R1653 Powerful Prayer

We all want our prayer to be powerful prayer. Let's open God's Word together with Dr. Don Wilton about that very thing today. Yes, today's message is powerful prayer and we're available to pray with you even right now at 866-899-WORD.

Jot the number down, store it in your cell. 866-899-9673 will connect you anytime. Love to pray for you. And now, today's teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. I'm going out into a world that is troubled. Everything's going on.

There are more questions it would seem sometimes than there are answers. Great joys and great sorrows. God's going to speak to you. I'm going to ask you today to open your Bibles with me to the letter to the church at Colossae. This is Colossians in the New Testament. Beautiful epistle, an incredible word from God. And God, our Heavenly Father, chose to speak through Paul the apostle, God's appointed vessel. And he's speaking to people not unlike you and me in their world.

So many similarities. And when we get to verse 3 of chapter 1, right at the beginning, we have recorded for us what I believe is one of the most powerful prayers ever. Listen to what God says through Paul to the church. Verse 3, we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. Because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and we have heard of the love you have for all the saints, the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven, and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you all over the world. This gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we have heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord Jesus, and may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and he's brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Now, is that not the most beautiful passage?

I'm going to preach on that for the next year. Isn't that the most, isn't that a wonderful passage? Powerful prayer, church. You are strong. This prayer, and I'm only saying this by way of an introductory statement, is really an affirmation of God's people.

It's predicated on that. Paul began by telling these people how they were doing. This prayer is an affirmation of five things related to God's people in the cross current of the world in which they lived. Number one, it was an affirmation of their faith.

It's right there in the text. He said, because we have heard of your faith. It's such a beautiful word, isn't it, church? Faith just means you just trust God. You can take God at his word. He'll never let you down.

My life is in your hands, no matter what my circumstance. And he just affirmed them. Well done.

You see, they were living in a world where it was very easy to lay faith aside. Everything tells us not to have faith in God. We're pulled. Besides that, we live in the flesh. We need money We cannot see the future. We're limited.

And we all have different levels of understanding. Have faith in God. And he just said to them, well done. You are a people of great faith. Number two, this prayer is an affirmation of their love. Again in verse four, and of the love you have for one another.

Love one another in the church, the church. And he affirmed them. This prayer is an affirmation of their hope. Verse five, he goes on from that point and he says this faith and love that spring from the hope that you have because of that which you know to be true.

That hope is so real. The church is strong because we have real hope. And Paul looks at these people who are caught in this world and he just affirms the fact of their faith, of their love, of their hope. And number four, of their fruit bearing. Of their fruit bearing.

Look what he says here. He says, all over this world, this gospel is bearing fruit and growing just as it has been doing among you. He looked at them and he said, I just want to affirm you. You are fruit bearers.

And then there's one more. This prayer is an affirmation of their leadership. It's an affirmation of their leadership.

He talks in verse seven, he talks about Epaphras. And he earmarks this person incorporating that into the leadership principle that God gives to the church. And he affirms them because of their leadership. And he affirms the leadership, spiritual leadership. Now watch what happens here.

This is so beautiful. In Colossians chapter one, this powerful prayer, Paul looked at them as the vessel of God, as their pastor, as their shepherd, speaking the word of God. And he affirms them. And out of that affirmation, he places right there before him the four most powerful prayer requests before God on their behalf. These are the four most powerful prayer requests I could ever pray for you about. Prayer is a wonderful thing. We're a church in which we believe independent prayer. It is a hallmark of who we are as believers.

But coming out of the affirmation, Paul launches into the four most powerful conferrals upon a people one can possibly imagine. And I can think of so many things that we can pray for one another about. We're praying for Afghanistan. We're praying for our nation. We're praying for our military. We're praying for our sons and daughters. And we're praying for people who are bereaved. And we're praying. We pray about everything because everything matters. But these four things, here they are. Number one, to be filled with the knowledge of his will. That's what Paul prayed for them in the midst of the crises in which they lived. There it is right there in verse nine. Look at it. For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we've not stopped praying for you.

Watch this. And asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will. The church is strong because of the knowledge of his will acquired through spiritual wisdom and understanding.

This carries with it be very careful church about who you listen to. Four most powerful prayer requests. One, to be filled with the knowledge of his will. Number two, to live a life worthy of the Lord. Look at verse 10. We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way. And by the way, here it comes for a second time, bearing fruit in every good work. What did he pray for them?

Why is this so powerful? Lord, I pray for my people that they would live lives worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ. What does that mean? Living a life that in every regard is pleasing to God and bearing fruit according to the standards of his righteousness. He's exhorting the congregation. He's saying to them, stop putting your money into worthlessness. Stop sowing your seeds on rocky ground. Stop placing value on those things that do not matter.

Forgive the interruption. We'll be back with this challenging message from Dr. Wilton in just a moment. But as he challenges us to place value in the things that matter, not the things that don't matter, you need to know that we have resources that will help you direct yourself to what really matters in God's word. It's all on our website at TEWonline.org. That's TEWonline.org. While you're there, sign up for the daily devotion from Dr. Don right at the top banner. Just click on devotion. You can sign up to receive it via email or get a hard copy for free if you'd like as well.

That's online at TEWonline.org. He commends them here in prayer, having affirmed them in their faith and love and hope and fruit and leadership. He says, Lord God in heaven, please give to these people the indwelling presence and power of the knowledge of the will of God.

And oh God, may each one of them live lives that are worthy of the Lord Jesus. Number three, to be strengthened with all power, church strong. When I prayed over this series in Colossians, that's where I got the word church strong from, that verse.

Just thought I'd let you know if you were ever wondering about it. Just kept jumping at me, being strengthened with all power, church strong, being strengthened with all power. And what does he tell us about that? When we are strong with the power of God, people, we can, you can endure with all spiritual patience, guard against human agitation. The way to do that is to be strengthened with all power in Christ.

Foremost powerful prayer requests to be filled with the knowledge of his will, to live a life worthy of the Lord, to be strengthened with all power. And finally, so powerful to be thankful to the father. Look at verse 12. And by the way, verse 12 is beautiful. It says, and joyfully giving thanks. Joyfully. There is a spiritual attitude that must accompany our thankfulness. There's a spiritual attitude. Sometimes we thank God and look like we're recovering from hookworm treatment at the same time.

And that's easy to do, isn't it? Be thankful to the father. And you know, as if to put the cherry on the top, he gives the church four reasons why.

We are strong through our thanksgiving. This strengthens us. Number one, because he has qualified us. You're qualified. God qualified you. Bible's as clear as anything right there.

He just tells us. Giving, look at verse 12, giving thanks to the father who has qualified you. I'm qualified. God qualified me. Secondly, because he has included us to share with the inheritance of the saints in light. Did you know that God not only qualified you, but he has included you in the inheritance that he has for all those who love him? All the saints who have been enlightened, have come to the truth of knowing Christ. We are inheritors of the saints in light. We've been included. You're included. I'm inviting you today to be included in the family of God.

This is not closed. It's open for membership because of Jesus. Which brings to the third reason he has rescued us.

That's what he tells us here in verse 13. For he has rescued us, look at this, from the dominion of darkness. Would anybody like to give us a detailed understanding of the world in which we live today? The dominion of darkness. These people were living in a dominion of darkness.

It was a bubbling cauldron. And he says, be joyfully thankful to the Lord because he's not only qualified you and included you, but he's rescued you from the dominion of darkness. Which means you and I can now be in the world when we walk out of worship, when we go back to our tables, when we go back to our streets, when we go back out into the world. We are in the world, but we've been rescued from the darkness of the world.

We're in the world, but we're not of the world. I'm a fun-loving person. You know that about me.

I almost get myself into trouble. I love it as much. Man, I love beaches and fishing and boats and everything you name it, and good food and friends and barbecue.

I'm telling you, I'm going to cook the whole half side of a cow tomorrow. I love it all, but I don't have to be of the world. And one more reason he says, be joyfully thankful is because he has forgiven us. Look at that last statement there, in whom we have redemption. Verse 14, the forgiveness of sins. Isn't that beautiful? Friend, watch this today.

Speaking to the church, he looks, this is God's vessel, and he says, I just want to affirm you. Man, I know you're in this ball game, a lot of hard knocks, but man, you can do it. You're strong.

Look at you. Look at your faith and your love and your hope and your fruit bearing, and look at your leadership. So I'm going to just pray this over you. I'm going to pray that you'd continually be filled with the knowledge of his will, and I just pray you live a life worthy of the Lord, that you'd please him in every way, and I just pray you'd be strengthened with all power, and I just pray that you'd continually and joyfully be thankful to God the Father.

Bottom line, because he's forgiven you. Would you bow your heads with me for a minute? Do you know that?

You want in? I can't offer that to you, but I can invite you to take the offer that God gives to us through Jesus. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, this Jesus who came and laid down his life for us, gave his life, took upon himself the darkness of our sin. When you give your heart to Jesus, you receive what he's already done, and you are set free. You're raised up to walk in newness of life because Jesus is alive. Would you give your heart to Jesus today? Trust him.

Would you come confessing, bowing before him, giving your life to him? Do it. Lord Jesus, I'm going to pray right now that people everywhere within the sound of my voice, from Genesis to celebration, to live streaming, to television, to YouTube, to radio, somebody would accept your invitation right now to become part of the family of God. Wow.

Church strong. Right now, people are going to respond. People are going to say yes to you. People are saying yes. People are texting, saying yes.

People are calling in saying yes. People are going to come down the aisles of the church, take someone by the hand, become part of, put their membership root down, say, I want in. Church strong. Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us so much right in the midst of all the world in which we live.

We're strong in you. We pray this prayer together in Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen. Such a powerful message about the strength that we find in the Lord. I pray that as you've heard Dr. Wilton preach and teach and pray, now you'd open your heart to what he wants to share next. 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 I'm a sinner, 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 heart in Jesus' name. My friend, I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. Welcome to the family of God. Some of you, I know, were praying along with a pastor for the first time to give your life to Jesus Christ. We are so excited for you. Also excited for you that have rededicated your life. Join us as we grow in our faith by spending time on a daily basis in God's encouraging word.

Dr. Don Wilton has prepared some free resources for you. If you've made those decisions today, just give us a call. Our number is 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. Or, meet us online at tewonline.org. And while you're there, it's our prayer you'll discover who we are and how this has become a fertile ministry of places that lives are being changed. Would you consider getting financially and prayerfully involved with the encouraging word? We are excited to announce that a friend of the ministry has donated $200,000 as a challenge gift and has extended a challenge to our donors to give an additional $300,000 by December 31st. This challenge is to fund our television broadcasting. Would you prayerfully consider a donation to this challenge? Please call 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673 to give a donation and be sure to tell them that this is for the match challenge. Thank you for your support of the encouraging word. Discover more online at tewonline.org. We would love for you to encourage us and participate financially, but know that we exist first and foremost to serve God by encouraging you here at the encouraging word.