Those confessing Jesus as Lord know that prayer is an important part of our lives. Prayer is a mystery as to how it works, but somehow when we pray we get God involved in our situation and He acts. His answers come quickly, slowly, in clarity or in ways that are not clear until some time has passed. It's part of the mystery of prayer, since we are dealing with the transcendent God.
The Apostle Paul has some prayer requests in the book of Ephesians that are good ideas for us to pray today. In that letter chapt. 6:18-20 his first request is for the church. In verse 18 he writes to pray " ..... for all the saints." That means the church. We should pray for ourselves because in these wicked days the church has to know and be clear as to what our message is and what we stand for. We need love and truth and to be able to be strong in Christ to face the ungodly challenges confronting us. We need the power of the Holy Spirit and that comes through prayer, and it should be one of our prayers also.
Another request is to pray for Paul himself. His request is that he could "....make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel." We should pray for our pastors and leaders in our churches. They need to be able to stick to the Gospel message regardless of it's popularity or society's resistance to it, and to preach it with the boldness of the Spirit. So many today speak encouraging messages, well crafted and engaging, but lacking in spiritual power and truth about salvation. Our pastors face difficult challenges today, and need our prayers to preach the gospel with boldness and fulfill their holy calling.
Lastly, and similarly, his request is for him to speak,"....as I ought to speak." That is, he knows the Gospel is a mystery, and for him to make it clear he needs to speak in such a way that is relevant to his hearers. Our pastors face the same challenge. People today are becoming more and more illiterate when it comes to the Bible. Pastors must be able to speak with clarity so that the Holy Spirit may apply truth to the hearts of the hearers in ways only He can. For this they need the power of His Presence, and for that they need us to be prayerful and supportive of them in this great endeavor. So Paul's requests for his ministry in his day is one we can consider for our time and ministry as well.
Our USA is in serious trouble, and only a true revival of our Christian faith in this nation will turn us around and bring healing. The church, and our pastors/preachers/teachers are vital to this mission. Accordingly, our prayers are vital to their effectiveness.
Make it your ministry to pray Paul's requests.
