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PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK

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5. Fight for God by praying for all the saints.

A. PRAY FOR ALL THE SAINTS BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUR FELLOW SOLDIERS.

If you’re on the battlefield and your fellow soldiers get shot, you’re in big trouble! The point is, we’re not Christians in isolation, but in fellowship with the entire church. As Paul has emphasized in Ephesians, we are one body in Christ. If one member hurts, the whole body hurts. Also, praying for your fellow soldiers in the battle will motivate you to love them and work out any relational conflicts. It’s difficult to pray for someone and still be at odds with him. Pick up a church directory and work your way through it, praying for each person. Even if you don’t know the people, if you meet them there will be an instant connection, because you’ve been praying for them. Or, you can call and say, “I’m praying for you. Do you have any special requests? Could we arrange to meet at church this Sunday?”

B. PRAY ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES OF MINISTRY.

Paul asks for prayer for himself, that he will “make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (6:19-20). He is asking for prayer that he would have opportunities to proclaim the gospel and the boldness and liberty to make it plain. Every Christian is in the ministry, but evangelists, missionaries, pastors, and other Christian leaders are especially targets for the enemy. If Satan can bring down a leader, he scores big time!

The phrase, “the mystery of the gospel,” does not mean that it is a hidden secret, but rather that it is divinely revealed truth. It is not logical truth that anyone can deduce on his own. Rather, God must open blind eyes to see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4-6). So Paul asked for prayer for boldness as he proclaimed this revealed mystery.

When you read through the Book of Acts, you don’t get the impression that Paul was lacking in boldness! In fact, he was in prison because he had boldly proclaimed the gospel to a mob that had attempted to kill him! When you read what he had endured for the sake of the gospel, it seems that nothing could stop him (2 Cor. 11:23-29). So why was he asking prayer for boldness in witness?

There may be two reasons. First, Paul was not a strong, naturally gifted communicator. The Corinthians had said of him, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech is contemptible” (2 Cor. 10:10). He says that he was with them “in weakness and in fear and in much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). He knew that he was inadequate in himself, so he needed prayer for boldness (2 Cor. 3:5).

Second, Paul was about to go before Caesar, who would either acquit or condemn him. There would be the strong temptation to be diplomatic and to avoid talking to Caesar about his need for repentance from his sin in order to receive God’s forgiveness in Christ. Perhaps Satan tempted Paul with the thought, “Think of how many more you could reach if you get out of prison! Just play it safe when you go before Caesar and you’ll have your freedom.” But Paul wanted to proclaim the gospel boldly and clearly to Caesar. So he asked for prayer.

Pray for missionaries, evangelists, pastors, and Christian leaders to be fearless and uncompromising when it comes to the gospel. Pray for me! Spurgeon was once asked the secret of his great success. Although I’m sure we could identify many other factors, he replied simply, “My people pray for me.”

C. PRAY FOR YOURSELF, THAT YOU WOULD BE BOLD AND CLEAR IN YOUR WITNESS FOR CHRIST.

It’s amazing that Paul did not ask for prayer that he would be released from prison or for prayer for his health needs. Rather, he asked for prayer that he would proclaim the gospel boldly and not miss any opportunities. While it’s all right to pray for your personal needs, Paul’s example here, as well as the Lord’s Prayer, teach us that our primary focus in prayer should be furthering the kingdom of God, not making ourselves more comfortable. So make Paul’s passion your passion, to pray that you will be used to proclaim the gospel to the lost with clarity and boldness.

Conclusion

John MacArthur observes (ibid., p. 378), “Ephesians begins by lifting us up to the heavenlies, and ends by pulling us down to our knees.” Remember, the Christian life is not about making yourself happy and comfortable. It’s a battle with the unseen forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. To fight for God against this evil enemy, we must be people of prayer! We will only advance safely on our knees!

Application Questions

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