Sunday, November 2, 1997 In Your Absence:
In this week’s lesson, which came from Psalms 28:6-7, Colossians 4:2-4, I Thessalonians 5:16-18, and I Peter 5:6-7, we studied about the importance of having a vibrant, growing prayer life. Prayer can do mighty things in a person’s life. When someone does not have a personal, saving relationship with the Lord, then prayer can be the important vehicle which brings that person to Christ. When someone who does know the Lord as Savior is going through a particular difficulty, prayer can be the sustaining force in their life. When one comes down to the final days of their life, prayer can provide peace and comfort when peace and comfort might otherwise seem very far away. In Psalms 28:1, David referred to the Lord as his Rock because he understood that our Heavenly Father can be trusted. Each of us faces difficulties and trials in life, but the Lord is with us in the midst of and through each one. He will never forsake us or leave us alone to battle the hard times of this life. In Daniel 3:24-25, King Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth person in the fiery furnace even though he had only committed three men to that horrible death. Nebuchadnezzar’s theology was not such that he really knew the identity of the fourth person, but he still recognized Him as Someone sent from the God of the Israelites to stand with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
In Colossians 4:2-4, Paul discussed some other important results of prayer. First, the unsaved person can bow his or her head in prayer, confess their need of the finished work of Christ on the cross, and then raise their head in newness of life and with a special hope and trust in the One Who had died for them. Second, the prayers of Christians can be a way to advance the gospel to those who do not already have a saving relationship with the Lord. We can ask God to intervene into a person’s life in such a way that they will acknowledge their need for a Savior. We can also ask the Lord to use us in some purposeful way to point others to Him. The Apostle Paul asked the people at the church of Colosse to pray for him and his ministry. He wanted them to ask the Lord to open doors for him which would create additional opportunities for ministry. He also requested their prayers to the end that he might be better able to express himself. Sometimes, we can become so wrapped up in deep theological truths that we fail to show others the genuine simplicity and love in God’s plan for lost sinners, and Paul did not want himself or others to fall into that trap.
In I Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul encouraged the Christians at that church to pray without ceasing. He had already learned the importance of committing even the most trivial events of this life to his heavenly Father, and how logical it is for all of us to ask for that type of guidance from the One Who knows the beginning and the end. People like to feel smart and important, but the truth is that most of us do not really know all that much. Any one of us can slip and fall into sin. But as we learn to trust each of our steps to the Lord, our stumblings will be far less frequent and far less serious. Paul knew that prayer is important, and he admonished other Christians to have an attitude of constant prayer. In I Peter 5:6-7, the Apostle Peter encouraged Christians to cast their every care upon the Lord because He cares for us. What a comfort this truth should be to each of us who are in the Lord. If you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, then you are truly blessed. Therefore, as you go through the coming week, ask the Holy Spirit to show you someone who needs to hear a good work from you. And when He answers that prayer, try to pass your blessings on to others and share with them your hope in Christ.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
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