New Year’s Resolution

Pray   

Col.4: 2-6

So how is your prayer life? Prayer can be easy or difficult depending on many factors. There are days when we seem to touch heaven with our prayers, and other days when our words seem to bounce off the ceiling.

Did you know that nearly 1,400 verses in the Bible speak about prayer?

Facts and Excuses About Prayer

Prayer makes a difference … we don’t know how … we just know it does.

Prayer brings wisdom.

Prayer provides strength for difficult times.

Prayer convicts us of areas in our life that need changing.

We know these things by heart. We know by experience that “prayer changes things.” We know that prayer changes us and it changes the world around us. We know that God gave prayer to us as a wonderful gift. If that is true (and it is), then why don’t we pray more than we do?

Several years ago D. A. Carson, New Testament professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity discusses excuses we make for not praying more than we do. Do any of these sound familiar?

“I am too busy to pray.”          

“I feel too spiritually dry to pray.”

“I feel no need to pray.”          

“I am too bitter to pray.”

“I am too ashamed to pray.”

These excuses don’t amount to anything at all. We fail to pray because we don’t want to pray.  If we wanted to pray more, we would.

Three Ways to Pray Effectively

A. Be devoted to prayer

“Devote yourselves to prayer” (Colossians 4:2a). The word “devote” means to grab hold of something and not let go,  to hang on no matter what happens. You never give up on prayer even when it seems useless.

B. Be watchful in prayer

Colossians 4:2 says, “Being watchful.” The word means to “stay awake.”

We mess around in prayer because we think it doesn’t matter, when in reality we are sentries standing guard at the front lines of spiritual combat.

C. Be thankful in prayer 

Someone has said that there are only two basic prayers, and each is only one word: “Help!” and “Thanks!” If we said “Thank you” to the Lord more often, we might get the help we need more often.

In Colossians 4:3-4 we find four very practical prayer requests. Make a special note of these things because these are prayers God welcomes and desires to answer.

A. For those on the front lines of spiritual conflict

“And pray for us, too” (Colossians 4:3a).

B. For God-sent open doors of opportunity

“That God may open a door for our message” (Colossians 4:3b).

The has to do with new opportunities for spreading the gospel.

By prayer I can become a world traveler. And no terrorist threat can ground my plane, no fears of war can stop me. By prayer I can go anytime, anywhere to support the work of God.

v.3c C. For boldness despite difficult circumstances “So that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains” (Colossians 4:3b).

v.4 D. For clarity in presenting the gospel “That I may proclaim it clearly, as I should” (Colossians 4:4). He wants to make sure that what he says is easily understood by others.

So how are things at Folsom Community Church in these early weeks of 2014?

The challenges are real and must be faced.

After 3 years in SAC, I believe our best days are yet in front of us.

God has so much more to do through us if only we will unite together to seek his face.

O Lord, make us a praying people.

O Lord, make us a praying church.

O Lord, do whatever it takes to see your power unleashed in our midst.

O Lord, teach us to pray. Amen.