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Paul's Prayer Requests

Missions is doing the Great Commission  when we are not at home.  However, we are also to do the Great Commission  when we are at home and that is what church outreach ministries are all about.  Therefore, the Biblical prayer requests for Paul, as a missionary, can also be applied to our church outreach ministries.  Since we are starting a new phase in our church outreach ministries, we should consider these types of Biblical prayer requests and apply them to the church outreach ministries.

  1. Power of God
    1. 1Corinthians 14:15-17 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.  The true power of God is not on speaking with tongues but in true spiritual understanding and in having that understanding with others.  God gave these people the ability to speak in a different tongue.  instead of using that ability to take the gospel to the people who spoke that tongue, they stIyed home and used it to be full of pride before their friends because they could speak a language that their friends could not speak.  The purpose of the power of God is to attract others so that you can give them the gospel.  It is not to be used for pride.  Pray for God to give you His power and for you to use it to bring true spiritual understanding to others.  Pray also for God to give that same power and testimony to all church members so that all can bring understanding to lost people around them.  Remember that the true purpose of any power from God is so that we can edify others.
    2. Philippians 3:8-11 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.  The true power of God is seen in a life lived that testifies of God’s ability to change someone.  That is what Paul is writing in this passage.  Apparently, he had many things in this world.  There are many indications that he was married, relatively rich and powerful, and in a position that many people envied in this life.  However, Paul gladly gave everything up so that he could be used by God.  Here, he tells us that his true power with God started with the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.  Not only are you to pray for the power of God in your life but you are to back that prayer with Bible study so that you can also have the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord.

      Notice that Paul starts out with the attitude of: Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss.  Paul's attitude was that he was willing to lose everything in this world.  His action, based upon that attitude was that He studied so that He could have he excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.

      Next, notice that Paul writes that he has this attitude and action that I may win Christ.  This means that He had a life which was a testimony of how Christ changes people.  This claim is found in what Paul writes next which is: And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.  The phrase: the faith of Christ  is: 'the faith that belongs to Christ.  Christ  went to the cross with the faith  that He could change the lives of believers after they received salvation and do it without taking away their free will like the devil does.  Paul went through  this faith by first entering it and having it surround his life and be what others see.  Once he was through  this faith, he received the righteousness which is of God by faith.  Thus we see that the power of God  is to change our life and testimony so that others see Christ  in us and so that we end up with the righteousness which is of God by faith.  This is what we are to pray that God gives to ourselves and the others in our church.
  2. Protection of God
    1. Romans 15:30-32 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.
    2. Pray for spiritual and physical protection of all church workers.  Notice that the first part of Paul's requested prayer was: That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea.  This was a prayer for protection from saved people in the church who did not believe all that was true doctrine.  They believe in keeping religious traditions which went against the truth of the Bible.  They started a riot which got Paul arrested and, eventually, beheaded,  However, it also caused God to send in the Roman Army to tear down the Temple and kill all of those unbelieving saved Jews along with their families and followers.  We never read about the Jerusalem church again after that.  Therefore, this protection can affect more than the individual.
    3. Pray for spiritual and physical protection of everyone reached through a church ministry.  Next, notice that Paul's prayer included: and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints.  They accepted the money that Paul brought but rejected the testimony and doctrine that Paul brought.  They were not protected from spiritual error because they rejected God's truth and ended up losing their physical protection as well.  Notice that Paul did not ask that they pray that the money be accepted but that the service  be accepted.  If someone with a testimony of being Godly tells you that the Bible says something different from what you have been taught before, you need to verify the truth with the Bible and not just cling to prior teachings.  That is what the people in the Jerusalem church did and they lost the protection of God.  Therefore, keep praying that you, your family and your church would accept whatever God sends to you so that God's protection will remain on all of you.
    4. Thank God for past protection because that is the basis for faith in future protection and God demands that we walk by faith.  Notice the last phrase of Paul's prayer request which is; That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.  This is a prayer request for the desired results of God's ongoing protection.  This prayer request was not granted.  In this case, God had different plans for Paul.  That was true in this case, but other times God's people lose God's protection for other reasons which include refusing to thank God for what He provides.  Thanking God for existing protection is one of the simplest things to do which provides for our ongoing protection.
  3. Performance of God
    1. 1Corinthians 1:4-7 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:.  Our letting God perform through our life gives us spiritual gifts and lets God grow those spiritual gifts in our lives.  Therefore, pray or God’s performance in our own lives and in the lives of others working in the church outreach ministries.
    2. Colossians 4:3-4 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.  We are to pray, not only that God opens the door, but also that God can and will speak through His workers.  That they say what God wants said and not what they want to say.  This is letting God perform His will and work through us.
    3. Ephesians 6:18-19 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.  This reference is part of the spiritual warfare that was the emphasis of the Youth Camp which we just finished.  This is supposed to be part of our preparation for our church ministries going forward.  This should be part of our prayer for every church worker going forward into the future.

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