Paul's Prayer Requests

PAUL’S PRAYER REQUESTS

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: EVIDENCE

1. A scientist recently said that the “perfect earthquake” was going to strike the West Coast soon. The evidence to support his claim was shaky at best.

2. Someone threw a part of a brick through a man’s front window. The police couldn’t do anything though. They said there wasn’t enough concrete evidence.

B. THE PRAYERS OF PAUL

1. Paul prayed at least 5 prayers for believers. These prayers are extremely important because they were inspired by the Holy Spirit and capture the will of God for our transformation into the image of Christ.

2. The 5 scriptures are Eph. 1:17-19 3:16-19; Col. 1:9-12; Philippians 1:9-11; 2 Thess. 1:11-12 (all are printed after the conclusion).

3. In these prayers we discover the SIX MAIN AREAS of the development of our Christian life that God is chiefly concerned with.

4. 6 KEY CONCEPTS PAUL PRAYED FOR are:

I. EXPERIENTIAL FAITH FOR BELIEVERS

A. SCRIPTURES

1. [That God] “may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may KNOW HIM better” Eph. 1:17. Paul means “that you experience Jesus in a more profound & life-changing way.”

2. “His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell IN YOUR HEARTS by faith” Eph. 3:16-17.

B. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “KNOW GOD?”

1. The Greek word “ginosko” means there’s a relationship between the person knowing and the object known.

2. "Knowing" God is not just about acquiring knowledge about God; it’s experiencing God! Must I know all in order to ‘know” God? No! (Another Greek word, “Oida,” means "full knowledge.")

3. The IRS man may know everything about you, factually, but he would pass you, without recognition, on the street. But your dog, who knows little ‘about you’ would instantly recognize you on the street, because he/she “knows” you in relationship.

4. At the judgment seat, the point of separation between the saved and lost will be Jesus’ admission, “I never knew you” Mt. 7:23. No wonder Paul encourages us to get to know Jesus, experientially!

C. NOT JUST HEAD KNOWLEDGE, BUT HEART

1. God wants us to go further than just knowing ABOUT God, to having an experiential knowledge of God: to WALK with Him, to learn His WAYS, to learn His PERSONALITY, His VOICE, His LEADING. To know what He would, and would not do, and then to take that course.

2. To experience God takes boldness: we must wait on God, seek Him out, get to know the Creator (as revealed in His Word). We need to experience HIM.

II. THAT YOU GAIN SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE

A. HOW PAUL PRAYED THIS FOR US

1. That “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know 1) the hope to which he has called you, 2) the riches of his glorious inheritance the saints, and 3) his incomparably great power...” Eph. 1:18-19.

2. “Fill you with the knowledge of His will” Col. 1:9.

3. “To GRASP how wide...etc. is the love of Christ” Eph 3:18

4. “...in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best” Phip. 1:9-10.

B. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NEEDED

1. It takes the Holy Spirit in your life to be able to comprehend spiritual truths. That’s why Jesus had to “open His disciple’s minds” so they could understand the Scriptures (Lk. 24:45), the Bible.

2. “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God...nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” 1 Cor. 2:14.

3. That’s why Paul spent a lot of time praying for spiritual knowledge to be imparted to new believers. The Lord Jesus said the key of Knowledge (Lk. 11:52) can open Heaven to us – provide a heavenly breakthrough.

4. We need to see with the spiritual eyes; to see this world from God’s perspective and to have the same priority system as God has.

III. THAT YOU ARE FULL/COMPLETE IN CHRIST

A. THE SCRIPTURES

1. “We have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you...” Col. 1:9

2. “Filled to the measure of the fullness of God” Eph. 3:19

3. “Filled with the fruit” Phip. 1:11.

B. WHAT DOES THIS FILLING/ COMPLETION LOOK LIKE?

1. Christ, as the Head, fills the Church: “pleroma” (completion, Eph. 1:23). We humans are incomplete; we feel our weaknesses; we know some part of us is missing. That missing piece is Jesus! He alone can complete us. No accomplishments will do it; no other person will ever make our lives complete – only a relationship with God! “There’s a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person that only God can fill.”

2. ILLUS. Albert Pujols, the first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, a World Series champ, an eight-time All Star, 3X MVP, and in 2008 was considered the most feared hitter in Baseball. But he testified that only Jesus can satisfy his soul! So true!