Church Family,
Over the past few days, I’ve been reading Lessons From The Apostle Paul’s Prayers by Charles Spurgeon. If you’ve ever read Spurgeon, you know why it has taken me a few days to work through his book. He is very thorough, chasing every relevant rabbit trail he can find. To read Spurgeon, or any Puritan author (Spurgeon is widely considered the last of the Puritans) takes time, focus, and thoughtfulness. While there is no way to summarize the book, I do want to spend some time on the importance of intercessory prayer.
Have you noticed that on several occasions in Scripture the Apostle Paul told the church that he was praying for them? Many books have been written on the content of Paul’s prayers. And while my purpose is not to expound on any one passage, it’s clear that Paul regularly prayed for spiritual realities to be true of the believers. This, of course, doesn’t mean that it’s wrong to pray for physical realities, but when we consider the importance of one’s relationship with God and growth in Christ, it makes sense why Paul’s prayer focus was where it was.
Not only did Paul tell the church that he was praying for them, he also asked the church to pray for him (Rom 15:30-33, 2 Thes 3:1-2). Take a moment to read these passages. Notice the intensity with which Paul asked for prayer. Here’s a question: Does it surprise you that a man of the Apostle Paul’s spiritual stature was asking for prayer from regular church members? It shouldn’t. Paul understood that in his own strength, he was weak and needy. He needed people to be praying for him because he needed God’s Spirit, power, and wisdom to fulfill the ministry that God entrusted to him. His asking the church to pray for him also communicates that all Christians have equal access to God the Father and that God hears the prayers of His people. Why else would Paul ask for prayer?
In fact, Spurgeon asserts that intercessory prayer is an important part of the work of Christians for one another (52). Not all people can preach. Not all people can teach. Not all people can exert energy in the service of others. That said, every Christian can pray! And when we pray for others, we love them in one of the best ways possible; and based on Romans 15:30, how important is it to strive together with one another in such an endeavor?
Prayer is a mysterious thing. I confess that I don’t understand why God doesn’t answer certain prayers that would seem to be according to His will. Sometimes it’s hard to read certain promises of God when we don’t see them fulfilled in the moment. In such times, it’s important to remember that He is God and we are not. He is perfect in wisdom. We do well to remind ourselves of this and learn to trust Him, even when the tide is rising and the future seems uncertain. Because we desperately need His grace, and because Jesus teaches us to keep on asking, to keep on seeking, and to keep on knocking, that’s what we do.
Pastor Nate