Pray Without Ceasing VII: The Legacy of Paul

Pray Without Ceasing VII

The Legacy of Paul

Misc. Verses

Some of you have been surprised at the amount of material in the Bible that supports this idea of praying continually or without ceasing. The more I got into the research the more I was amazed at how prevalent this practice is in both of the testaments.

But for our purposes, the last message on the prayer practices of Jesus should be defining for all believers in this age. Jesus' example of praying regularly and habitually as a pattern of his life and as needs arose gives us an important way that we can be taught by Jesus and in our Christian life to be like him. When we are taught about the life of the Lord Jesus Christ and we see his grace, we can't always do what the Lord did. But, in our prayer life, we can. Jesus sets the example of what it means to pray continually.

Paul, the Apostle, sought to imitate Jesus. When writing to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 11, Paul tells them to imitate him as he imitates Christ. The command extends to all believers. I want to look at prayer in the life of Paul in order to see how we can imitate him as he imitates Christ.

We will look at a number of verses. My major points are:

1. The Problem with Pharisees

2. The Pattern of Paul

3. The Prayers of Paul

1. The Problem with Pharisees

Jesus did not have a high view of Pharisees. He epitomizes the movement in a parable about two men who went to the temple to pray. Turn to Luke 18.

The Chapter of Luke 18 begins with a statement that men ought always to pray and not lose heart. You should realize this language is saying what we have been looking at for seven sermons. It doesn't mean that people ought to be praying continuously as the only activity in their lives. They should pray regularly as needed or as we are reminded of prayer needs or as we pray during the times we may set aside for the purpose of praying. Now, look down at verse 10ff.

Luke 18: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 

11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 

12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' 

13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

For our purposes there are a couple of observations to be made.

1. It seems to be a regular occurrence for men especially, to go to the Temple in order to pray. After all, when it was going to be built, it was called a House of Prayer for all Nations.

2. The Pharisee is the self-righteous anti-hero of the parable. He is self-righteous--which is not actually righteous at all.

3. The Pharisee was a religious show off in how he looked, how he prayed and how he boasted about his giving.

The Apostle Paul was a Pharisee of Pharisees. He took great pride in this. AS late as Acts 26 he alludes to his former life with some apparent pride.

It was nothing special for a Pharisee to pray. They believed in all of the Old Testament, unlike the Sadducees. They would have known the many Psalms that were also prayers of various kinds. They made a show of their practices. On other occasions, Jesus denounced their sin in the strongest of terms--the woes of Matt 23 are an example of this. Let it suffice, that Jesus was not a fan of this Jewish sect.

Saul, as he was known prior to his conversion, took pride in his work to snuff out The Way, the name given to the emerging group of the followers of Jesus Christ. Jesus had claimed to be the Way in John 14:6. This expression gave the name to this new movement.

Paul had the privilege of studying in Jerusalem under the Pharisaical scholar, Gameliel. This was extraordinary. Paul may have served on the Council or Sanhedrin. More evidence of his standing among his own people. But, he would have been like all of the others among the Pharisees. They were despised by many. They were sneaky always finding ways to get around the letter of the Law in order to do what they wanted to do. The followed the rabbis more than they followed the scriptures. But, they were not honest about it.

2. The Pattern of Paul

Paul knew the expected pattern of praying at the Temple. What I find interesting is that praying is also one of the first things he did as a new believer after his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road.

The Lord directed one to help Saul. This is what was said, 11 So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.

Jesus knew where Saul was. He knew him by name. The Lord was concerned for him. And, the Lord noted the activity of this former persecutor of the church--take note of his activity, behold, you will find him praying. Note this is not in the Temple, in public to draw attention to himself, but humbly in the home of Judas. And, Jesus knew what he was doing--he was praying. Jesus could hear the prayer of Saul and give direction to another at the same time. This is a glimpse into the mystery of Jesus' divinity.

This was the start of a life of Godly prayer. And, I add, praying without ceasing.

We find his pattern in the revelation given by God that he always prayed and in the content of some of those prayers included in that revelation.

3. The Prayers of Paul

Without Ceasing:

Rom. 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,

The Apostle who commanded the churches to pray continually, set the example for all believers throughout this age. He was no longer a hypocrite. There was not even a shade of hypocrisy in the man so thoroughly changed by the work of God's Spirit. He was totally transformed. One of the ways we see the effect of grace upon him is in his life of prayer. A prayer life is not something that is only sporadic and occasional, it becomes one's way of life. He continually prayed for the Church at Rome and others.

Consider the first letter to the Thessalonians, the letter wherein he wrote for them to pray continually. He uses the word for without ceasing a number of times:

1Th. 1:2 ¶ We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

This is what Paul did regularly. Giving thanks to God is a kind of prayer. And, the prayers were not just a general and vague set of words. Paul gives thanks specifically for them by name. In chapter two, he continues this theme and adds a reason why he gives thanks for particular reasons:

1Th. 2:13 ¶ For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

It was rare for people to believe in the ancient Gentile world. Sometimes, we are so accustomed to the content of the NT, and the effect of the Gospel in a variety of places, that we forget it was a small minority of people who actually believed. This was so during the ministry of Jesus on earth and continued that way in the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

What happened in Thessalonica was extraordinary. They were more noble than the noble Bereans. They did not want to just consider if what they heard was true, they heard the words as the Word of God and believed without delay. They welcomed that Word and in the last phrase we see that it continued to work in them effectively. That means it was accomplishing what the scriptures were sent out to accomplish. In the language of Titus 2, it made them "say, "NO! to ungodliness in order to live soberly, godly and righteously in the present age." There were quick changes to the way they lived brought about because of what they had come to belief. When the Gospel truly works in a person it changes them. This was true of the Thessalonians and true of Paul himself.

Paul also writes about his prayers:

For Rome as we have already seen: Rom. 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,

For Ephesus and presumably all the churches: Eph. 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints —

For the church in Philippi: Phil. 1:4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,

It was a joy for Paul to pray for others….

For the tiny fledgling church in Collosae: Col. 1:3 ¶ We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

Col. 1:9 ¶ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

What a wonderful spiritual prayer. If you remember to pray for me. Pray along these lines--that I might be filled with the knowledge of his revealed will with ALL godly wisdom (James 1) and spiritual understanding. I need this for my good and yours.

Did you notice something special about this verse? Paul tells them that he prays and he tells them a part of what he prays for them. More about this in a few moments. For now, let me make the observation that it often intensifies the love and concern from one to another when they say what they will pray or what they have been praying.

But, not just Paul, but also some who were with him: Col. 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

And, in Philemon, a book intimately connected with the church in Collosae: Philem. 1:4 ¶ I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,

Paul was a thankful man if nothing else. But, we know he was so much more than that. It was the grace of God that called, saved, and sanctified this man who continued to view himself as the chief of sinners and a man defined by wretchedness remaining in his body (Rom 7).

And repeating the sentiment in his second letter to Thessalonica: 2Th. 1:11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,

That God would count them worthy. What a concept! The structure uses worthy as something or an equalizer. God calls and by his work according to what pleases him and the work he does in us is what brings about the effects of his goodness and the work of faith with power. Who gives this faith? God does. When we see any good in us, what should we understand the cause to be? God himself. Based on his work and our submission to it, we can be counted worthy before God. What grace is ours! It is all of God! May he be glorified in us and by us forever.

But, there are also longer prayers of a spiritual nature that Paul prays for the churches. One of my favorites is found in Eph 3. I often include elements of this prayer near the end of the pastoral prayer. It is among my favorite of the Apostle Paul. If you can, please turn to Eph Chapter 3:14ff

Paul writes out his prayer for the church. What a wonderfully gracious act on his behalf. It is a tremendous blessing to know what people are praying for us. It is a greater comfort than knowing they are just praying. But, to pray is so much better than doing nothing. To pray and follow-up with action is a beautifully spiritual thing.

Listen to the spirituality of this prayer:

Without comment, listen to this prayer: Eph 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

With some comment:

Eph 3:14 For this reason

Background: Paul did not want them to lose heart because of his trials and sufferings for them. Vs. 13.

 I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 

Paul is not afraid of the doctrine of the universal fatherhood of God. He is the source of all. There are different senses in which he is father. TO those who believe, it is the precious term whereby we address him and the position through which he adopts us into his household. To us, He is Father in every good and godly sense possible.

16 that He would grant you,

This is what Paul wants Father God to give as an endowment to his people, especially the troubled church in Ephesus. If you know the history, these words take on greater significance.

THE ENDOWMENT:

according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Verse 18 shows us this is directed in a special way to the saints.

That God will strengthen…our strength can do nothing of significance without God's empowering hand of grace.

That Christ might dwell in our hearts by faith. That he might take up residence in such a way that we would know it and others would see his effects.

That we might be rooted and grounded in love… When you read the NT and what it says about the gifts of grace to believers, do you see them in yourself? Those who believe, ought to see something different as we are being changed.

18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;

That we might understand to some degree what is difficult if not impossible for the world to understand--the multi-dimensional love of God.

Why should God the Father send his holy and unblemished Son to humble himself by becoming a man to live perfectly before the Law of God in order to give his life as a ransom for all who will believe it? There is nothing in us that obligates God to do anything for us. But, for his own good pleasure--that is, it pleased him to save us. He sent Jesus to seek and to save what was lost. That's us! All we have to offer is the sin for which Jesus died in our place. What a powerful prayer expressing the desires of the Apostle for this Church full of trouble. Paul loves them and he knows Jesus does as well.

And at the end, to be filled with the fullness of God. This grows in us who believe in different amounts and in different ways. But, it has to be a part of our experience one way or another to one degree or another.

What marvelous grace is ours. As we partake of the Lord's Supper remember these things. Leave your Bible open and pray these things for us as a church and for yourself, as well. What would it be like to see the fullness of God in one another more of the time? Whatever it looks like, it must be a wonderful thing. AMEN!!

hough He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.