Paul encourages us to:

Pray at all times. Always be in communion - in communication - with our Lord in prayer. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Pray using all kinds of prayers: adoration - praise - thanksgiving - confession - petition. Which is part of what we’re doing this morning. God listens to His children no matter what or how we pray. (Philippians 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:1)

Pray in the Spirit. That is that prayer starts with God. God has initiated our relationship with Him. God enables prayer - desires for us to pray. (Romans 8:26,27)

Pray alert. Which means praying with our eyes open to the needs of those around us and praying for those in need. Praying alert also means that we’re awake to the temptations to sin that we face. So we pray for God to keep us from evil. (Mark 13:33; 14:38; Acts 20:51; 1 Peter 5:8)

Paul writes - persevere in prayer. Keep on praying. Stick to it - don’t quit - don’t give up.

We need this encouragement because sometimes we’re uncomfortable with prayer. Thinking about who God is and who are - we hesitate. Sometimes - especially praying with others - we become more concerned about what others think of our prayers than what God hears coming from our hearts. Sometimes we hesitate because we just lack the experience - the practice of praying privately - individually - or praying together as a congregation. Paul encourages us: Pray - however you can - keep praying - and leave the rest to God.

The second part of what Paul writes comes as Paul encourages us to pray “for all the saints.” The example he gives of this prayer is his own personal request for prayer. “pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel.”

The Apostle Paul was writing this encouragement in chains - bound to a Roman guard - in a Roman jail cell - waiting for a hearing before the Emperor Nero - the great persecutor of Christians. Paul could have spiritualized all this away - the great Apostle - testifying of his faith - no fears - no weaknesses - no needs. This is the Apostle Paul!!!

But, Paul asks for prayer in recognition that God desires for us to live in mutual interdependence. In humility he asks, “Brethren, pray for me. I have needs that must be brought before the throne of God.” The Bible continually encourages us to pray together - that it’s essential to our life as a congregation that we pray together and for each other.

Last Thursday night I was watching the press conference on CNN with Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry. These women were working in Afghanistan - distributing aid to the people there - back in August - when they were arrested for sharing the Gospel with others. Time and time again during the press conference these Christian sisters in the Lord thanked people at home in their churches and elsewhere - thanked others for praying for them while they were in jail.

Maybe we’ve never been in an Afghan jail. But we all go through things which bind us - which threaten us - spiritually - physically. We’re not island fortresses - created to be alone and invulnerable. God never means for us to be alone in all of what goes on in our lives. We need each other - to be open to each other - to encourage each other - to pray for each other. Praying together and for each other changes our relationship with each other and with God.

This last encouragement is a reminder to us - first - that not one of us is above or below the need for prayer. Our needs are not too great or too insignificant to be prayed for.

Second, Paul’s last encouragement is a reminder to us that ministry requires prayer.

Paul - in bondage - asks for prayer - not for his release - but that he would be free to share the Gospel with courage - with clarity - with boldness - with confidence. His ministry wasn’t over just because he had arrived in jail.

As we’re celebrating the 1700th Anniversary of the Christianization of Armenia we need to be reminded that as a church - even after 1700 years - our task is not done. Armenia - our nation - needs spiritual revival. Thousands - if not millions - of Armenians need to come to an understanding and a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Robert Law said this: “Prayer is not getting men’s will done in heaven. It is getting God’s will done on earth.” Prayer has a crucial role in bringing God’s invisible power into the visible experiences of life. We need to pray for this ministry that God has given to us. May we speak with clarity and boldness to our people.

We’re going to move into a part of our service where our focus is going to be on confession - a reminder of our relationship with God - His grace and mercy and forgiveness. In humility let us consider that relationship.

Then we’ll move to petition - asking. Among many requests and concerns - let’s be encouraged to remember our ministry together - and our nation.