Since preaching last Sunday night, and working through an extremely high level view of Ephesians 1 through 3, I feel compelled to reiterate the passages I mentioned regarding Christians praying for other Christians. The people of our church need prayer, people in other churches need prayer, and Christians around the world need prayer. This is good, this is biblical, and it honors God. Ephesians 1:15-19 and 3:16-19 lays excellent ground-work on how to pray for one another. When we go before God on the behalf of other believers we should pray:
With thanksgiving to God for other Christians, specifically those we know and worship with
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give Christians the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowledge of him
That the eyes of Christian hearts would be enlightened to know the hope to which he has called us
That Christians would know the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints
That Christians would know the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
That according to the riches of his glory he may grant us to be strengthened through his Spirit in our inner being
That Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith
That, being rooted and grounded in love, we may have strength to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, and
That Christians would be filled with the fullness of God.
As I flipped through the directory this week and saw your names, as I interacted with you whether in person, text, or phone call, I intentionally worked to pray these things for you. When we gathered on Wednesday, for Prayer in the Park, we read these verses and focused our prayer on the growth and strengthening of our church body and those around us. Church, we must be interceding in prayer for one another! We cannot know every detail, we cannot speak into every situation, and we cannot be present for every moment of each other's lives, but the Holy Spirit of God can! I am finding that the more time I spend praying for you and other believers, the more my relationship with the Lord deepens, the more wonderful his grace, the more powerful his mercy, the more amazing his love! Let's commit to a deeper level of prayer for one another! I'll see you Sunday!
Grace & Peace,
John
(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)