Young People's Group

PRAYING FOR OUR SPIRITUAL FAMILY

by Pastor Mitch
July 07, 2013

Learning To Have A Reasoned Approach To Prayer

What would cause us to get down to praying for a fellow brother or sister in need? Paul sought to pray for the Ephesian Church because he had a reasoned approach towards prayer.

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” 
Ephesians 3:14

The phrase “For this reason” has the idea of how the grace of God had been given and experienced by Paul. It is because of this grace that Paul sought to humbly bow before the Lord. This was his reason to pray and intercede for others. Paul had wonderfully experienced great grace from God in being saved and being given the awesome privilege of being a minister (Ephesians 3:7). He was also given grace despite being the least of the brethren (as Paul thought himself to be) to preach to the Gentiles the deep things of Jesus (Ephesians 3:8). It is because of this great grace that he constantly and humbly bowed before his heavenly Father to pray. There was a deep sense of appreciation to God as his Father as he prayed. Let’s also seek to pray for each other because we have experienced the grace of God in our life.

Praying With Concern For Our Spiritual Family

“From whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” 
Ephesians 3:15

As Paul prayed, he was both conscious of and concerned for the great spiritual family at large. He saw how all those in heaven (both angels and departed saints) and all those who loved the Lord on earth were under the same family name … the name of Jesus. The Apostle Paul saw Christians as his spiritual family. He was deeply concerned for them in prayer. When we believe in the Lord Jesus, we are no longer strangers and foreigners but saints and members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19). We are part of one big family with those on earth and in heaven. Paul was conscious of the whole family of God and the Lord’s name as he prayed. Young people, let’s also be concerned for our spiritual family.

Most of us would know that Jerrie Jiang has been diagnosed with acute Leukaemia. Leukaemia is the cancer of the blood where there are much more white blood cells in the blood and the bone marrow than needed. Jerrie has started on her chemotherapy treatment and this will go on for the next few weeks. It will be challenging for her. Let’s seek to be concerned enough to remember her in prayer. She is family. We are family. As family and as recipients of God’s grace, let’s bow our knees and pray for her.

Praying For Spiritual Strength

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” 
Ephesians 3:16

What do we pray for? Let’s pray that the Lord would grant Jerrie the inner man strength that she needs. Paul prayed that the Lord would grant the Ephesian Church strength according to the riches of His glory. Paul humbly prayed because he was not taking it for granted that God would give what he asked for. It is God’s prerogative to grant. It is also our responsibility to pray and plead according to the abundance of His glory. Paul prayed that the Ephesians would become strong, being empowered through the work of the Holy Spirit. He prayed earlier in the text of Ephesians 1:17 that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation would fill them in the knowledge of God and that their mind and heart would be spiritual enlightened. God can really strengthen us in the inner man through His Spirit. Let’s pray that the Spirit of God would strengthen Jerrie and all of us as we face the challenges of life.

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