The Ministry of Prayer

The Ministry of Prayer

11/10/2013

To the reader: The following sermon, or a derivative of it, will be preached at the Berkshire Hills Baptist Church on November 10, 2013 in the morning service. May the Lord be pleased to edit, refine, and change the sermon through your hands (as Pastors and ministers of the Lord) to present to your people. May the Lord's word be prepared, preached, and presented by all those whom the Lord touches.  [Please note: the second half of the sermon needs to be developed and tweaked; also note, in Thessalonians - the many times 'thankfulness' is mentioned, it is often linked to praying.]

Title: The Ministry of Prayer

Scripture Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Introduction:

“I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.” What better way, today, this morning, to learn how to detach ourselves from the world and attach ourselves to the loving Father; He is not an ogre expecting you to bow down numerous times during the day. Rather, He is our loving Father who has given us a precious gift: His Son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile us back to Him. 

If we are not praying regularly, we can begin. They may not be great big, large steps – but small steps nonetheless to get us back praying to Him is important. There is no reason to look back at our failures and discouragement; look forward. What would motivate us to pray?

1. Because we are in the end times, and we are waiting for God's Son to return.
   1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 focused on the glorious Rapture and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 spoke of the soon coming Day of the Lord, of which God's wrath is not upon Christians. While we are waiting, we are told to be sober, not sorrowing, not sleeping, and comforting one another [1 Thess. 4:13,18 & 1 Thess. 5:6,11.] These important qualities are necessary as we come to the end, hear of world events setting the stage for His return, and looking at the general disintegration in society. Are we unsure how to start praying; just start talking to God.
   
2. Because we can learn to rejoice and be thankful in prayer. Notice that sandwiched around 1 Thess 5:17 is v. 16, “Rejoice evermore” and v. 18, “In every thing, give thanks”. Has our heart found discontentment; have we complained to everybody about our problems except the Lord? Have we sunk so low that we want to know, how can the Lord lift us back up again? Go to prayer; write out 50 things you are thankful for, then rejoice in each one. You will soon see how blessed you are in Christ Jesus.  
   

a. You cannot have a thankful heart and a sinful heart at the same time;

b. You can have a rejoicing heart and complaining spirit at the same time.

3. Because, it is the Lord's will for us to pray. Notice the end of v. 18, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 

a. God's will is not a mystery that we must pull from the sky; it is real.

b. Don't beat yourself up for failing to pray; that will not help anyone. Instead, just start praying – start talking to God. Begin opening up your heart to Him and begin talking to Him as your Holy Savior and your Best Friend; He has been waiting for you to talk to Him.

Gospel Presentation. At this stage, we must not assume all of our listeners are Christians; we must pray all the more fervently before preaching this message that the Lord would be pleased to bring a soul to Christ through His word.

Inform people that perhaps some of them need to talk to God for the first time about receiving the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ. Be specific and tell people at this stage that a vibrant prayer life begins with the prayer of salvation.

* Show the people that without Christ, all people are sinners and in need of a Savior (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Don't go over this lightly. There is some bad news, but that is what makes the Savior good news! We couldn't obey God perfectly, and we can't obtain heaven either on our own OR with someone else's help. Instead, we need someone to come down and give us His finished work.

* Then bring people to the good news! They can now receive Christ Jesus as their Savior, turn away from all of their works good or bad, and fully trust in the sacrifice of the cross for their salvation. The only way to God the Father and the only way to receive forgiveness of sin is through Jesus Christ. Show them the precious promises of John

Body of the Message: What did Paul mean when he said pray without ceasing? Did Paul practice what he preached when it came to praying.

One Lesson Today, learn: Thanksgiving is cultivated in prayer. No one has yet mastered the art of thanksgiving until they have thanked the Lord in prayer.

• Thank you, by name, for those who know Christ.
  

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father”

• Thank you when Christians understand. Paul thanked the Lord 'without ceasing' when Christians received the Word of God as the word of God, and not the word of man.
  

1 Thessalonians 2:13, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe”.

• Thank you for the joy we have over fellow believers; we pray constantly that we might see them again.
  

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10, “9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; 10Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?”

• Thank the Lord that our faith and love is growing.
  

2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;”

• Thank you for all the brothers and sisters that God loves.
  

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 - 13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits^b to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion