Continue in prayer

Sermon notes from Sunday 11 August 2019 am

Colossians 4 verses 1 - 9

The apostle Paul closes this letter to Colosse with an instruction.  He is writing to a people of God, people who have come to a knowledge of saving grace.  They have trusted in Christ for salvation.  Their sins have been blotted out, are under the sea of God`s forgetfulness never to be remembered any more.  He writes to them and says "continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving."  After Paul left the road on his way to Damascus and Ananias was told to go and see him we read "for he is praying". (Acts 9 verse 11)  A desire was placed in his heart right at the outset to pray.  In this letter to the Colossians Paul covers subjects such as the person of Christ, the power of the blood of Christ, the cross, the believers standing in Christ, election, sanctification, justification, glorification.  He covers the principles of life in the home, in the workplace and in society.  Paul is at present in the prison house, locked up but is writing to encourage the believers to go on and go through with God.  He asks them to "pray that a door might be opened up."  It was a door of witness.  He was asking the Lord to use him even in the prison house.  Have we ever thought of that during times of sickness - to be used of God during such a time?  Perhaps when we are lonely, have we ever prayed for God to use us?  Last week we noticed the mission of Christ - "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost."  He came to seek us.  We are not easy found.  The Lord saved us, gave us a new hope beyond this life.  Now we see the mission to many - we are not saved to take up a cosy seat but rather we are saved to serve.

Prayer is seen here as a priority.  Paul was in no doubt that the furtherance of the gospel goes hand in hand with prayer.  Is that how we are praying?  That a door of opportunity might be opened to us?  That somehow we might make known the mysteries of God to others?  John  Wesley said "God does nothing except in response to believing prayer."  Perhaps you know someone who you would love to see saved - have you prayed for them?  We are often told what to do and we dig our heels in and say we are not going to do it.  Paul is saying to them to continue in prayer.  False teachers had started to come into this church and they were drawing people away.  Paul had to write to them about their standing in the church and the work they were required to do.  Sometimes we can get weary in the work, it is a battle we are in.  When we are saved by God we have the greatest enemy, the devil himself.  He will oppose us.  We need to be praying for it is the only weapon we have against him.  The devil will want us to dig our heels in.  Paul says "here`s my advice to you, pray without ceasing, that God will open the door."  To Timothy he said "I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men." (1 Timothy 2 verse 1)  In Acts 6 we read in the early church that there were murmurings so they called them together and decided "we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." (verse 4)  Then in chapter 12 when Peter was kept in prison that "prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." (verse 5)

The persistence of prayer.  Paul told the church members to continue in prayer.  There is a base meaning to it - be strong.  We need to be strong to continue in prayer.  We are battling in prayer.  It is easy to get up in the morning and say I will pray later but we need to persevere in prayer continually.  Paul is afraid of this peeople losing out on their faith.  In the midst of disputes in Acts 6 they continued in prayer.  In Acts 12 when everything seemed impossible, that Peter would be released from prison they continued without ceasing, without stopping.  It was possible that Peter would be sentenced to death the next day.  An impossible situation yet they continued in prayer.  We are reminded of Abraham in Genesis 18 when he prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah.  He started of by asking if there were 50 righteous people found in these cities would God not spare them.  He persisted until he came right down to 10 righteous people and God said he would not destroy it.

Paul points to the preciseness of prayer.  Paul is looking for an open door.  The work must go on.  There are doors to be opened up, they cannot be opened by man`s ability.  See how serious Paul took the word of God.  John Wesley said "proceed with much prayer and your way will be made plain."  Is there a situation in my life where I feel this is something I can do nothing about?  The Lord says pray about it.  Be precise in your prayers.  In Acts 12 the people prayed for nothing else but Peter.  That is how precise they were.  The Lord moved in that situation.  He sent an angel down to where Peter was.  The angel tapped him on his shoulders, told him to arise, each gate opened up of its own accord and Peter found himself out on the street.  Peter realised that it was the Lord`s doing.  Pray for those people who you know are not saved.  Daniel prayed for wisdom to interpret a dream.

We need to be patient in prayer.  When I am asked to do something continually I should do it without giving up.  Do you feel like giving up today?  Is there someone or a situation I have been praying continually for and am seeing no answer to those prayers?  Do we feel like giving up?  We feel like we will never see them saved, coming into church, coming into the pews and hearing the word of God?  We ask ourselves "what`s the point?"  Continue in prayer.  It is very easy to give up.  It is easy to walk away when we look around us and never see any change.  Paul tells us to continue in prayer.  God will open the doors.  Daniel became the person to whom kings called on for advice in situations.  In Daniel 10 we read that for 21 days Daniel prayed.  Maybe he was praying for the people`s laziness.  He took time to pray and his prayers were answered - verse 10.  The angel told him "for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard and I am come for thy words."  Are we patient in prayer?  We live in a society where we want to see instant answers but it doesn`t happen like that.  Paul tells us to continue in prayer that a door would  be opened.  Will we pray?