The importance of prayer

Sermon notes from Sunday 18 June 2017

Colossians 4 verses 1 - 9

As we turn to chapter 4 of the book of Colossians we realise that it is the close of a little section.  Paul has been talking in chapter 3 of relationships - verses 19 - 25.  Relationships between husbands, fathers, sons and families.  He brings it into the work place with servants and those who employ them.  Verse 2 comes in with Christian responsibilities and he talkes about continuing in prayer.  In verses 4, 5 and 6 he takes it wider by talking about Christian work, Christian witness, Christian wisdom and Christian words.  The point of his prayer is this - "praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance."  His prayer is that a praying people might arise.  When you read these words you might think that Paul is going through a time of blessing in his own soul but when you read through his history you realise he is writing from a prison cell.  Paul hasn`t got his freedom and he is not speaking of his own liberty but rather that he might send forth the gospel that other people might receive the freedom God gives.  He is speaking here in a very specific manner.  He is not looking to himself, to his own comforts but rather looking to others to spread the gospel as Christian men and women.  We need to be looking for ways to spread the gospel.  That brings me to ask myself the question - have I been spreading the gospel this past week?  Is that burden in our hearts today that the gospel would be spread.  I am aware that it has become so difficult today to do this as we need to be so very careful what we teach and preach.  Paul tells these readers to get on their knees and pray that God would move mightily.  What is Paul telling us about prayer in these words?

Prayer is a duty.  Prayer is not some attachment to the Christian life.  Here are a people in Colosse who were a people of prayer.  Chapter 1 verse 1 "to the saints".  That word really means "holy ones".  Paul goes on to describe them as "faithful brethren in Christ."  These people had gone through so much.  False teachers had come in and blinded their eyes and minds.  Jesus himself made prayer very important when he said "men ought always to pray." (Luke 18 verse 1)  The apostle Paul spent 3 years in the Arabian desert.  He told the Thessalonians "pray without ceasing".  In Samuel`s day the people desired a king.  They wanted to be like other nations around them.  Samuel felt very grieved but he gave them what they wanted.  Sometimes God gives us just what we want, not always the best but he gives it to us any way.  The people then feared that Samuel would cease to pray for them.  They realised he had been their prophet, he had brought God`s message to them, he had provided them with what they desired (a king) but they needed to be reassured of his prayers.  Samuel said "moreover as for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you." (1 Samuel 12 verse 23)  That is how important he felt prayer was.  He felt he was sinning against God if he was not praying.  Paul here has the same thought.  `Am I sinning against God if I am not praying?`  Samuel reckoned it was a sin not to pray.  Paul said to Timothy "I exhort therefore first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men." (1 Timothy 2 verse 1)  In Acts 1 verses 14 when the disciples went into the upper room to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit it says "these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication."

Prayer is a discipline.  The duty is praying but the discipline is watching.  What are we to watch for?  The enemy - the devil.  There is one place the enemy wants to take you out of and that is the prayer time.  "your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5 verse 8)  He will be ready to pull the rug out from under you when you start to pray.  He will oppose you.  Paul said to the Corinthian church - "for a great door is opened unto me and there are many adversaries." (1 Corinthians 16 verse 9)  The Lord himself praying in Gethsemane knelt down and prayed.  He was praying and as it were great drops of sweat poured from him.  Then he turned and walked out of the Garden.  He came to his disciples and found them asleep.  He asked them "what could you not watch with me even one hour?  Watch and pray that he enter not into temptation.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26 verses 40 and 41  The devil will do all he can to stop you praying.  That is why the prayer meeting in the church is the smallest meeting of all the meetings.   Nehemiah set about to rally the people.  He came down to Jerusalem from Babylon in the north.  He wanted to return the glory of Jerusalem.  the walls were broken down and the people had been carried away.  Now he was faced with an enormous task.  Chapter 4 verse 9 "nevertheless we made our prayer unto God and we set a watch against them day and night because of them."  The enemy was doing all in his power to destroy the work.  That is what the devil still wants to do today.  Nehemiah and the people got together and prayed.  Paul knew all about the battle and about blocked doors.  He knew a way through them by rallying the church to pray.  We need to pray for God to open a door that we might reach others.  Paul realised he could not do it himself and neither can we.

Prayer is a devotion.  "with thanksgiving" verse 2.  Prayer is not to be a list of what I want from God.  We should worship and give praise in our prayer times thanking God for what he has done.  Never stop thanking God for saving your soul from sin.  If God hadn`t opened our eyes our souls would have been lost for ever.  We need to praise and thank God continually.  "Let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4 verse 6)

There should be a direction in prayer.  Verse 3 "pray for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance."  That is all Paul wanted.  Can we take this prayer on our own hearts today?