Testimonies of Answered Prayer (Col 4:2-4)

Speaker: 
Matthew, Urusha & Andrew
Date: 
Sun, 2024-06-23
  • Listening to stories of extraordinary answers to prayer is a great way to build our faith and be encouraged to give prayer our constant attention.
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Sermon Slides - Testimonies of Answered Prayer (Col 4:2–4)

Praying at all times

  1. In prayer give constant attention,
          keeping alert in it
          with thanksgiving;
  2. praying at the same time also for us too,
          that God would open to us a door for the message,
                to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
  3.       that I may reveal it, as I ought to speak.
  • “giving constant attention” —this is the same word used in Acts 10:7 for the devout personal soldier of the Roman general Cornelius who waited on him continually, and he trusted him to go and get Peter
  • In Mark 3:9 Jesus requests that there is a little boat, constantly ready for him in case he needed to escape from the crush of the crowd
  • In Luke 11 we have a parable about how to pray
    • The man who banged on his neighbor’s door and just wouldn’t let up!
  • The word is a very strong one that can be translated “shameless persistence” —most people would be embarrassed to keep on so long
    • E.g. we are praying for someone to be saved, we don’t give up but persist in it shamelessly.
  • But not an attitude of being peeved at God, but “thanksgiving”
    • Not “God, why haven’t you saved them yet...”
  • What are the two requests? —opportunity and faithfulness
    • “Open a Door”: a favourite metaphor for Paul and others

God “opens doors”

Acts 14:27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
1 Cor 16:8–9 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me
2 Cor 2:12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord,
Rev 3:8 “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
  • Then he prays that he will speak “as he ought to” —he’ll actually say what he should say
    • This is a good way to start your day:

Prayer to start your day

  • “Lord, give me opportunities (open doors)
  • and make me faithful when I get them”
  • And then continue to pray through the day!

Updated on 2023-08-20 by Andrew Fountain