A Generation on Mission – January 13, 2013

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Effective Prayer for One Another

Last Sunday night we considered how to most effectively pray for each other. Each person looked at a passage from the New Testament where we see Paul and others praying, we then listed our observations on what they prayed for and some themes we saw that we could use in our own prayer times for one another. Here is some of what we saw:

Colossians 1:9-12
• Knowledge of gods will
• Spiritual wisdom / understanding
• A life worthy / pleasing to god
• Bearing fruit in good works
• Strengthen by gods power and might
• Endurance with joy
• Patience with joy
• Giving thanks with joy
• Knowledge of god

II Thessalonians 1:11-12
• Used as gods instruments
• Bold response to gods promptings
• Gods will fulfilled in our lives

II Thessalonians 2:1-3
• Stand firm in bible teaching
• Stand firm in god as sole foundation
• Everlasting hope

Romans 15:5-13
• Unity
• Peace
• Encouraged to ask in trials of others
• Glorify god since we walked through trial

Ephesians 1:16-19
• Spirit of revelation
• Know god better
• Eyes of heart enlighten
• Know hope and great power

Ephesians 3:18-19
• Grasp how high, wide, depth of Christ love
• Holy Spirit work in you
• Established in love
• Christ centered

Philippians 1:9-11
• Love abounding more and more
• Knowledge and insight
• Discernment for what is best
• Pure and blameless
• Filled with fruit of righteousness through Christ

Implications for Our Prayer Life

  • Christ centered is foundation
  • unity – in Christ, not focused on other things
  • share trials – transparent – share struggles to pray very personally – can ask specific ways to pray in person, on phone, in email, IM …
  • Can also pray in your email, pray right there on the phone …
  • pray now with them, remember to pray for them later, ask about then what God has done
  • Initiate sharing and other person will also share
  • Knowledge of God – know him, know who he is – eyes of heart opened that we true, deeply, in the core of who we are, know God and the hope and power that comes from him
  • Knowledge of God is the core to / background of every other prayer … As know God more, will know will, will have fruit, etc and come around to loving God more and knowing God more

Imagine what would happen if each of us got to know the height and breadth and depth and width of the love of Christ and if each of us were filled with all the fullness of God himself! Ephesians 3 tells us that as we pray that for each other God will do immeasurably more than we can even ask or imagine!!!

Will you pray these prayers for yourself and each other today?