A Prayer Worth Remembering and Modeling, Part 1

Prayer is a common experience to Mohs some cases prayer is a formal expression happens in the church service. Other times it's a sentence or two that's whispered privately during our day, whether formal or spontaneous prayer is an essential discipline for expressing our deepest thoughts to God today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll points to a passage in Colossians chapter 1, the apostle Paul provides a powerful lesson on prayer looking for ways to better connect with your creator titled today's message a prayer worth remembering, and model two things about each one of you two things even though I don't know most of you personal first unconfident that you pray you are a person that believes in prayer. You may or might not use a prayer list. You may not know how to do it like others know how to do it but you on your own. Pray second thing I know about you is that when you pray, you remember those you love those you know well because you know them well. You can pray specifically for them. Both are commendable. These are great habits to cultivate the habit of prayer for those you know those you love more than you realize it keeps them on their feet keeps them going, so keep doing it others another side to all of this, you may not have thought about before, which Paul reminds us of when we come to the first chapter of Colossians verses nine through 14, and that is praying for people you don't know people you have never met you, pray for them as you pray for those you know and love you maybe surprised to know that I've taken a quick survey through the Scriptures on my own and found there are numerous prayers offered up by individuals praying for people they'd never met people they did not know.

I believe people prayed for me during my growing up years that that didn't know me but they knew my parents probably knew what my parents were having to deal with. I member the first prayer. My mother, God help you if you ever do that again very clear in my mind she knew me. There were people who were prayed for all around the world and I wonder if you're one of those that intercedes for them today.

My challenge is that you become that and this is a prayer worth remembering and modeling. We heard tragedy that struck central Arkansas is treacherous tornado swept through flooding along with enormous velocity of wins. Cynthia and I indirectly received an email from a Dennis Rainey who lives there carries on his family life ministry in he mentioned the loss of lives of those within their own ranks and Brad broke our hearts. We did not know any of them, but we prayed for them.

One was a story of a father who was doing what fathers do. Getting the children getting his wife into a place of protection and before he could slam the door shut to protect them. That tornado hit in the house was splintered and he was killed along with his children to his children heartbreaking situation. Imagine that you're safe and up above your daddy. Your husband is lost: and your siblings when we heard that what we didn't need to know their names week we called on God to meet the deep needs of the lives of those not just that family, but the others. Dozens of others who have lost home and some of them lost heart to go on. We have before us from this prayer guidance on how to go about it given you an outline to follow and we kept it very simple. Simple 234 points we want to make about this prayer that's worth remembering. So let's follow it. First, we are to pray for others in this category continually what I say that look at survival. Colossians 19 so we have not stopped praying for you. This will get the word continually pray for others continually look over chapter 2 verse one us a bit of a surprise in the letter proposes. I want you to know. Still writing to the people and by the way he had never met these Colossian churches never mentioned once and in the book of acts, which is a travelogue of Paul's journey. He doesn't mention the Colossians because it was never with never in the city's best we can tell, but look at verse one of chapter 2, I want you to know how much I have agonized for you. The Greek word is ongoing ATO in a week and I literally our word from that are going on.

I agonize for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. He doesn't know them.

He doesn't know the people in the church at Laodicea.

Most likely was never there either but he prays for them now observed in his consistent faithfulness to pray for them. They had to have information. How would you know about them.

If he didn't know them personally remember the name Apple press from our last time together.

Verse seven rewrites you learn meaning the people of Colossae you learned about the good news and hearing names for map of France are beloved coworker, Christ's faithful servant. He's helping us on your behalf.

I take it that Apple press was from Colossae and that Paul has a friendship with Apple press and when he comes to role to sit down alongside Paul by the way, is chained to a Roman soldier as Paul is under house arrest writing this letter.

That's why it's called one of the prison epistles. This in Philippians and Ephesians and Philemon all in that category. Paul writing the Colossians mentions Apra Frazee says I talk with Apple press in so many words he said and and he's helped us on your behalf. In fact he says in verse eight he told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit is given you hold your place and look at chapter 4 verse 12 when the great ways of of working your way through letters and books of the Bible is to is to correlate versus looking for 12 Apple press, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus sends his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and mature and fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. Got it. That's where we go when we want to pray for others. We pray continually for them. Now, in the case of the Colossians you may have forgotten their their living under the. The barrage of of false teachers who are infiltrating this little church.

These false teachers are coming with their with their smooth talk, albeit their deceptive motives and they are badgering these Christians in Colossae telling them in so many words. Look, there's a there's a there's a higher way to believe than the way you been taught by this guy named Deppe France there's a there's a there's a deeper lie you've never entered into lightly letter said take you into this new doctrine, and they promise that they will become recipients of a go of a high-risk touch of knowledge that they would ever get from from my Deppe France, so Paul is saying I never stopped praying for you, knowing your under that pressure. And by the way, let me add that some of you may have been cornered by false teachers. You may have been. I might even add some of you may already be under the influence of a false teacher and you don't realize it's supposed teacher doesn't wear a badge and says I'm a phony is is not the way.

False teachers come across you know a counterfeit dollar isn't yellow with the shape of a triangle with number 11 on it at him fool anybody looks exactly like a $20 bill looks exactly like a $50 bill policies or look exactly like true teachers, but their teaching false doctrine, so what does Paul say in verse nine he continues.

We ask God to give you look at this, the new living translation renders this to give you complete knowledge of his will notice is God's will, not the will of some teacher that's coming into town and to give you spiritual wisdom to give you implied here spiritual understanding see false teachers promise you knowledge and wisdom and understanding, but it isn't the knowledge of God's will is there new doctrine that is stimulating and they delivered with great charisma and persuasion. Some of the best communicators on the planet or false teachers.

You forget that you think of the gifted and there they are competent and there's a crowd that's come to hear the most.

They must be worth following.

Watching I like the way Warren wears be writes about false teachers and deceivers the false teachers promise the Colossian believers that they would be in the know if they accepted these new doctrine's words like knowledge and wisdom understanding were part of the religious vocabulary. So Paul use these words in his prayer. Satan is so deceptive right we were speak. He likes to borrow the Christian vocabulary but he does not use the Christian dictionary.

That's a good insight. We shot had that insight wears be heading. They use a great vocabulary sounds just like what we teach, but they got a different dictionary here's our dictionary is called the Bible there dictionary would be half of verse here awarded to their as they build their false doctrine wears be concludes long before the false teachers had adopted these terms. The words had been in the Christian vocabulary you will observe when you reap false teachers or when you hear them you will hear words that sound a lot like your religious upbringing. Sure that that attraction, but their teaching you a whole new nomenclature in their telling you really this is deeper than you'll ever get.

If you limit your knowledge and understanding to the to the Bible in the first century. These can the second century as well. These came to be known. These false teachers as gnostics Geo FTI CS from the Greek word gnosis meaning knowledge to know and they were promoters of this knowledge that they brought based on philosophical meanderings, not biblical truth. Keep in mind. Verse nine says we ask God to give you complete knowledge. So he's praying for the Colossians that they will have discernment to cut through all the deception and realize that they're being led astray by these. Teacher calls offer is that they might know the will of God. Knowledge of his will and his prayer is this, that he they might know spiritual wisdom and an understanding how will you know when you have the true get this right here in the passage. Just keep reading verse 10 then see us carrying on the same thought them the way you live will always honor and please the Lord. That's one proof. Your life is pleasing to the Lord, you're not being led astray, your life will be marked by a genuine God. Christ likeness. Your lives will produce every kind of good fruit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, patient self-control, to name a few of the fruit in a little while you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. A great checkpoint if you were wondering what your what you been reading are who you been running with is really teaching the truth is to say it is is is my life a more godly life that it was before is in my honoring and pleasing the Lord in in producing the fruit of the spirit.

My more patient and my client and my gentle in my moon for true love. I love it.

The way Paul just puts his finger on the truth over chapter 2 verse 10.

Take a quick glance at 210 does this letter resolve can be correlated so well as you can see the truth revealed here in the bucket to 10 you are complete through your union with Christ who is the head over every ruler and authority you got it all in Christ. If you are complete in Christ there is nothing lacking. Now there's room to grow in their things to learn, of course, but you will not have truth From you if you keep following Christ for.

Here's a good model to follow.

Since it's a prayer to to remember and to model, let me suggest this. Don't just pray for someone else's help or success, or material needs or social connections or relationships, pray for these specific things that are mentioned right here because I need to warn you. Ours is a culture of deception. You are discerning hardly need to be told at every turn. There is someone inviting you to come and enter learn another way of thinking about life and and before long you you you you wind up feeling like you are level above others, and you start criticizing other solid ministries and good sound biblical teacher. I like the way Kent Hughes put it, if your doctrinal issues so high that your feet cannot reach the ground. It is false doctrine. Your following our doctrine ought to keep us firmly fixed on planet Earth aware of our world and in touch see again verse 10.

The way you live will honor and please the Lord, your lives will produce every kind of good fruit you will grow as you learn of God and learn and come to know him better and better targeted a couple or three tips about false teachers want to warn you here hear my warnings number one. Watch out for any teacher or ministry who encourages exclusivity. We are the exclusive group only at this church. Will you hear the truth. That's a false ministry stairway from a place like that. Only here would you learn what you should hear is the old us for no more. And I'm not sure about you three.

Is that suspicious is that suspicious spirit. Watch out for people like that.

There's another one guard against those who regularly criticize good teachers and reliable ministries. If the one you been following regularly criticizes sound teachers, strong churches you're following the wrong individual.

Here's the third, if the one you are following promotes himself or herself in any way you're following the wrong leader. Pride goes before a fall. I've never seen a false teacher who was not self serving. Often there is a touch of arrogance and un-teachability.

The Corinthian style of man worship sort of flows over into the clicks that were forming no doubt right here in Colossae and I I warn us less they begin to form here in the city were we, by the way our own radio ministry is beginning to reach into other countries and we discovered that one of those countries is most concerned now about the Colts that had moved in because the Colts so and unrest among the people and think they become exclusive. This is just for us, and they often speak against the government of those countries and on and on like so does the first part pray continually for those you've not been here's the second verses 11 and 12 pray for their strength I would've I got that right in the text look for yourself. Verse 11 we also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power as the first thing he mentioned specifically what he prays for these is not met. We pray that you will have a stream it's based on God's glorious power so that you will have all the endurance and patience you need.

Part of being strengthened in God's power is cultivating the ability to cultivate endurance and patience with me to break those words apart. Endurance is from interesting Greek word Pokémon, a HUP O MON E from Hoople beans under one a means to abide is the idea of holding up under bearing up under and it often has in mind.

Adverse circumstances as you get strength from the Lord and I'm praying that you will you will be able to hold up against an adverse circumstances that will come, and invariably they will come in second, you will be a person, a patient see the word right there in verse 11 that you will have all endurance and patient. This is a longer Mac Pro through me off macro meaning along the meal we get a word thermometer from it. If the idea of long-suffering being able to endure long the heating season, and in this case macro through media usually has in mind. Patients with difficult people, so endurance has in mind. Adverse circumstances that you will be able to hold up and patience have to do has to do with dealing with people that are difficult and I can testify of the two. The latter is the more difficult dealing with adverse circumstances is hard enough dealing with difficult and sometimes impossible. People it is is a real drain on your patience, and here he says, may you have the kind of patients of that that you need and look at what he adds, may you be filled with joy Gladney added that wonderful in the process of dealing with people that are difficult in situations that are adverse don't get negative become sour listening to the voice of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll.

This is insight for living. Chuck is presenting his second message in his brand-new 10 part series for the New Testament letter of Colossians and to learn more about this ministry.

Visit us online at insight world.or right now you be pleased to learn. Chuck is written a commentary on Colossians like this hardbound volume includes his commentary on Philippians and Philemon as well. It's the kind of book you likely spread open next year Bible as you dig deeper into this satisfying letter from Paul Chuck's helpful notes and observations will help you discover the rich theological treasures in Colossians to purchase a copy of the living insights commentary on Colossians go to insight.org/offer or call us if you listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 in the last several weeks we've heard from thousands of friends from all around the world who affirm the value of these daily visits with Chuck many of told us they can trace their listening back 10, 20, 30 years and more.

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