or slaves in verses 22 to 25, and masters in chapter 4, verse 1. Now he's continuing as we come to chapter 4, verse 2, on the subject of how we, as God's people, are to live. And really, verses 2 to 6 of chapter 4 bring this section on the practical conduct or behavior of God's people to a conclusion. With verse 7, and to the end of the letter, he'll have a series of comments about, or addressed to, different individuals that serve with him in the ministry of the Word of God.

So we are really drawing the heart of the letter to a conclusion and the second main division to a conclusion with verses 2 to 6. There are two basic commands given in these verses. You might take note of them; we'll be observing them as we go through the study. I like to underline or highlight these kinds of key marking points so as you come back to a chapter, your mind is refreshed more quickly. In my Bible, I've highlighted and underlined in verse 2, the first two words: Devote yourselves. That's given as a command in the present tense, something we are commanded to be continually doing. Devote yourselves. And then in verse 5, the first two words: Conduct yourselves. That's another command given in the present tense, something we are to continually be doing, behaving in a certain way. You might take note of those, then we'll talk about them as we move through the section. Really verses 2 to 6 break down into two major parts. Verses 2 to 4 will talk about our responsibility to God. Then verses 5 and 6 will talk about our responsibility to the lost, to those who are outside of Christ. In our responsibility to God the focal point will be on prayer and our responsibilities in prayer as God's people. But in that, Paul will have a natural transition to talking about those who are outside of Christ because he is going to exhort God's people to be in prayer so that the gospel of Jesus Christ will be presented clearly and boldly with wisdom to those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

And we want to begin by focusing our attention on our responsibility toward God and what God expects of the prayer life of those who are His people. And verse 2 begins with the instruction: Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. And you'll note that it's all one sentence, verses 2 to 4, on this subject of prayer.

Let me say something about prayer as a foundation. Prayer is very simply the privilege of coming into the presence of God and talking to Him. I say very simply because the concept is not complicated, but the concept is amazing. Prayer is simply coming into the presence of God and telling Him what's on your mind, talking to Him. It is the unique privilege and right and responsibility of those who are the children of God. Prayer - do we understand? Prayer involves access to God. I can stand here and talk to the President of the United States. The problem is he's not listening. He doesn't hear me. What I would need to really talk to him - I mean we sometimes do it as a way of making a point - I would say, Mr. President, I want to tell you, I'm really telling you what I think he ought to know - but for me really to talk to him, I would have to be given access into his presence and have a hearing. Well, to really talk to God in prayer, you have to have access to Him. This becomes a difficult concept for us to accept because we have in our thinking that prayer is something personal and private, and if anybody wants to talk to God, certainly God would be willing to listen. But the Scripture is clear that God is willing and desirous of having all people come to Him in prayer and talk to Him, but He has clearly specified that they must come to Him according to His instructions. For example, Jesus said in John chapter 14, in verse 6: I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me. Very simply, He said, no one can come to My Father except by Me. In 1 Timothy chapter 2, and verse 5, the Apostle Paul wrote: there is one God, and one mediator, one go-between, between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. There is only one person who can bridge the gap between humanity and God. That is Jesus Christ. There is only one go-between that can establish a connection, if you will, between God and men. That is the man Christ Jesus.

Turn over to the book of Hebrews. You're in Colossians, so go toward the back of your Bible through several small letters, and you come to the letter to the Hebrews. And at the end of Hebrews chapter 4 - Hebrews talks much about what is called the high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ. The responsibility of the high priest was to provide a fitting sacrifice for the people so that they might have access to God through Him. Now Jesus Christ has become the high priest for humanity, and Hebrews chapter 4, verse 14: Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Now keep your finger there and back up a page to Hebrews chapter 2, and verse 17: Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. That word propitiation simply means satisfaction. He had to make satisfaction for the sins of the people. He had to satisfy the demands of a God who is holy and righteous by making a sacrifice that could pay the penalty for sin. That sacrifice is death. The wages of sin is death, the Bible says. Jesus Christ came and was born into the human race, was made like His brethren, fellow human beings, so that He Himself could be the sacrifice that would be offered to pay the penalty for sin. You see, that’s the flaw in the thinking that well, I can be acceptable to God by keeping the Ten Commandments, I can be acceptable to God by being baptized, by joining a church, by doing good works. The penalty for sin is death. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had to come to earth so that He could die and pay the penalty. In doing so, He has become the high priest, the representative for all those who believe in Him. So at the end of Hebrews chapter 4, verse 14, when the writer says: Since we have such a great high priest who has ‘passed through the heavens’ he’s talking about those who have come to trust in Jesus Christ and believe in Him as the one who died to pay the penalty for their sin. They have stopped trusting themselves, their works, their efforts, their church, whatever. They’re now trusting Christ. He serves as their high priest. The sacrifice that He made on the cross is now credited to them and they are forgiven. God’s righteous demands have been satisfied. So verse 16 of Hebrews 4 says: Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. When you have come to recognize your sinfulness and have turned from that sin to Christ the Son of God who died for you, have trusted in Him, you are born into God’s family. Now as God’s child, with Jesus Christ as your high priest in the heavens, you are invited to come with confidence, assurance that He welcomes you before His very throne’ and it’s called a ‘throne of grace’ where He will bestow upon you all that you need even though you don’t deserve it. You’ll find mercy and grace to help in time of need.

So prayer, coming before God’s very throne spiritually and talking to him, is a privilege limited to those who have come to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. You say, that is so narrow. But the provision God has made is completely broad. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come before the throne of God and tell Him what they need and receive from Him all that is necessary. Anyone and everyone is welcome, but you must come God’s way. Now that strikes at our pride. We have the idea that everybody’s religion, everybody’s idea ought to be the same. But you know, I’m, I say, I’m going to Fort Wayne and the President is going to hear from me. Well, I may go to Fort Wayne, but he’s probably not going to be there. Alright, I’ll go to Washington. Fine. That doesn’t mean I’ll get in. Well, you watch the news. I’m going over the fence. Well, you say, that’s stupid. We occasionally see it happen. What do you do? You shake your head. What do they say? They’re going to get him evaluated, meaning they don’t seem to be all working together. Why? That’s not how you get access. There is a way and there is the no way. So that’s the way it is with God and His throne. It is narrow, but the invitation is broad. And would you not expect that the God who sits on the throne would be able to say, here’s how you can come into My presence. The amazing thing to me is He allows anyone to come. But He invites us to come, He encourages us to come.

And so, let’s look at some of what He says should characterize us in prayer. And the first comes in Colossians chapter 4, verse 2 with the command: Devote yourselves to prayer. Devote yourselves to prayer. Noted this is a command, imperative, given in the present tense, and the word translated devote means to persist in, to be diligent. And the idea contained is of both perseverance and tenaciousness. You keep at it and you are tenacious about it. It’s a resolve to continue in prayer and not give up. Now this is amazing to me. You would think that with the sovereign God, who sits on a throne of overwhelming glory, where the angels and the heavenly host worship Him and declare His praises and the billions of the people on this earth are under His sovereign authority, that I would have a hard time getting in, and even if I’ve become His child through faith in Christ, I am one of a number of people who truly believe in Him. Just look in this room ? there are many people who have trusted in Jesus Christ. You might think, alright, Gil, I invite you to come and I’m going to give you ten minutes a month. I mean, you stop and think about it, the God who created everything, who sits on the throne of glory, says, Gil, you can come and talk to Me, and tell Me what’s on your heart ten minutes every month. I tell you, I’d be planning ten minutes, boy, that’s going to get it all in, how will I get it all in? You know what the amazing thing is? He tells me to come without restriction. In fact, He commands me to come. In fact, He commands me to be persistent in approaching Him and talking to Him. Be continually giving yourself to prayer. I mean, that’s almost overwhelming. The Lord of glory wants me to keep coming to Him, keep talking to Him, keep telling Him what’s on my mind. And you know the amazing thing in all this? He has to command me to do it. Now you stop and think. Reflect just a minute, but don’t get lost, what this past week was like. You say, I’m going to sit down and write down how much time I really seriously spent in prayer. I mean, there was no restrictions on God’s side. If you have trusted in Christ, you can come hours every day and talk to Him freely. He says, come with confidence, because He’ll listen. We’re accepted. The embarrassing thing is when you stop and reflect and sat down and say, how persistent and tenacious was I in prayer? It’s amazing. You’d think that you wouldn’t be able to get us away from the throne. Boy, it’s hard for me to get the rest of my activities in because all I want to do is stay and talk to God. But really if we’re honest it usually works the other way. Boy, the day’s so busy, I just find it hard to fit any time for prayer in. Oh, I know, snatches. We’re running out the door - Lord, help me have a good day. You get the kids going - Lord, watch over them at school. And, you know, little snatches, but really, do we really say we are persistent and tenacious in prayer? That’s what we’re commanded here. Be devoting yourselves to prayer. What a privilege. In Luke chapter 11 and again in Luke chapter 18 - you can just jot it down and read it at your leisure. Jesus there told a couple of parables with the point to encourage His disciples to understand it’s important to be persistent in prayer, it’s important to be tenacious in prayer, important to ask. You don’t have because you haven’t asked. So devote yourselves to prayer.

He goes on in Colossians chapter 4, verse 2: keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Keeping alert in it. We’re not only to be diligent in our prayers; we are to be alert in our prayers. And the word here, translated alert is ‘gregoreno,’ is the verb. Now you stop and think, you’ll think of a name we have, ‘gregoreno’, gregory. The name Gregory comes from this Greek verb, which means to be alert, to be on the watch. And sometimes you’ll see the little plaques with the names and they give the meaning under - watchful, alert. We are commanded and instructed to be diligent in prayer and to be keeping alert in our prayer. It means to be disciplined, focused when it comes to prayer. Back up to Matthew chapter 26. Same words, to pray and to be alert, are used by Christ in Matthew chapter 26. First book in the New Testament. Matthew 26. The setting is the garden of Gethsemane the night in which Jesus is betrayed. And Jesus knows that His death in imminent. In verse 38, he said to His disciples in the garden: My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me. There’s our word, keeping alert, keeping watch. After prayer He comes and He finds the disciples sleeping and He said to Peter, verse 40: So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour. Verse 41: Keep watching and praying. There we have, devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert. Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Here we have a problem. We are to be diligent in prayer and alert in our prayer. The problem is I have weak flesh. And my body just doesn’t respond well to prayer. And I have to discipline myself. I can understand the disciples. They’ve had a busy day. I mean, John chapter 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. I mean they’ve had some heavy teaching that’s been imparted to them. They’ve had the Last Supper as we know it and the meal with Christ. It’s getting late. They’re tired. I mean, you know, can’t I pray in the morning? My body’s weary. Watch and pray. Keep alert. Be praying, that you may not enter into temptation. They didn’t realize that they were on the brink of a tremendous test and trial. All they could think of is let’s get some sleep when the most important thing they could do would be to be praying, and to be alert, focused in prayer.

You know, we all have that. I mentioned the snatch kind of prayers we do, where we grab one here, we throw one out here. And I have no problem with little, brief, short prayers, but they become the characteristic of our lives. And our prayer life becomes fragmented. And we don’t concentrate. We start out, I really want to pray for my kids and their day at school, the Lord’s gracious work in their lives. And what am I going to have for dinner tonight? And I wonder, boy, well, you know, I don’t know, maybe we’ll go out. Oh, yeah, watch the kids, Lord. Well, I better do this. And our prayer life gets broken off and broken. How often you started to pray, I’m going to really spend some time in prayer. You get in, you start, you’re a few seconds into it, and your mind, I’m out of here. And you know, the great one - and some of you can do it, I’m glad for you. I go to bed a half hour, forty minutes early, because that’s when I have my prayer time. Well, I’ve tried it. For me it doesn’t work. I go to bed, put my head back, and say, Lord, it’s been a wonderful day. You are a good God, thank you. Well, you know, I’ll catch the other 39 minutes later. I’ve tried all the postures of prayer – I’ve shared this with you before. In kneeling, seems to me, to be just fitting. You know, you bow in the presence of God. I’ve gotten at the chair, and I’ve put my head down, got on my knees, and that’s the last thing I remember till Marilyn came and woke me up. My spirit was really willing; my flesh was just weak. You know, sometimes I’ve thought, well, Lord, You must have known I needed the sleep. Thank you. But you know, He knows I need to pray, and I’ve shared with you, the best thing I’ve found for me - you do what’s best for you - is I walk. And I don’t need a lot of space. I just have to keep up and keep going. And I can honestly say, I’ve rarely fallen asleep. I don’t say never. I also find it helpful to talk out loud. I usually like to get by myself when I do this. I don’t have to talk real loud, but enough that it helps me form my sentences, to make sense out of what I’m saying. Sometimes when I’m talking to the Lord in my mind, and He hears just as well, my mind goes off. And it’s still a discipline. I still have to work at keeping focused, to being alert in prayer. But I think we have to be honest, sometimes we cater to the body and to the flesh. I really have to determine that I am serious about my prayer life, and say, I’m going to do those things which I know will bring my body into line, as we’ve seen in 1 Corinthians 9, where Paul says, I discipline my body and bring it into subjection. I don’t know what you need to do, but we are required to be focused, alert, attentive in our prayers. There’s no specific way you have to do it, but alertness and watchfulness must characterize our prayer life.

We have another problem, over in Ephesians chapter 6, all the way back almost to Colossians. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12 says, Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Jump down to verse 18: With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. So I not only have to battle against the flesh, which doesn’t really like to pray, I have to battle against the devil and his hosts, which are a spiritual force working against me and opposing me. And you don’t have to think much. If you were the devil, would you be delighted that God’s children come before His throne and talk to Him about the pressures and burdens of their life and so on? No. So I have that spiritual force. If you want to sit down and spend a couple of hours watching television, it seems relatively easy to do. The flesh and the devil both agree-good idea. But I decide I’m going to spend 15 minutes in prayer, and neither the flesh nor the devil think that’s a good idea. So now prayer becomes an intensely challenging work for me to do. It becomes toil and labor. That’s why Paul will talk about striving, laboring in prayer. It can be exhaustive work because there are battles that take place. Not that God doesn’t want us to come to the throne, but I experience it in the realm of the flesh and in the opposition of the devil.

Come back to Colossians. We are to devote ourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a vital part of an effective prayer life. Thanksgiving has pervaded what Paul has written to the Colossians in his prayer life. Back in Colossians chapter 1, verse 3, Colossians 1:3, We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith and your love and so on. You know, I come to God and I have burdens. I have things that I need to talk over with Him. I have needs that of things I need to present to Him. I need to cast all my care upon Him for He cares for me, as Peter said. But you know, in all of that, it helps keep me focused and aware and alert, to be thanking God for what He has done, thanking Him for this gracious privilege of coming into His presence and knowing I’m accepted, thanking Him for the abundant provision He has made for me in so many areas of my life. You know, sometimes I am so focused on a problem, and I want to be honest with God. I don’t want to act like, well, I don’t have this so I don’t want to talk about it. I do want to talk about it. But good to be reminded in my own heart and mind of all that God has graciously done and provided for and how He has undertaken for me and so on. So thanksgiving is a vital part of an effective prayer life. Down in verse 12 of Colossians 1 ? verse 9, he has said: For this reason, since the day we have heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you. And then you jump down to verse 12 of Colossians 1: giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. So I’m praying for you and boy, I have so much to be thankful for. Gratitude. Chapter 2, verse 7 of Colossians, the end of the verse: overflowing with gratitude. Chapter 3, verse 17: whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. So, thanks, gratitude. Just jot down Philippians 4:6, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which surpasses knowledge, shall stand guard at your hearts and minds. It’s very simple. Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. So I come with the burden of my heart, with the anxieties that press in upon me, the concerns, the pressures that seem overwhelming, but I come with a heart of gratitude. I come before the throne of the God who is sovereign over all, whose sufficiency is my sufficiency, whose power works in my life for the accomplishing of His purposes, who has promised that He will be with me, that He will keep me, that He will protect me. So even under the greatest pressure, I can come to Him with a heart filled with gratitude, even as I express to Him the anxieties, the concerns that I am experiencing.

Look at verse 3 of Colossians 4: praying at the same time for us as well. Now the prayer becomes specific. And I want you to pray for us, Paul says. That was including Timothy and others with him, and he’ll narrow it down to himself. Praying at the same time for us as well. Paul says, I want to be included in your prayers. It was a practice of the Apostle Paul to ask people to pray for him. We don’t have time to run through the list, but Romans chapter 15, verses 30 to 32; 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 11; Philippians chapter 1, verse 19; 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 25; 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 1 and 2; Philemon verse 22. Just a sample, pray for me, pray for me, pray for me. This is the Apostle Paul. This is the one who was caught up to the third heaven. This is the one who received direct revelation and communion and communication with God. He wants the Colossians to pray for him? Yes. And he really believed their prayers would be effective for the accomplishing of God’s purposes in his life.

I am often asked questions about the sovereignty of God and the prayers of God’s people. So I’ll short-cut the question after the service. I don’t know. I mean, it’s a paradox in some ways to me. God is absolutely, completely sovereign. His will, will be done. At the same time, the prayers of God’s people are effective in the bringing about of God’s purposes and plans. The Apostle Paul knew that God’s will in his life would be accomplished. The Apostle Paul by the same token was convinced that the prayers of God’s people were an essential part of God’s plan being accomplished in his life. And I take comfort in both truths, even though I may not have the perfect resolution of some of the points of tension.

So Paul says, be praying at the same time for us as well. And note that he just doesn’t leave it there, pray for us, but he wants to tell them what to pray about for them. That God may open up to us a door for the Word, God would open the door for the Word. The open door means an opportunity. What Paul is asking is, pray that God will give us more opportunities to present Christ. A door for the Word, as the context will go on to indicate, is a door for giving forth the message concerning Christ. Now keep in mind, Paul is in prison. He is a prisoner of Rome as he writes the letter to the Colossians. What he is concerned about is that he’ll have opportunities in his imprisonment to present the message of Jesus Christ. And he goes on to be even more clear in the next statement, that God may open up to us a door for the Word. Incidentally, he uses the same analogy. 1 Corinthians chapter 16, verse 9, he wrote to the Corinthians from Ephesus. And he said, there was a wide door opened for effective ministry, and there were many adversaries. So an open door didn’t mean there wouldn’t be opposition or difficulty. It meant the occasion would be there along with the difficulty. He used the same picture in 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 12 of the open door, an opportunity for presenting Jesus Christ. So that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ. That’s what the open door for the Word is. It is the opportunity to speak forth the mystery of Christ or the mystery which is Christ, to speak forth that truth which God has revealed concerning His Son: that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to be the Savior of the world, that you can have cleansing and forgiveness and newness of life by believing in Him as your Savior. Paul desired to make clear, to make known, the truth concerning Christ.

And God did provide unique opportunities for Paul during his imprisonment. Back up to the book of Philippians, just before Colossians, Philippians. Philippians chapter 1. Philippians was written during the same imprisonment at Rome as the book of Colossians. Note what he says down in verse 12 of chapter 1: Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. Paul said, two things are happening as a result of my imprisonment. Number one, the praetorian guard is hearing about Christ. How else would the praetorian guard hear the gospel? You think that they would invite the Apostle Paul in to do chapel services? Not likely. But here he is, the prisoner. They have daily contact with him. They find out, why are you here? What are the charges against you? Well, I am here because I preach a message concerning Jesus Christ. I have preached that and on he can go. And furthermore, some of the Christians who observed Paul’s boldness in sharing Christ in a difficult situation, so don’t get the idea that these praetorian guard are softies. These are toughened Roman soldiers. You share the gospel with them, keep in mind, only the grace of God can soften a heart, and you know what it’s like to share the gospel with unbelievers. You don’t know how antagonized they may be. And these soldiers could make Paul’s life very difficult. They had to keep him alive, but they could make his life very difficult, very unpleasant. Other Christians were emboldened, just like you are when you see someone in a more difficult situation than you and they boldly are sharing Christ. You think, boy, I have to step up and learn from them. So that was going on in Paul’s imprisonment. You know, I think it’s interesting and I find it challenging here. Paul doesn’t say, pray that I could be set free so that I could travel to other cities and other places and make Christ known. I’m sure that he would love to do that. You know what he’s looking for? Opportunities where he is. And we say, bloom where you’re planted? Well, you know, God’s placed you where you are. Oh, Lord, give me a different job where I can talk about you. Well, you know what Paul’s praying? Lord, provide the openings to talk about you where I am. Do we really believe that God is sovereign and in control? Are you out of the will of God where you are? Then you ought to be praying, Lord, use me where you’ve placed me. Open the doors for me to speak concerning Christ in the place that seems most wretched and vile, the last place you might expect. But why did God place you there? To be a testimony for Him.

Back in Colossians 4. He wants to speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned. He realizes here, he’s looking for an opportunity to speak concerning Christ, but he is a prisoner because of his testimony for Christ. So I appreciate the fact, the very thing that has brought about his imprisonment is the thing he wants to do effectively while he is there.

Verse 4: in order that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. This verse is a tremendous encouragement to me, one whose responsibility is to present the truth of God. It ought to be an encouragement to all of us. The Apostle Paul was burdened that he would be bold and clear with the gospel, bold and clear with the gospel - the one thing I don’t think of myself as having to pray for the Apostle Paul. I may have to pray, Lord, get him released from prison. Lord, help him get enough sleep. Lord, keep him physically healthy. But, Lord, make him bold? Lord, help him be clear in the presentation? But you know what Paul’s concerned about? Pray that I would have open doors, and pray that I would go through those doors, that I would be bold and clear in presenting Christ in the opportunities that God gives me. Back up to Ephesians. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, so just two books before Colossians. Ephesians chapter 6. And we read verse 18. Then we pick up with verse 19 of Ephesians 6: pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. The end of verse 20: that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak - so I might make it clear, that I might be bold. Now there’s a balance going to be given. It doesn’t necessarily mean to be blunt. We’ll talk in our next study about dealing with unbelievers with wisdom, with proper speech, seasoned with salt, sensitive to the situation. But here Paul is concerned and asks, you pray for me that I’ll have an open door. You pray for me, that I’ll make it clear and be bold as I should.

Back in Colossians 4. That little word translated ought. In Greek it’s a little three letter word. It denotes a divine necessity, a divine appointment, a divine obligation. Paul had a burden upon him. He’d expressed to the Corinthians; woe is me if I preach not the gospel. And he knew and believed that God had put him in prison in Rome so that he might represent Jesus Christ in that prison at Rome. And he felt the burden to be faithful. Faithfulness meant be clear, be bold, as well as be sensitive, as we’ll see in following verses. But that sense of divine obligation. Sometimes it seems we as believers just go through life floating, bouncing off of this obstacle and this thing and another thing. Paul had a sense of divine appointment. Oh, what a tragedy’s overwhelmed me. Because of the unfairness and the vileness of the Jews, the unfairness of the Romans in listening to the Jews. Here I am in Rome and in this imprisonment and no privacy and Roman soldiers with me all the time and no freedom to go and present Christ. Pray that God will do something. That’s not the way Paul’s looking at it. I’m here by divine appointment. I’m here under divine obligation. Pray for the opportunity. Pray for my boldness and clarity with the opportunities that He gives me. One writer put, ?It was this burning conviction and sense of destiny which no doubt sustained Paul through a ministry of astonishing exertion and suffering, made it so effective and continues to give the Pauline letters such fascination. Such people are usually uncomfortable companions and can appear to be driven men. I have to say, I look at that, the Apostle Paul, if the Apostle Paul came on the scene today and he was going to come to Lincoln, going to spend a month. Would you say, oh boy, I hope he comes to work with me? Well, you know what you’d be thinking? Paul comes here, he’s going to be looking for the opportunity to talk about Christ. Then he’s going to want to be bold and clear, and he’s going to make trouble for me. Maybe he ought to go with you to work. And the same with our neighborhood and so on. You know, do we have that sense of compulsion in our service for God? That it’s not just well, you know, if it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. That every day as I go about my business I am about God’s work, I am God’s representative, I am God’s servant, placed in this unique place, at this unique time for His unique purpose. God, open the doors and then give me courage to be bold and wisdom to be clear. That’s his desire. That’s his prayer. And in that context, he smoothly makes the transition to the command that we’ll pick up in verse 5, to conduct yourself with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you ought to respond to each person. Paul wasn’t just a bull in the china shop, hitting everybody he came in contact with in the face with the gospel. He says that we are to do it with wisdom, using the opportunities with gracious speech, seasoned with salt, with God’s wisdom in knowing how to handle each situation. The background for that? The prayer that we ought to be offering.

Let me just review with you the characteristics that he has set forth for us in prayer. We draw to a close. He’s really told us how we ought to pray in these verses we’ve looked at. Now let’s review. I have four points, four characteristics that ought to be true of our prayers. We should pray, number one, diligently. We said, devote yourselves to prayer, be persistent, tenacious in prayer. If we’re praying biblically, number one, we should pray diligently. Biblical prayer is diligent prayer. There’s something to be said when we say, he is a prayer warrior. She is a prayer warrior. They are persistent and tenacious. They are diligent. So we should pray diligently. Secondly, we should pray alertly. We should pray alertly. Keeping alert in it, watching, focused, aware, not just mumbling along incoherently, without any purpose. We need to keep alert, physically alert, spiritually alert. We pray diligently. We pray alertly. Number three, we pray gratefully. We pray gratefully. Keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. We always have something to come before the throne with, hearts that are overflowing with gratitude as we rehearse the goodness of God to us in Christ, in our daily life and walk. We pray diligently, alertly, gratefully. And fourthly, we pray specifically. Pray for us. So we pray for other believers. We pray for open doors. We pray for clear presentation. So in that praying specifically, specifically. We should be praying for other believers. We should be praying for open doors in our prayers for them, that God would provide opportunities and occasions for the presentation of Christ in their neighborhood, their job, their home, their personal contacts. God, open a door for them, provide an opportunity, an occasion to speak the message of Christ. Then we should pray for a clear presentation on their part. Make it manifest, bold and clear, not necessarily abrasive and blunt, but bold and clear in the presentation, that they would have the wisdom we’ll talk about in our next study of how to present Jesus Christ in that setting, in that situation, to that person where they are at this time.

I trust we’ll be a church and a people that have a biblical prayer life, that these things that the Apostle Paul says should characterize the prayer of the Colossians will characterize our prayer as well, that in that focus we have a burden and a passion for making Jesus Christ known in these days. And when we have that sense of the divine obligation, the divine necessity, that we are about our Father’s business. We must do it well, we must do it to His honor and glory. Isn’t it amazing that we are a people invited before the throne of God without restriction, without restraint, to come with confidence? May God grant that we’ll seize that opportunity and privilege regularly, diligently, daily. And if you have not yet come to trust in the Savior, prayer is not an opportunity that you have right now, but God invites you. But you must come through His Son Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was a provision for you, and if you will believe in Him, He will cleanse you, forgive you, you will be born into God’s family, and you can come before a throne of grace and ask your heavenly Father for whatever you have need of.

Let’s pray together: Thank you, Lord, that You are a good and gracious God, kind and thoughtful, delighting to bestow upon us not only the desires of our heart, but overflowing blessings. Lord, even in trial and difficulty, hardship and pain, the wonder of our God’s presence and love and kindness and provision is impressed upon us again and again. Thank you for Jesus Christ the Savior, who has made possible our access before Your throne even now. We give You praise in Christ’s name. Amen.