Equiped to Pray

This morning, my message is primarily focused on that second task - to equip the saints. In full form that is - to equip the saints for the ministry of the gospel. And what that means is that the church is responsible for giving you the tools, knowledge, and experience necessary for you to live life as a believer and to accomplish the work that God has set apart for you to do.

One of the most important things for us to realize as believers is that each of us walks into this world as ambassadors for Jesus. So there are some certain things that we should know how to do as we go out - and as we provide care for one another.

So today my purpose is to Equip you to Pray, with a primary focus on praying for OTHERS, or praying as ministry.

If you have your Bibles - please turn to John 17.

If you don’t know what prayer is - the most basic description is that prayer is You talking to God. As Christians - we believe we communicate with God in an incredible way. WE have access to the throne of Grace, and we get to approach that throne as children of the king, with all of the promises that that entails. This is privileged conversation, with the creator of the universe.

Again - my focus this morning is praying as ministry;

James 5:16 CSB

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

Ephesians 6:18–20 CSB

18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. 20 For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 CSB

1 In addition, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you,

1 Samuel 12:23 CSB

23 “As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way.

1 Peter 3:12 CSB

12 because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil.

Prayer is simple, we should not over complicate it. You can pray with your eyes open or closed, with your hands in your pockets or stretched to the sky, you can pray out loud or in your mind.

The way that we like to pray for others - is to come here, ask for prayer for someone, and agree with the speaker as they are praying.

And that is good, and it is effective. But there is some missing to it.

When we are praying - as ministry - for others, we should pray out loud.

When we pray out loud- like when we worship - it accomplishes two things:

It Glorifies God

It encourages those who hear it.

We know that - because that is our experience. If you have ever had someone pray over you, you know that if they have done that well - you feel differently, even if your situation hasn’t changed at all.

Why? We know what was asked of the Father.

And we know the father listens.

And we know he is faithful.

And we know he loves us.

And we know he gives good things.

So we can rest. Even before he has done anything.

So prayer becomes a ministry that we can actively engage in, on a regular basis, for the good of those around us.

This morning we are going to look at a time that Jesus prayed.

This is not a full exposition of John 17. There are important theological truths here that I will not touch at all this morning. My primary focus is prayer for others. And after we look at this together, I want to take some time at the end of this service and pray for one another. This is an incredible chapter of scripture because it really is us listening in on a prayer given by Jesus to God, the Father, towards the end of his earthly ministry.

As you listen - put yourself in that place, as a disciple at the feet of Jesus, as he prays this.

John 16:33 CSB

33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

John 17 CSB

1 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ. 4 I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed. 6 “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 because I have given them the words you gave me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me. 9 “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they are yours. 10 Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I was protecting them by your name that you have given me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture may be fulfilled. 13 Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them. 14 I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”

Posture: He stopped and looked up. He honored and his relationship with God by calling him father.

Prayed for himself. - that’s a whole other series of messages. You know you can pray for yourself?>?

Prayed for disciples. Encouragements first. He also prayed for people who hadn’t yet come to know him as lord, but would. - Talked about our relationship with Jesus. - Accomplishments, and closeness. - special status

So when we pray:

1. Acknowledgement of God and who He is.

2. Acknowledgement of current condition.

3. Acknowledgement of the Will of God

4. Requests - With promises - based on current conditions.

5. Give Thanks.

Does not pray for unholy things - prays within the will of God.

“I’m not praying for the world”

So how does this work out in real life:

You encounter someone. Im gonna use Rick.

They ask for prayer - or you ask them if you can pray for them.

How can I pray for you? Rick says - I got a problem at work.

And you Pray. Something like this:

Father, Thank you for everything you are doing in our lives. My Brother rick here loves you, and has found himself in a difficult situation at work. We know that it is your desire that we work well, and we glorify you in the work that we do. He is struggling here. In this situation we lean on the promise that you go before us, God help him in each conversation - in each interaction. Help him to do the things that you have called him to. Thank you. In Jesus name.

We all need prayer. The people around us, all need prayer.

Some of us know that we are in situations that we REALLY need prayer.

The disciples were in that place - they didn’t ask for prayer, Jesus knew that they needed it. He had just gotten through with telling them - my favorite verse John 16:33

John 16:33 CSB

33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

You are gonna suffer. Let me pray for you.

So he prays.

His own language - his own relationship.

The more comfortable we are - the more we will do this naturally.

Habit stacking - when you go to your vehicle, you pray. When you eat you pray.

Every time this happens, I am going to pray.

Prayer is sort of a discipline - a ‘have to’

but it is much more a privilege. We GET To.

As believers - we get to pray for ourselves, we get to pray for others.

We have the ability, we have the access, we have the encouragement.

The next few minutes, Lets pray for one another. Find someone nearby. Ask them how you can pray for them. And then lets do it.

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