R347 A Prayer for the Church

We all could use some encouragement find it together today in the Bible-based teaching Dr. Don Wilton to see the messages about the rumor about praying itself and would love to pray with and for you anytime at 866-899-WORD dropped the number down 866-899-9673 would love to pray with and for now, gracious God and our loving heavenly father we come into your presence this morning with Hawks food overflowing with hearts filled with gratitude for your grace and for your goodness to us. Father, you have chosen us you have redeemed us.

You have included us you have walked us and sealed us and guaranteed us by the deposit of your Holy Spirit father. Despite the many times that we fail you.

You have seen fit to visit upon us as a people and as a nation and we thank you to thank you for what you have done for what you continue to do in our community board. What a joy it was to be out of the church Park yesterday with over 150 children with Keith Nicholson, children's minister and ADR recreation minister in all the parents and to see God moving in Lord we just love our children so much they special gifts from you. Thank you for pouring out your spirit upon them. Please protect them. Lord watch over them. Help assist parents as older people to be able to exercise wisdom and discernment as we seek to rear our children in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord Jesus, we thank you for our teenagers.

Lord Lord will bless our people. It's so good to be in the house of God and father. More importantly than anything else. Our prayers today that that your spirit would just the same upon us for the sake and for the weary. Those who are discouraged this morning. Please bless them and watch out for them. Father, we are in the middle of an election year.

This so much being saved on public platforms help us as a congregation help God's people everywhere to be able to make the right judgments based upon Christian values on the precepts of God's word. Lord we think of the Billy Graham Crusade September in Charlotte infanta Stadium where excited about that so many of our people are going.

But Lord, we don't want this just to be an exempt we want this to be a spiritual awakening.

We want this to be. I happening with God presences himself with us and as we pray for your service and those who lead we pray for all the churches we pray for operation and we pray to God that we might see an unprecedented outpouring in the Carolinas, such of which we've never seen before. We pray, oh God, that you would get all the praise and glory that the lost people would be there that they would come to understand the life they would come to know that you are the light of the world drawn to us thy favor this day for this is our prayer we pray together as a congregation in that name which is above every name, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for his sake, I remain Jesus Savior you are the rock, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against Jesus told his disciples many many years ago that he was not up for compromise. As far as he was concerned he was not open to debate. He was not open to any form of watering down what he believed he had instituted in his church upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against that I'm going to say to you today beloved framers that Satan is sure having a marvelous time trying to destroy God's church. You can go to England today and you going to find churches everywhere that are in absolute room bingo holes facilities that are being sold out, sold down the river places that were once filled with God's people that today are nothing more than a furniture store or some other kind of facility to satisfy the community in which they live. What a tragedy. I want to speak this morning on a prayer for the church. Please turn with manual Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1 Ephesians chapter 1 and I'm going to begin reading at verse 50. Ephesians chapter 1 in verse 15. This is what Paul said. He said for this reason ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and of your love for all the science I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep on asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know better.

The God of our fathers, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he is called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the science and he's incomparably great power for us who believe that power is like the work of these mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realm, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given without any in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head of the everything for the church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

What a powerful word from God's word by the Lord writes his word upon our hearts this morning. Let us pray together how father you told us that the gates of hell would never prevail against your church and Jerry and pulls native to the Ephesians we read the Hawk cryo- garden server load that is the Hawk cry for these United States of America today. It is the Hawk cry for our own beloved church. The church comprised of God's people father write this word upon our hearts this morning. Help us to understand your word father for those that need to respond and make decisions today. Oh God, we pray that they would be ready to step forward publicly and without apology.

Trusting Jesus Christ as their Savior.

For we all ask these things in Jesus name and for his sake. A man, a number of years ago I was teaching a seminar with the river Junior Hill wonderful man from Alabama great man of God, we had a time of prayer. With about 100 seminary students and when I had gone through praying often about 30 minutes. I looked down and Junior Hill was on his stomach and he's a very large man. He was on his stomach just spread out weeping before God, I'll never forget it. It made a tremendous impression on my own heart and life. Many people, it said, as we have learned that Paul wrote this epistle on his knees minimally. I believe that Paul was stretched out prostrate before God as he wrote to the church at Ephesus inspired by the spirit of God because of the things that were written upon his heart.

There was so much that God had revealed to him that he came to the point at which he was saying to himself what is it that God wants us to pray about in the church.

What should we pray about where should our focal point be so full began to find God and right there in verse 15 he says. For this reason. Now what was the reason for ease pray we've looked at it. The reason was in verse three that they were chosen. The reason was that they were blessed.

The reason was in verse seven that they were redeemed. The reason was in verse 13 verse 13 will look at verse 13 again with me and you will also included in Christ.

Just think about that. Just think that God could take Richard sinners like you and me and that he could include us in the very heartbeat of everything that God is when he went on in verse 13 and 14 and he said I want to just thank God.

Why because we have been and we have been sealed and we had been guaranteed by the deposit of the Holy Spirit, he said. In fact, I want you to know people that you been blessed beyond your wildest imagination and so it is that the apostle Paul finds himself in the presence of God thanking God for the manifold blessings that had been poured out upon God's people walked an occasion to pray and then as if that is not enough.

We learn in verse 15 that Paul wrests all of this upon those pillars of our very salvation. The guarantee the mark of who we are in Christ Jesus.

The most amazing this way of God's divine grace is found in verse 15, because he says not only have we been chosen and blessed. Not only have we been redeemed and included not only have we been locked and sealed and guaranteed by the spirit of God, but the soul rest on the guarantee of the mark of your salvation of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and of the love that you have for one another.

What an unbelievable thing. I wonder the apostle Paul was ecstatic. No wonder there is no punctuation there was no place to pull. This is the breathless wonder of the submissive who God is. This is the outpouring of the manifestation of the blessings of God. This is the salvation that the writer to the Hebrews said, so we escape if we neglect so great salvation.

Paul was beginning to get to something here at this juncture in his letter to the church at Ephesus. He was saying to them, listen, beloved friends, your faith in your love needs to be kept in a perfect balance. They are separate but they wanted of the same faith without love is absolutely meaningless and what he was saying is that unfortunately there are many, many believers who have a loveless kind of fight. Listen to what Jesus said whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and who ever loves the father loves the child born of him in one John chapter 5 in verse one. What a commendation. So many believers today beloved friends have a loveless kind of fight I went to look back in my calendar 15 years ago, almost exactly found myself preaching a crusade in the city together with Ed Lacey who was out with our young people a little while back some of you may remember it and one occasion a group of people kind us and they said to us. We want you to going to the high schools and so we went off to one of the public high schools. We were very careful, very diplomatic.

Some people were coming saying you better be careful, the anti-Christian lead union. The ACLU's going to get off to hear this person got a complainant this person is up in arms. And what about the Constitution and all these other kinds of things and we said well Lord we just going to go and we kind of minister as best as we can in your nine public high school and I'll never forget that occurs because as we stood there in that gymnasium. The power of God came down upon the place probably much like it's doing the Pensacola revival at this present time, the power of God just came down upon that school auditorium had nothing to do with us. I can assure you what I was saying, probably didn't make sense to anybody because we were trying to hold back. I didn't have a Bible in case someone would criticize us and all these kinds of things and we got down there to the end of that worship service and there was a tap on my shoulder and I turned around to look into the face of the high school principal and he was weeping uncontrollably. I mean, he was just weeping in front of these hold faculty in front of all the school they will all acquired a high school and I'll never forget what he said to me he said Rev. he said I don't know what's going on around here.

But this Jesus that you talking about Scott all over me and he said I don't care if I lose my job.

He said I want you to tell these young people exactly what it is and I want you to give them an opportunity because I love these young people more than anything more than my job, my status my position more than anything in the whole world I love these young people to know what I believe God is telling me right now. And right there in their public auditorium. We had an invitation and kids came streaming out. I mean screaming out. They were all over and you never guess what happened. We went four hours we were there at 9 o'clock in the morning (1 o'clock in the office and we ruined the whole day we accept the curriculum we put everything in reverse gear, and the spirit of God came in Ed Lacey and I went back to our motel room filled with the spirit of God and at about 4 o'clock in the office and there was a knock on our door. There were three members from the local First Baptist Church and they said we just come to tell you how happy we all we just come to tell you what this means to us. We just come to tell you that we believe that God needed to do this in our city but we also want you to know that we certainly hope that none of those Blacks come to our church and try and follow through with this tonight, oh my, that is a loveless kind of faith wholesale who ever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and who ever loves the father loves the child born of him. What a commendation. And here in Ephesians chapter 1. As the apostle Paul begins to come to grips with what God was doing in his own life, he begins to overflow with gratitude in his own heart.

You going to find gratitude and thanksgiving over 26 times in the writings of the apostle Paul in Romans one, the site he thanks God for the faith open throughout the world of the Roman church in one Corinthians 1 verse four. He thanks God for the grace of God given to you in Philippians chapter 1 of this three.

He thanks God for every remembrance of you in second Thessalonians chapter 1 of the three. He thanks God bound to give thanks God always for you and is one right crusade shortly. A man who could give thanks so much, so often, despite the circumstances must've been a person who must've abounded with the joy of Almighty God, what an incredible thing to give thanks to God you're listening to Dr. Don Wilton don't go away go back to complete today's message of prayer for the church in just a moment, but you haven't seen them pop up on television programs all across the nation talking about the book the disbelief a couple of months ago.

It's called Saturdays with Billy.

If you have discovered what this is all about visitor website. Read the first chapter get some insight TW online.org also the place you can follow Dr. Donovan socials sign up for the daily Encouraging Word email that's online@twonline.org now back today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton I become more convinced in my life. Beloved friend that care as we read these words in verse 16. I have not stopped giving thanks you. Verse 17 I keep on asking God. It is continual present ongoing. It never stops. It's in finite. It has no ending. Paul was signed the overflow of my heart is Dick's oppression of the joy of what God is done for me and because of what God is done for me. I cannot stop thanking God for what he's also done for you. And when Paul begins to talk at this juncture, he is saying to the church at Ephesus. I want to pray is Ashley for you and so he begins to focus in on a prayer for the church. It comes in three full I want to give you the first two together because they are written together, they almost synonyms sharing verse 17, number one, he prays for a spirit of wisdom for the church. Number two, he prays for a spirit of revelation for the church, both in verse 17 and then in verse 18 he prays that the eyes of their hearts might be open that the eyes of your heart might be enlightened. Let's look at these very quickly. I want to join the first two, the spirit of wisdom and the spirit of revelation together in verse 17. Let's read it again.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father may give you the spirit of wisdom now pokes me but I understand something here that would spirit there is the word in the Greek New Testament, but there's something very interesting about that in the Greek New Testament. You know what it is.

There is no definite article before spirit. Now that's the for those of you that don't know what a definite article, the there is no in front of spirit in the Greek New Testament.

You say to me, will foster why is the there will.is there because of our English language. Look, if I read it without the debtor goes missing. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father may give you spirit of wisdom does make sense in English because we don't talk like that.

That is why they did.

The article is put the wounds spirit. He is not the same word that is used for the Holy Spirit.

Why not because the apostle Paul is not saying that this is not all the Holy Spirit when he talks about the spirit of wisdom. He is talking about the consequence of the Holy Spirit.

He's talking about what the Holy Spirit does fall the believer in first Corinthians chapter 6, we know that the spirit is given to all believers.

We know also in first Corinthians that the Spirit of God dwells in the body, the temple of all believe we know the apostle Paul is not talking about the human spirit because we are screwed weeping given spirit. What Paul is saying here is no different to you and me looking at each other and sign boy. He's full of goods. Disney he has a good spirit. Jesus said it like this in the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 he said blessed are the poor in spirit. What was he talking about.

He was talking about the wisdom of God the wisdom that comes from the spirit and the apostle pool upon his face before God is looking across at those college student and is looking across at those teenagers and he's looking across of those deacons and he's looking across at those Sunday school teachers and he's looking across of those educators and he's looking across at those preachers and those moms and those dads anything upon my knees. I want to pray that you receive a spirit of wisdom what is wisdom. It is that you receive not only godly knowledge but you receive my friends. The understanding and the capacity to receive the wisdom that God has already made available to his children.

What incredible thought he see Paul is saying here folks. You don't have to go out and look for a little bit more of a blessing God's already given it to you and Paul is saying that probably the greatest tragedy among the church at Ephesus. Among these people was that they were not willing and they didn't understand the availability of all that God had poured out upon them, and so he prayed that they would have a spirit of wisdom and what is a spirit of wisdom.

The spirit of wisdom means that you are able to translate and interpret an appropriate and apply all the riches of God's grace in the exercise of your day to day living that you are able to live according to God's word. According to God's standards and according to God's directions. Mom and dad what do you pray for your children with regards to orderly not to be praying that our children would grow up having the spirit of wisdom in them orderly not to pray that our children would grow up knowing what it is that God saved the forest God is God and God has these standards and I'm going to say to you, beloved friends that I have met some of the most on five born-again godly people that are Democrats and I have met some of the most on on five godly people, born-again Christians, who are Republicans.

And conversely I have made some of the most immoral people who are Democrats and some of the most immoral people who are Republicans and the spirit that he is talking about her is that which is already in us you got God's burden you need to appropriate guards. So two things happen here parallel holy site I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation with what purpose, in order that you may know him revelation, the means by which God by his spirit pours out his soul upon you and gives you a clear understanding, wisdom, the interpretation of the data that you have received through the power of the Holy Spirit and the exercise and application of knowledge to your daily life.

What an incredible thing to think about. Indeed, it is an incredible thing as Dr. Wilton leaves the pulpit and stepped into the studio prelude. Open your heart to what he wants to share before we can. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my in Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting.

You perhaps you just pray together with Dr. Don Wilton to give your life to Christ to rededicate.

Perhaps the Lord is still stirring in your heart and you want to talk to someone. Here's our phone number jotted down during your cell 866899 word is where we would love to connect with resources.

If you just gave your life to Jesus. Rededicate your life Dr. Don Wilton have this packet called us at 866-899-9673 email us at online@tewonline.org that's T he devil online.org.

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