PAUL THE PRAY-ER

Paul was not only a supurb preacher but a persistent pray-er. His letters are dotted with the prayers he prayed for his fellow believers everywhere who came to faith in Christ through his preaching and teaching.

It was Paul praying that first convinced Ananias that he was no longer a persecutor of believers.

Acts of the Apostles 9:11 NLT
[11] “The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.”

No vicious persecutor, bent on destroying the church, would be praying to the Lord!

Paul’s prayers were focused mainly on the church. He prayed for the believers in the churches he established. Many of his letters have samples of his prayers for specific groups of believers, thanksgiving for their strengths and intercession for their weaknesses.

Paul believed in prayer. His council to the Thessalonian church was…

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
[17] “Never stop praying.”

Paul learned to bathe everything he did and everywhere he went in prayer. His mission and ministry was a partnership with the Holy Spirit. He didn’t dare move or speak without clear instructions from heaven.

Acts of the Apostles 16:6-10 NLT
[6] “Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. [7] Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. [8] So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. [9] That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” [10] So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.”

Time and again, the Holy Spirit spoke to Paul, reassuring him in times of distress and constantly moving him in the right direction. During the violent storm at sea on his way to Rome, it was God’s intervention that reassured Paul that all on board would be saved,  and kept the crew from acting foolishly.

Acts of the Apostles 27:21-26 NLT
[21] “No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. [22] But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. [23] For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, [24] and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ [25] So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. [26] But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

Paul believed in the importance of staying in touch with heavenly headquarters in all his decisions, actions, and interactions with people. So, he passed on instruction about prayer to others. He also craved the prayer support of others for the success of his mission.

Ephesians 6:18-20 NLT
[18] “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
[19] And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. [20] I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”

Fellow believers and Paul were in this together. He depended on their prayer support for strength and wisdom to fulfil his ministry. How important then, that we follow  Paul’s instructions, partnering faithfully with those who minister to us in the work of the kingdom.

Paul’s prayers always had a “so that” in his requests for fellow believers. He had a goal for them,  spiritual progress that would move them towards God’s purpose for His people. God wanted sons and daughters in His forever family who would be replicas of His Son.

Paul wasn’t interested in people having cushy, comfortable earthly lives. He wanted his converts to become persevering believers, who would weather life’s storms, strong in faith, faithful to Jesus, with their eyes set on the glorious future towards which they were moving.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT
[16] “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. [17] For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! [18] So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

Hiw beautifully and succinctly the writer to the Hebrews explains the spiritual mechanism of prayer!

Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT
[19]”And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. [20] By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. [21] And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, [22] let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”

This old hymn sums up for us  God’s precious gift of prayer…

1. Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
uttered or unexpressed;
the motion of a hidden fire
that trembles in the breast.

2. Prayer is the simplest form of speech
that infant lips can try,
prayer the sublimest strains that reach
the Majesty on high.

3. Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
the Christian’s native air,
his watchword at the gates of death:
he enters heaven with prayer.

4. Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
returning from his ways;
while angels in their songs rejoice,
and cry, ‘Behold, he prays!

5. The saints in prayer appear as one,
in word and deed and mind;
while with the Father and the Son
sweet fellowship they find.

6. Nor prayer is made on earth alone:
the Holy Spirit pleads,
and Jesus on the eternal throne
for sinners intercedes.

7. O Thou by whom we come to God,
the Life, the Truth, the Way,
the path of prayer thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray!

James Montgomery 1771-1854
(https://hymnary.org)