Knees....
Ephes. 6:19-24 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, [20] for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
[21] Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. [22] I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
[23] Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. [24] Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
We get the church that we pray for. There’s no getting away from that fact. Much of the Christian walk, both personally and as a community is one of intercession, of lifting our prayers to God and requesting that he is gracious to us and answers our prayers. And we should be interceding for our Churches and our Church Leaders. We get the churches we pray for.
So Paul’s request that the Ephesians pray for him is heartfelt. He knows the responsibility that has been placed on his shoulders as a Church leader. He knows that one day he will be responsible to God for the way that he led the Church here on Earth. And faced with that awesome task he realises that he alone is not up to it. He needs the strengthening of the Spirit and support of his peers. Paul knows, and he is reminding the community here that they get the church they pray for.
Very often the church we are in is not as we’d like it to be, and within us there is a sense of discontentment. What we do with that sense of unease is crucial. We may be inclined to leave, to find a church closer to the one we want, after all there are hundreds of churches, surely you can find one to match your taste. But what happens the next time you feel uneasy? Will you move on again? Will you become a consumer of religion rather than a worshipper? Leaving a Church should be a wrench, a real calling, not something done on a whim or a preference. If there is something causing you to be discontented in your church maybe it is because the Spirit is trying to drive you to your knees, trying to bring others around you to their knees, to intercede with God, to beg him to pour the riches of Heaven out on your faith community. If we’re not happy with our church experience is it because we have not upheld our leaders in prayer?
We want, we need our leaders to fearlessly proclaim the Gospel, to lead our churches into being genuinely God fearing, God honouring, people loving, transforming communities. We need them to show us the way. But they are not superhuman. They are people like us. They need our help, support and prayers.
We get the churches we pray for.
[21] Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. [22] I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
[23] Peace to the brothers, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. [24] Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
We get the church that we pray for. There’s no getting away from that fact. Much of the Christian walk, both personally and as a community is one of intercession, of lifting our prayers to God and requesting that he is gracious to us and answers our prayers. And we should be interceding for our Churches and our Church Leaders. We get the churches we pray for.
So Paul’s request that the Ephesians pray for him is heartfelt. He knows the responsibility that has been placed on his shoulders as a Church leader. He knows that one day he will be responsible to God for the way that he led the Church here on Earth. And faced with that awesome task he realises that he alone is not up to it. He needs the strengthening of the Spirit and support of his peers. Paul knows, and he is reminding the community here that they get the church they pray for.
Very often the church we are in is not as we’d like it to be, and within us there is a sense of discontentment. What we do with that sense of unease is crucial. We may be inclined to leave, to find a church closer to the one we want, after all there are hundreds of churches, surely you can find one to match your taste. But what happens the next time you feel uneasy? Will you move on again? Will you become a consumer of religion rather than a worshipper? Leaving a Church should be a wrench, a real calling, not something done on a whim or a preference. If there is something causing you to be discontented in your church maybe it is because the Spirit is trying to drive you to your knees, trying to bring others around you to their knees, to intercede with God, to beg him to pour the riches of Heaven out on your faith community. If we’re not happy with our church experience is it because we have not upheld our leaders in prayer?
We want, we need our leaders to fearlessly proclaim the Gospel, to lead our churches into being genuinely God fearing, God honouring, people loving, transforming communities. We need them to show us the way. But they are not superhuman. They are people like us. They need our help, support and prayers.
We get the churches we pray for.
posted by Gordon at
8:26 am
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