Alan Dunn

The Puritan Samuel Chadwick says,

“Satan dreads nothing but prayer. Activities are multiplied that prayer may be ousted and organizations are increased that prayer may have no chance. The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayer-less studies, prayer-less work, prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”

We’ve looked in our last hour at the priority of preaching. In this hour I want to survey the priority of prayer considering both congregational prayer as well as pastoral intercessory prayer.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Let’s look first then at the priority of church prayer meetings. Now it traditionally has been the practice of evangelical churches in the United States to meet on Wednesday nights for prayer. Sadly we’re seeing a day when many American churches are discontinuing this practice and no longer having a midweek meeting that is devoted solely to prayer. Now, I’m not saying that a church has to meet on a Wednesday night. I’m even willing to say that a church does not have to have a meeting specifically for prayer, although there is biblical precedent for that and good reason for that and biblical reason for that, but I am saying that the church is given the assignment of corporate prayer and the pastor, as shepherd of the flock, must guide the people of God into this assigned responsibility. We must make corporate prayer a priority of the church so that the church accomplishes her duties in relation to her Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Let’s consider some reasons why the church met for prayer in the book of Acts.

1. Recognition and Reception of Leaders

We turn to Acts chapter 1, we see that the first reason was so that the church would recognize and receive the gifts of leadership from Christ. The church met to pray, to recognize and receive the gifts of leadership given to them by the exalted Christ. We see the reception of the gift of apostle in Acts chapter 1 verse 14, “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.”

For ten days the church labored in prayer, waiting for the ministry of the Spirit and in conjunction with that extended prayer time the office of apostle was filled out. We read in verse 24 and they prayed and said, “Lord, You know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” They were directed to be obedient to the Word of God in their replacement of Judas to the apostleship. They prayed. They were directed, and it was Matthias that was chosen in accordance with God’s provision.

In Acts chapter 6 we see the institution of the ministry of the deacon and again it is leadership that is born in the context of prayer. In Acts 6:6, after having selected these men— qualified, again, by the Scriptures, enabled of the Spirit to meet biblical qualifications recognized by the people, verse 6, “and these they brought before the apostles, and after praying, they laid their hands on them.”

As in Acts chapter 1, the apostles laid out the necessary qualifications that we see there in verse 3. The congregation was involved in the responsibility of recognizing and then selecting the men that were qualified in verse 5. Here is the congregation then, in union with the leaders, praying together, recognizing and receiving the gifts of deacons.

In Acts chapter 14, the same thing takes place relative to the office of elder. Acts 14, verse 23. Paul now has returned to Lystria, Lystra and Iconium and Antioch. He’s encouraged the disciples and in conjunction with that ministry, verse 23, “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Now what would they have been praying? We’re not told. We’re just simply told that they commended them to the Lord.

Now we know in verse 19 that this church was in a context of opposition and persecution. Paul had been stoned. They were in the midst of tribulation. That’s what Paul had preached to them in verse 22. Through tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God. So, certainly to commend these men to the Lord in whom they believed in this occasion would involve entrusting them to the Lord’s protection, asking God to keep them and preserve them and use them.

In Acts 20 we have an occasion of the apostle speaking to the elders from Ephesus who come to Miletus to meet with the apostle, and we read of his commanding them here in verse 28. He tells them,

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock and from among your own selves men will arrive speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears and now I commend you to God and to the Word of His Grace which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance among those who are sanctified.

So here is a commending of the apostle, he commends the elders to the Lord as he did there earlier in Acts 14.

Notice in verse 36, “When he had said these things, he knelt down, prayed with them all.”

So we can but assume that what he prayed was a further driving home the things that he had preached, the things that he had commended to them, asking for their protection, asking for the grace to be granted them that they might guard themselves and watch the flock and be aware of the devices of the evil one rising even from among them, that there would be a commending to the grace of God that is able to build them up. These things, I believe, were things that Paul prayed in conjunction with the ministry of the elders.

2. Protection from Opposition

Not only did the church pray for the recognition and reception of leaders, but secondly, the church prayed for protection from opposition.

When we turn back to chapter 12 in the book of Acts, we read from verse 1 to verse 5.

Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

So here is an occasion of opposition, persecution, the leadership of the church is being attacked. James has been martyred. Peter is in prison and the church takes a petition, starts printing up T-shirts “free Peter” and begins to march around the prison with signs, shouting in protest. No, no, the church went to prayer. The church went to prayer and as a result of that we read that Peter by the hand of an angel was delivered from the prison.

Then in verse 12, realizing that he’d been delivered, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John who was also called Mark where many were gathered together and were praying. The church is assembled for a prayer meeting.

Now what were they praying? Again, Luke doesn’t tell us specifically, but what was the occasion? Their enemies have attacked them. James has been beheaded! Peter is in prison. What would they pray?

Their Master told them, “I say unto you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of Your Father who is in heaven,” (Matthew 5:44, 45).

Luke doesn’t tell us but I believe we’ve every reason to hope and think that they were praying for their enemies and God heard their prayers and delivered Peter from prison. This prayer for enemies is seen in the first martyr, Stephen, in Acts 7:60, while being stoned to death we’re told he prayed and said, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” They prayed to recognize and receive leaders, they prayed for protection from their enemies and for their enemies.

3. The Proclamation of the Gospel

Thirdly, the church met to pray for the proclamation of the gospel. In Acts chapter 4 the gospel was being preached in the midst of intense opposition and it is in this persecution that the church grew. Opposition and persecution became the setting for corporate prayer.

In chapter 4 of Acts, reading from verse 23:

When they had been released—that is John and Peter from the Sanhedrin—they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they had heard this they lifted up their voices to God with one accord and said, “Oh Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, Your servant said, ‘Why do the Gentiles rage and the peoples devise futile things?’ The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ, for truly in this city there were gathered together against Your Holy Servant, Jesus whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur and now Lord, take note of their threats and grant that Your bondservants may speak Your Word with all confidence while You extend Your hand to heal and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your Holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy spirit and began to speak the Word of God with boldness.

You remember that John and Peter had been brought before the Sanhedrin because of the priority of preaching. They resolved to preach, and they were told not to preach, and they resolved to continue to preach and having been beaten they were released, and they continued to preach, and they went to the church, and the church was continued and resolved to pray.

In verse 24 they address God as their Creator, quoting the words of Psalm 146 and verse 6. Notice brethren, the example of the prayer gives to us instruction as to what we should pray. We should pray our Bibles. We should use our Bible as the content and substance of our prayer. They prayed from Psalm 146 verse 6. Then, verse 25 to 28, they pray from Psalm 2. This Psalm that is a Messianic prophecy that came to fulfillment in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. What they do is they locate where they are in their Bibles. They find where they are in redemptive history, in relation to Christ, in relation to the work of God and His plan of redemption. They situate themselves in Scripture. They take the Scripture and make that the content of their prayers. They are confident that they’re praying according to the will of God because they’re praying the Word of God. They’re praying where they are in the Word of God. They’re not simply coming and pouring out emotions without any form or structure or direction from the Word of God. They do pray concerning their particular situation, verse 29 and 30, a petition for protection and a request for boldness that they not slack back from the priority of preaching, from that calling that God has given to them as a church and to their spokesmen in particular that they would be enabled to speak the Word of God. In verse 31 that’s precisely what they did, and they did so with courage and with boldness and with the power and demonstration of the Spirit. They met to pray for the advancement of the kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel.

4. Large Kingdom Concerns

Fourthly, Paul tells us in 1Timothy 2, further instruction as to what we are to pray. In 1st Timothy chapter 2 we’re to pray for our civil leaders and again so that the church might live in peace and be able to advance the kingdom of God. Our concerns are for the kingdom of God. 1Timothy 2: 1, 2.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

We need to pray brethren for large kingdom concerns so that we would have undisturbed lives. Why? For the advancement of the gospel. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. We need to pray for our civil leaders so that God in common grace would enable them to maintain civil peace so that we the people of God can live in times of tranquility to be about the business of the kingdom. Not for the amassing of more earthly comforts, but so that we might be about the business of advancing the kingdom and making known to all men God’s genuine, sincere summons in the gospel that men would repent, that men would come to a knowledge of the truth in Jesus Christ, and they can only do that through the proclamation of the gospel as the church is faithful in her praying and proclaiming to get the gospel before men.

We need to make our prayer meetings kingdom focused. We need to make our prayer meetings concerned with the large issues of the kingdom. We cannot allow our prayer meetings to become times of self-indulgence and self-focus where we’re praying as a gathered church for things that would be satisfactory to pray in the context of a family setting or one’s own private devotions. We all don’t need to marshall the energies of the army of God in prayer to pray for Aunt Suzie’s stubbed toe, or Aunt Suzie’s salvation, maybe. But you see, we’re together as a people engaged in spiritual warfare. We’re to take the weapons of prayer and engage in the battlefield for the advancement of the kingdom of God and to give priority to the large issues of the church and of the advancement of the gospel in our day and to intercede certainly for crucial issues of personal concern, certainly for specific issues that affect the life and ministry of the local church, but to maintain a large vision of what the prayer ought to be by the assembled gathered people of God.

Paul says in verse 8 as he maps out his priorities—remember he’s writing here, chapter 3, and verse 15, so that you will know how to conduct yourself in the household of God, so he says in verse 8 of chapter 2,

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath or dissension.

Now some of us apply this verse in practical ways at our church prayer meetings so that only the men are given the responsibility of leading the church in prayer. Now certainly all are to be engaged in prayer, but the duty of prayer in this text falls specifically upon the shoulders of the men! That prayer in many ways biblically is a masculine engagement. Peter tells us as husbands to live with our wives with wisdom and with grace in 1Peter 3:7, warning that if we don’t, what will happen? Our prayers will be hindered. Have you ever experienced that? Ever have an argument with your wife? Things are not resolved. Come in the morning, open your Bible. It’s time to meet with God, begin to pray and it’s though the Lord taps you on the shoulder and says, “Don’t you have a wife? What are you doing here talking to Me when she’s over there still hurting? Don’t you have some business to do first?” And you realize, yes, I need to make peace. I need to resolve. I need to live with my wife with wisdom and with grace and then come back before the Lord and have a sense of my prayers now being welcomed. You see prayer is something that is assigned to us as men in the church. Prayer is not for boys. It’s for men.

Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men and and be strong and let all you do be done in love.

1Corinthians 16:13,14: “I would that the men in every place pray.”

Act like men. What do you do to act like men? When you pray take your position of leadership in the home, husband to wife, father to children, a man in the community of God’s people and as a leader pray for the leaders. Pray for those who have responsibility in the civil arena for kings and for those who are in authority.

Brethren, we need to realize how crucial and effective prayer is. Paul tells us in Romans 8:26 to 28 that although we do not know how or what to pray the Holy Spirit yet intercedes for us and brings genuine heart yearnings into the ear of God our Father, and He understands even the groanings of our hearts in the same way that a parent understands the groanings and cries of an infant in its crib. They’re not articulating words, but you can tell when a child is crying whether its diaper is wet, whether he’s just sleepy, and he’s crying himself to sleep, or whether he’s in there having a temper fit ’cause he wants to get out of the crib, and you can tell what kind of cry is being expressed by the child who doesn’t even speak words.

Well so, too, the Father recognizes the groans of His children. We need to come with an expressed anticipation, with a confident understanding that our prayers interceded by the Holy Spirit are being aligned with the purposes of God who hears and knows and answers and causes all things to work together for good. James points us to Elijah, the man we’re studying in this very conference and reminds us of how powerful he was in prayer. He was effective in his prayer ministry, bringing an end to that period of famine. He reminds us that the prayers of a righteous man accomplish much.

It’s a very interesting study I recently did in conjunction with remembering the martyrdom of our friends Arif and Kathy Khan and on the occasion of the first anniversary of their death. I conducted a study in our church where we analyzed the prayers of the saints beneath the altar in Revelation 6:9-11, and we saw how those who’ve gone before us are engaged in praying. They are advancing the kingdom in their disembodied state by prayer.

In a subsequent study we looked at how the prayers that come from the altar play a role in the unfolding of God’s judgments upon the earth. Very interesting that in conjunction with the sequel of trumpets and bowls, John will occasionally remind us of the voices coming from the altar and the answers of prayer that God gives to the saints who’ve been martyred. We’re to understand from the book of the Revelation that God’s dealings with men in history is in large measure an answer to the prayers of the martyrs.

Understand how crucial, important and effective prayer is.

Let me encourage you to lead your congregation into times of corporate prayer. Have meetings that are just for prayer, regular prayer meetings. Have times that are devoted to extended times of prayer. Times in the congregation’s life where there’s a concern: we’re going to have a day of fasting and prayer; we’re going to have a time where we’re going to seek the face of God. Make your corporate meetings saturated with prayer.

Let the visitors who come to your church who may be used to seeing all kinds of things and everything moving and everything flashing and colors and smoke and all, all the — let them come to your church and be impressed with words—words: the words that are spoken from God to men and the words that are spoken from man to God—words, word-saturated people, hearing the Word from God and speaking words to God.

Pray for your civil leaders, ask God for social peace that the gospel may prosper among you. Pray for your sister churches and for ministries that you know where the Word of God is being proclaimed. Pray for one another as believers but particularly for the advancement of the kingdom in each other’s lives. Pray for growth in holiness, for a greater understanding of the Word of God, for your efforts to evangelize, carry one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ.

It’s wise, I believe to assign men the responsibility of praying and to train them to stand and speak and make their voice heard so that everyone can say the Amen having heard and understood what is being prayed and remember Paul’s regulating principle in 1Corinthians 14:40, “Let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner.”

PASTORAL INTERCESSION

The priority of church prayer meetings, but secondly we look at the priority of pastoral intercession.

Not only is the pastor to make a priority of prayer for the congregation, but he must make prayer a priority in his own pastoral ministry.

To the degree that the pastor realizes his dependence upon God, to that degree he will value intercessory prayer. He will pray for his people because he knows that only Christ can change them. He’ll pray for his people because he knows that only the Holy Spirit can sanctify them, only the Holy Spirit can cause them to grow, only the Holy Spirit can enable them to use their gifts so as to advance the kingdom. To the degree that he understands his dependence on God, to that degree, he’ll pray for his people instead of complaining about them to his wife or to his fellow elders. He’ll pray for them because he understands that his wife and fellow elders can’t change them, but God can. They’re God’s people. They bear God’s name. Christ has died for them. Christ has given them the Spirit. Christ has given them His Word. Christ has given them a mandate. They’re Christ’s people; take them to Christ. Entrust them to Christ.

In Acts six verse two,

So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the Word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore brethren select from among you seven men of good reputation full of the Spirit and of wisdom whom we may put in charge of this task, but we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.”

Now the demand that the widows were making upon the church was a legitimate demand. It was a need that had to be met. The injustice, the inequity of the distribution of the food was something of a gospel concern. It had to be addressed and the apostles addressed how that need is going to be fulfilled. Servants are recognized and take their place in the ministry of the church, but they also recognized that this legitimate need posed a threat that would distract them from their primary responsibility of the ministry of the Word. So they resolve to devote themselves, that is to give constant attention and persevere in focused endeavor to prayer and the ministry of the Word.

Now, notice that the overall concern is the Word in verse 2. It is not desirable for us to neglect the Word, so in order to maintain that priority of the Word, they devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. Both of those are together. To be devoted to the Word requires devotion to prayer and study and ministry of the Word of God. Devotion to the Word of God is devotion to prayer which is devotion to the Word of God—both are found together, not separately. Both are found together.

You see, before the pastor stands before his people to speak to men on behalf of God, he must have first stood before God and spoken to God on behalf of men. Before he preaches to men he must first have prayed for them, and while he’s preaching to them he needs to be praying for them. Do you do that? There are occasions where I know in my notes that where I am in my passage, that I’m going to say something now that I’ve had in my heart, and I’ve prayed before the Lord in my study that this particular individual would hear what I’m going to say now because this piece of food that’s coming from the pulpit is being put right on that person’s place. Nobody else knows it and that individual might not know it, but I know it because I’m feeding them, and I know that when I’ve been in the Word, and I’m preparing the message, and I come to a point, and I am impressed, “Lord, this is, this is something that needs to speak to Brother So-and-So, he needs to hear this.” So I as I say, brethren, take your Bibles and turn to such and such a passage and while the Bibles are turning, I’m saying, “Lord, open Brother So-and-So’s ears. I’m about to, I’m about to be Your mouthpiece to this man’s conscience, open his ears.” and you intercede while you’re preaching. You’re praying for them. When the ministry is done, and they’re in the back room, and you see them talking, and everyone is milling about and you say, “Lord give me an opportunity when this man comes by, and I shake his hand, let me get his eye, let me say something that’s going to firm and confirm the Word. Let me get some sense that something has happened, that you’ve done something because I’ve prayed for them. I’ve prayed for them.”

Spiritual leadership involves this ministry of intercessory prayer, of standing in the gap. Abraham prayed in chapter 18 for Lot. Yes, he was interceding for the entire city of Sodom, “If there’s fifty righteous, forty, thirty,…” he comes down to ten. When you study the story you realize that Lot and his wife and his children, there could have been ten righteous in Lot’s household, and Abraham is hoping that Lot has been righteous, has kept the faith. He’s interceding for him, and in Genesis 19:29, when Lot was delivered from Sodom, Moses tells us the reason was that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow. Lot was rescued because Abraham interceded for him.

When Israel sinned with the worship of the golden calf in Exodus 32, Moses interceded for them. When God judged the people in Numbers 11 and Numbers 21 for the sin of murmuring, Moses interceded for the people.

After Israel was defeated at the battle of Ai in Joshua 7, Joshua intercedes for the people and is told to search through the camp because God will direct them to the traitor, and Achan surfaces.

1Samuel 12, a passage I’m sure that you’re familiar with, is a text that we would do well to take to heart, verse 23. 1Samuel 12 verse 13,

Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, but I will instruct you in the good and right way.

It’s what the apostles did. It’s what we’re to do. Devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. I’ll not stop praying for you while I endeavor to instruct you in the way of God.

In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel realizing that the seventy years of exile prophesied by Jeremiah has now come to pass, that time has now been completed, what does Daniel do? He gives himself to a ministry of intercessory prayer. In Daniel 9 verse three,

“So I gave my attention to the Lord to seek Him by prayer and supplications with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, ‘Alas, oh Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments. We have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled even turning aside from Your commandments. Moreover we’ve not listened to Your servants the prophets who spoke in Your Name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land. Righteousness belongs to You, oh Lord, but to us open shame as it is this day.'”

Daniel goes on, and he prays confessing sin, acknowledging that they rightly deserve God’s discipline that has come upon them in the exile, but God has promised that He would restore them and the time has come in keeping with God’s own words and timetable. Daniel takes hold of the promises of God and pleads, “God, vindicate Your Word, not because we’re such a great and deserving people, we’re not, but because You are the God who is true to Yourself and to Your promises, so listen to my prayer.”

In Ezekiel 22 verse 23, once again you have an example of intercessory prayer by the prophet of God, “The Word of the Lord came to me.” In Ezekiel 22 there’s conspiracy. They’ve devoured the people, the priests have gone and done violence, verse 27, the princes are like wolves; verse 28, the prophets are speaking lies; the people themselves are committing robbery and doing injustice, and God says in verse 30:

“I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. Thus I have poured out My indication, indignation on them. I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. Their way I have brought upon their heads,” declares the Lord.

The people of God are in moral confusion. The priests, the princes, the prophets, the leaders are in neglect and failing to lead, and God says, in the midst of these people who are asking for My wrath, I’m looking for someone to intercede but I find no one so their way will come upon them.

Now, that’s instructive to us, because it tells us two things about intercessory prayer and its very interesting. The man who would be an intercessor assumes a very dangerous place.

When you watch Abraham in Genesis 18 inching closer and closer to God to make intercession, there’s a sense in which you say, this man is taking great risk, getting closer and closer to this God who is standing on the brink of destroying Sodom! He’s on His way to pour fire and brimstone on Sodom and here is Abraham coming closer and closer to Him and interceding in behalf of a people who deserve wrath and damnation. Abraham is in a very dangerous place. God has come in wrath. God has come to destroy and Abraham’s standing in the middle of that between a people who deserve that wrath and the God who is righteous and holy in exercising that wrath. That’s the place of the intercessor. The same as this instance here in Ezekiel where God says, “these people deserve My wrath. I’m looking for someone to intercede, someone to stand in the gap between the wrath that rightly should fall on them and the heart of the God who yearns to be gracious.”

You see, the interceder taps into the heart of God because although justice must be served, wrath must be vented, the heart of God is such that He delights in mercy and when Abraham came and interceded for a people deserving wrath and pleads for God’s patience, pleads for God’s mercy, pleads for God’s salvation, God liked that. He looked at Abraham and you know what He called him? My friend.

This is My friend. This is someone who understands the seriousness of My holiness. He understands the seriousness of sin. He understands the justice and the righteousness of My wrath, but there’s something about My friend Abraham that resonates with My own heart because he puts himself at risk and stands under the shadow of impending wrath in order to plead for the salvation and the deliverance of undeserving sinners. I like that. That is My friend.

The interceder takes a very risky place because he stands between those who deserve the wrath of God and the God who is righteous in the exercise of that wrath, and yet He pleads for something that is even more deep and profound in the heart of God and that is His desire to to be gracious, to be merciful, to have His wrath propitiated.

The second thing that we learn about this intercessor is that he pleads on the basis of God’s name. Now, he pleads on behalf of people, but not on the basis of the people. He pleads on behalf of the people on the basis of the Name of God, on the basis of the character of God, on the basis of the covenant promises of God.

Have your children ever done that with you? Years ago we moved into our house that we’re living in now and some time prior to that I had made the stupid mistake of telling my kids that when we got to our new house we’d get a dog. To this day I’m living with this animal. [laughter] Jake, the beast, he’s a hundred and twenty-five, hundred and twenty pound lab. He’s got epilepsy. He’s really ugly. Why do I have this animal in my house? Because my children, when they were very young, about ten years ago, at the dinner table the subject came up, “Dad, when are we getting the dog?”

“What dog?”

“Remember the dog that you promised we could get when we came to our house?”

And you know what, they were right. I had promised them that we could get a dog. So, in order to be true to my promise we got the dog.

You know, we can come to our Father like that and say to Him, “You’ve promised. You’ve promised. You, you’ve committed yourself. Your name is at stake. Your reputation is at stake. You’ve promised.”

And take to God His own words, take to Him His promises, not because we deserve it, not because of the basis, not on the basis of what we are or what we deserve. If we pray on that line, we’re in trouble! But because of who God is, because of His character, because of His promises, because He’s committed to us in the person of His Son, because of who Jesus Christ is, because He is our Mediator, because He’s given us His Spirit, because we bear His Name among men.

“For the sake of Your Name, for the sake of Your Word, for the sake of Christ look upon us in mercy and magnify Your grace. We know we’re sinners. We do not deserve anything but Your discipline, but glorify Your grace because You’ve promised. That is Your intent in having saved us. You’ve saved us for the glory of Your Name.”

Let me recommend that you buy and use in your church the book by Donald Carson entitled A Call to Spiritual Reformation. It’s a study of the prayers of the apostle Paul–very helpful. If you find yourself thinking, you know, we gather for prayer and we’re all over the map, we’re praying about this, we’re praying about that, we’re all—we need to learn what to pray about, well this book is very helpful because it’s a study of the content of Paul’s prayers, teaching us to pray for the things that Paul prayed for.

For example, in Ephesians chapter 1, Paul says there in verse 16, that he does not cease giving thanks, making mention of you in my prayers, and here’s what he prays, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

Here’s what you should pray for each other. Here’s what I’m praying for you. That God would give you wisdom, that God would instruct your heart that you might know and experience real hope, solid hope.

Again in chapter 3 verse 14, another record of his prayer.

“For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in Your hearts through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and breadth and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all we ask or think according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, Amen.”

Paul says, here’s what I’m praying for you, here’s what I am interceding for in regard to you the church at Ephesus, that you would be given strength by the Spirit in the inner man so that you would know the presence of Christ in your assembly so that you would grow in faith that you would experience being loved by Jesus that you would be complete and that you would come with me into this place of praise and end with this doxology, “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever.”

In Philippians 1:9-11, the same thing. He prays for increased love. He prays for knowledge. He prays for discernment. He prays that we would be enabled to choose the things that are excellent and to arrive before Christ in judgment having lived holy lives and bearing an abundance of fruit.

Here’s what we should pray for. Here’s what we should teach our people to pray for. There are other places where Paul tells us what he prays for in the church. Paul’s example challenges the way we often pray. We ask for material things. We ask that our situation would change. Paul would say, “Look, don’t worry about changing your situation, worry about you changing. Worry about God changing you, not changing your situation. He wants you to be holy in whatever situation you’re in.”

Yes, you can pray for your health and your job and your situation, casting all our cares upon Him because He cares for you, but pray these things submitted to the kingdom priorities: holiness, sanctification, discernment, growth in faith, growth in grace.

Sometimes we pray for people’s situations to change and we don’t stop to think, maybe God doesn’t want their situation to change. Maybe He wants them to change in that situation. He’s brought them into that situation to teach them patience, to teach them faith, to teach them endurance.

We need to be encouraged by the example of a man like Epaphras in Colossians 4:12 and 13,

“Epaphras who is one of your number a bondslave sends you his greetings always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God for I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodecia and Hyeropolis.”

It’s thought that Epaphras planted the church in Colossea, but Paul doesn’t mention his preaching ministry. He mentions his intercessory prayer ministry and he says, it’s very, very arduous, it’s very, very difficult, he’s laboring earnestly. The Greek word, he’s agonizing. It’s like a picture of the athlete straining to cross the finish line with his jugular veins bulging and sweat pouring out and his muscles straining. There is work involved. He’s laboring earnestly. He does this always, constantly and continually in a disciplined, regular manner. Why? So that you may stand perfect, fully assured in the will of God for your growth in grace.

Our best example in this ministry of course is Christ Jesus Himself in Luke 22 where Jesus speaks to Peter in verse 31,

“Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

While Satan sifts our people we need to intercede for them praying that their faith will not fail.

Again in John, chapter 17, Jesus’ high priestly prayer. John 17, verse 9,

“I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world but of those whom You have given Me for they are Yours.”

Jesus prays on behalf of His apostles. They are with Him that night before His crucifixion, then verse 20,

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone but for those also who believe in Me through their Word.”

He prays for you. He’s praying for me. He’s praying for us, us who believe. Paul tells us in Romans 8 verse 34, that He is at the right hand of God making intercession for us.

In Hebrews 7:25, “He always lives making intercession for us.” The work of Christ right now is the work of the intercessor. It’s the work He calls us to as pastors, to come into the privileged place of intercessory prayer. It’s the thing that Christ Himself is doing. If Christ is doing that, ought not we to be doing that?

Well, quickly let me summarize this last head of practical counsel for the pastoral prayer ministry. I’ve listed to you several passages and commend them to you, but let me ask and attempt to answer the question: what should we pray for our people?

In Colossians 4:2-4, I believe that we’re taught that we should pray for the Holy Spirit to be given to our people in the ministry of the Word of God.

We should pray for our people secondly, that they might endure temptation even as Christ prayed for Peter being tempted, sifted by Satan. We should pray for each member according to their needs as we know them.

Paul says in Romans 10:1 that he prays for his kindred, he prays for his family. In Luke 11:13, again praying that Christ by the Spirit would be present in the meetings of the church and in Colossians 1:9-12 that the people’s faith, love and fruitful service to Christ would grow.

Pray for kingdom concerns, brethren, pray for kingdom concerns.

How should you pray? You need to schedule time to do this. This should be a part of your disciplined, scheduled labor before Christ. You’ll not pray as an interceder by accident. You’ll do it on purpose. You’ll do it by planning to do it. You do it in a systematic way, perhaps in conjunction with your morning devotions to take two or three of the folk who are on your membership list and pray regularly through the list of members.

When you gather for your elders meetings, devote a large part of that time to praying for the particular sheep in your flock and intercede for them. Carry your people in your heart when you’re working in the Word of God. You’ve got your people there, and there will be a realization, “This passage will meet this need. I have to call this person up and encourage them from this word,” or drop to your knees there on that occasion and pray for them. Pray for them spontaneously. Pray for them in a disciplined way. Study Christ. Learn His heart. He is the intercessor, and He will teach us to be interceders. Ask for the Spirit of Christ that you might look upon your people with the compassion of Christ.

Here are two main priorities for our study this year, the priority of preaching and the priority of prayer–the priority of prayer and the priority of preaching.

We can’t separate them. You’re not going to be an effectual preacher if you’re not a man of prayer and the more you become a man of prayer the more you become a better preacher. The two of them are joined together.

May God make us mighty in the pulpit when we speak to men on behalf of God and may God make us mighty on our knees when we speak to God in behalf of men.

This is a lightly edited transcript of a sermon. All Rights Reserved.