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(Edited excerpts from the message preached during last Tuesday night’s Prayer Meeting)

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14). 

Although not structured as a formal prayer, Galatians 6:14 conveys the apostle Paul’s deep godly aspiration and resolve out of a heart wholly submitted to God for the exaltation of Christ alone. Paul’s words in this verse contain several traits of genuine prayer: (i) they exhibit a worshipful resolve, (ii) they express the spirit of devotion, even a cry of deep allegiance to the cross of Christ and a forsaking of worldly and self glory, and (iii) they exemplify a heart dedicated singularly to the holy aspiration of magnifying Christ above all else.

A Prayer of Surrendered Boasting

“But God forbid that I should glory...”

Paul’s language (“God forbid”) is strong. “God forbid” translates a Greek phrase of strong rejection – “May it never be!” He was expressing a strong prayerful wish that it would never be found in him to boast in anything that exalts self. He desired to be stripped of every inclination to seek honour from his righteousness, success, or possessions. He wanted any desire or expectation of human praise out of his mind. His prayerful ambition was that he would be delivered from self-exaltation and spiritual pride. 

In the context of this verse, Paul exposed the motives of the Judaizers, teachers who insisted that Gentile believers must be circumcised and observe the ceremonial laws to be fully accepted by God. Paul argued that they did so to avoid persecution and to boast in the outward conformity of their converts. Their focus was on external religion, not inner transformation. The false teachers boasted in the flesh – in outward marks of religiosity, such as circumcision.

We must be aware of our potential to succumb to subtle arrogance that can cause us to boast in our religious rites, roles, titles, performance, etc. So, like the apostle Paul, we must seek God’s help to cast down every trophy of flesh. A believer’s prayer must echo this rejection: a heart emptied of self, so it may be filled with Christ. 

“O Lord, forbid that I should glory in anything of myself, my intellect, my beauty, my success, or my religious heritage. Let all boasting be silent before the weight of Thy glory.”

A Prayer Anchored in the Cross

“... save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ …”

Paul’s prayer was that his soul would glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ alone – not just the wooden beam on which He was hung, but all that it means: the perfect atoning sacrifice Christ made for the forgiveness and justification of sinful, guilty, and condemned humanity. The cross was the symbol of God’s merciful provision for the removal of His wrath against us, that we may be eternally reconciled to God and be heirs of all His promised blessings, including heaven. The cross is not merely the entry point of salvation; it is the daily triumph and glory of the believer in all that God has provided for us through Christ (cf. Romans 8:32). 

This prayer acknowledges the centrality of the cross as the believer’s sole claim before God. Paul utterly rejected any grounds for boasting in himself, his achievements, or religious observances (like circumcision, which he has discussed earlier in the Book of Galatians). The cross is the heart of a Christian’s theology, ethics, worship, ministry and life. The desire and prayer of a Christian’s life and ministry ought to be enjoying and fulfilling the purposes for which Christ died on the cross.

So let us pray, “Lord, teach me to live under the shadow of the cross. In all duties and experiences of my life as a Christian, may I humbly live for the cross of Christ, and not for the honour of self and the world. May the cross be my identity, my song, my hope, and my anchor.”

A Prayer to be Separated from the World

 “... by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” 

To say that “the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world”, is to declare that the world’s allure is dead and powerless to oneself. The world, in its rebellion against God, promotes self-exaltation and glory, so the believer ought to see through its dreadful spiritual state, and pray to God for maintaining a separation from it.  

Paul sees not only the world as dead to him, but also himself as dead to it. This is a two-way crucifixion! Like Paul, every Christian should consider the world to be crucified through Christ. The believer, living by Christ, has a new identity in the world. He is no longer a worldly citizen, but a citizen of heaven on earth. His loyalty is no longer to this world, but to Christ. He lives not for earthly gain, but for divine purposes in Christ. Because of our admiration for Christ, the world should grow dim in our minds. Its pleasures should lose their sweetness, its ambitions their shine, and its applause its value. 

Let us pray, “Lord, make me dead to the systems and values of this fallen world. Help me to detach myself from its pride, its lusts, its carnal passions. Guard me from loving what Thou hast taught us to hate in this world. May I be quick to sever the cords that tie my heart to worldly prestige, fleshly desires, and selfish ambition. Let Thy cross separate my soul from this present evil world, that I may always live for Thy glory.”

In Acts 3:1, we see Peter and John going up together into the temple, “at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour”. God would use these two apostles to bring about healing in a man who was lame. “And he (the lame man) leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them (Peter and John) into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:8).

This miracle was wrought at the hour of prayer. A certain man, who was lame from his mother’s womb, was carried and laid at the gate of the temple on a daily basis (v. 2). He was there to ask alms. Asking of alms was a common thing among the poor people of the Jewish community. If they were blind, or lame (like this man was), they would normally sit outside the temple, where people often came to pray. Showing mercy to the poor and needy is something God has commanded both in the Old and New Testaments, so many worshippers would give alms to help these poor people to survive, including this lame man in question. But something else better happened to this man. For Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (v. 6). And then Peter “took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength” (v. 7). Amazingly, this man didn’t immediately run back home to tell the people, but he went into the temple together with Peter and John, to pray and praise God (cf. v. 8). The most important thing to him, upon restoration of his mobility, was to get into the temple to pray – not to go away to engage in self-centred pursuits, Brethren, why does God heal us? Why does He save us and give us all spiritual and physical blessings? That we should pray.

Prayer in the Leadership and Laity

Significantly, we can observe two categories of people mentioned here. Firstly, the apostles Peter and John (representing the leaders), who were observed to be going to pray. Peter was a man who would have a big role to play in the early leadership of the church. Before Paul appeared on the scene, Peter was the most celebrated among the early church leaders. John, another “pillar” of the church leadership (cf. Galatians 2:9), was seen on several occasions together with Peter in the Acts episodes. It seemed that both were the chief representatives of the apostles. This is corroborated in 8:14-15, “when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them (the Samaritan converts) Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost”.

These were two mighty leaders of the early church, who were able to stay together and serve God because they were prayerful people. Truly, the leadership of our church must be a prayerful leadership. There is something really special about the leadership that pray. God will use them mightily. But the converse is true – the leadership that cannot pray together is in great danger! Peter and John, though endued with so much power of the Holy Spirit, performing stupendous miracles, went regularly to seek God in the temple. It goes without saying why they went to the temple at the ninth hour. Was it to perform some miracle? No, but to pray! For it was the hour of prayer in the temple. They went there like any other worshipper – to pray! That, we believe, is the secret of their mighty ministry together as church leaders.

Secondly, the prayerful inclination of the healed lame man (representing the lay people) is also worthy of more than a passing mention. Because of Peter and John, he was also led to enter the temple to pray. A praying leadership will give rise to praying congregations. This is alluded to in Acts 1:14, where we see not only the eleven disciples, but also others (including “the women”) being mentioned as praying with them. This is significant in the ministry of the church. While it is a pastor’s duty to pray as an expression of his faith (in obedience to God who commands that we should pray), at the same time, it is also his duty to call people to pray for him. Take a leaf from the apostle Paul’s desire for the lay people to join him in prayer.

When Paul wrote to the Romans, he said in Romans 15:30, “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me”. Paul asked the people in the church to exert themselves in the spiritual exercise of prayer on behalf of him. He was unashamed about this matter of asking others to pray with him and for him. In Ephesians 6:19, we read that he had asked the Ephesian church to pray “for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel”. Without question, for the church ministry to flourish, both the leadership and laity must strive together in prayer, so that, among other things, “the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified” (2 Thessalonians 3:1). 

Prayer for Strengthening of Ministry

Belief in Christ and prayer are two sides of the same coin. Every believing heart is supernaturally, spiritually endued with the desire for prayer. There is not a believing heart that doesn’t pray. The greater the faith of a man, the greater his prayer habits. Dear church, we must not fail to pray if our ministries (both local and overseas) are to flourish. It is good to remember that Peter and John, who were going up to the temple to pray together, were working together for the spreading of the Gospel. When you pray together, you work well. Whether you are serving in a committee, or going for evangelism, or engaging in visitation of the elderly / needy brethren in church, it is vital to pray first. Otherwise, you may quarrel along the way, or your visitation may end up in disarray. Likewise, if you are singing together in a choir, or if you are working together in the PA team, or the internet media ministry, or the ushers’ ministry, or the refreshments team (which also oversee the Holy Communion preparations), etc., always pray first – and pray together frequently.

The attitude of prayer ought to be one of humility, and acknowledgment of weakness prevailing in us. It is not a time to show off our powers. Each time we come together as a church (even if it’s a small group of brethren), it is most necessary and fitting to pray to the Lord. It is not without reason that the Old Testament temple (and, as a corollary, the church) is called “an house of prayer” (cf. Isaiah 56:7). 

Prayer Requires Regular Appointed Times

If the church is to be a house of prayer, then there must be appointed seasons of prayer in the church. Notice that Peter and John went up to the temple regularly for prayer. There was a set time for prayer, which, according to Acts 3:1, was the ninth hour (i.e. 3 o’clock in the afternoon). The ninth hour was one of the set times for Jewish prayers. According to the Old Testament, there were morning sacrifices, and evening sacrifices in the temple (cf. Exodus 29:38-42), so the believing Jews all went to the temple to pray at those set times, as it was customary.

There is thus biblical precedent for the church to set aside a regular appointed time for corporate prayer – hence the weekly church prayer meeting, which is, in many ways, the “power-house” of the church. Sadly, there are people who don’t believe in the importance of prayer meeting. Worse still, there are people in churches today who don’t see the need for daily prayer, as individuals and as a family. They say there’s no evidence in the Bible for such daily devotion. Do they not know from Scripture how Job prayed for his children every day, even with sacrifices, in case they had sinned and thereby needed sanctification (cf. Job 1:5)? Have they conveniently forgotten the biblical instruction in Deuteronomy 6:7, where God says that a father should speak about God’s Word with his children while he sits, walks, lies down, and moves about with them? Have they not read the Book of Proverbs (especially chapters 1 to 8), wherein is impressed upon us how a father and mother should instruct the children in the Word of God? The biblical teaching is that such times for devotion / prayer are not just on a regular basis, but as often as possible! The same applies to the larger family of God, the church.

Truly, when a church makes full use of those provisions under God’s providence to pray (at set times and set places), there’ll be provisions of God’s blessings. While none of us today is an apostle and so won’t be able to heal people miraculously, we will be used by God to restore many to the joy of salvation, and to spiritual health. That, spiritually speaking, is the biggest miracle! Just like that healed lame man, who “entered … into the temple, … praising God”! That being the case, may we, as a church, pray always (Luke 18:1) and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Amen.

Before Christ’s ascension, He commanded the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit’s promised empowerment, that they may be His witnesses all around the world. “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). For “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

In obedience to the Lord’s command, the apostles returned to Jerusalem (Acts 1:12a), and “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:14). That first prayer gathering after Christ’s ascension, which began with just the eleven apostles, eventually grew to a total of about 120 (Acts 1:15). From that group of praying men and women who waited for the power of the Holy Spirit, sprang up the first New Testament church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1–47)!

Be Given to Prayer

The Lord’s instruction to the apostles to tarry in Jerusalem led them to a season of prayer, together with other believers. They prayed with hearts submissive to the Lord’s command, and with the joyous expectation of the Spirit’s might  that would empower them as witnesses to the Gospel in a hostile world. Though they hardly knew the details of what would happen, they knew for sure that life and the ministry ahead of them would be full of trials and sorrows. But their persistence in prayer would be instrumental in preparing them for all the challenges which they would face. Through constant collective prayers, the church overcame persecution, apostasy, temptation, and made significant progress in preaching the Gospel and advancing the church’s work.

The early church relied on God through prayer for all their spiritual and physical needs. They relentlessly pursued divine help in prayer. They prayed individually as believers (cf. Acts 9:10–12, 40; 10:9), and corporately as a church (cf. Acts 1:14, 24; 4:24–31; 12:5, 12). What a far cry from the contemporary church! Sadly, prayer is much neglected in the church at large today. In churches of our day and age, we hear of large crowds turning up for concerts, for entertainment, and even for listening to the testimonies of the rich and famous. Prayer meetings, on the other hand, attract only the faithful few. Lack of interest in prayer is the primary reason for the weakness of the contemporary church.

We must take care not to be drawn away from prayer by laziness, pleasure, business, etc. The dire consequences of neglect of prayer cannot be ignored. The present circumstances in which we live and serve are perilous to holy living that is acceptable to God. There are many powerful temptations and demonic doctrines that lurk around us. Only through much prayer can we keep ourselves holy for our Master’s use. Unless we are diligent in prayer, we will be overtaken by the adversary’s ploys to destroy us (cf. Luke 21:36). Truly, only when we are given continually to prayer will the church members’ personal life and the church ministries flourish spiritually.

Be Earnest in Prayer

That is why we read of Paul’s apostolic exhortation to the church in Colossae, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). We too must take heed of this injunction to pray with earnest perseverance and give ourselves unto prayer as God’s Word requires. Now, the Greek word (proskarteréō) translated as “continue” has the idea of “to continue to do something with intense effort, even with the possibility of difficulties along the way, until one has brought it to the wished-for end”.

So, firstly, our prayers must be earnest before God. Prayer should never be perfunctory. A casual or superficial attitude in prayer is akin to being irreverent before God. An indifferent heart in prayer is tantamount to mocking God’s holy and solemn presence. Wandering hearts and sleepy prayers are not befitting the majestic presence of our gracious God. Then, secondly, there must be devoutness and commitment to prayer. Jesus had said that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). This is not to say that we are to be always on our knees, but rather that the spirit of prayer should never be laid aside. We must have a prayerful spirit all the time. We must also delight in frequent prayers, whether they be short or protracted prayers. God must be frequently sought, for He alone is our help.

Scripture records many examples of men and women who prayed earnestly and without ceasing. We need not look too far. Even in Paul’s epistle to the Colossians, the apostle mentions his co-labourer, Epaphras, as “always labouring fervently for you in prayers” (Colossians 4:12). Such constancy in prayer has been the secret of God’s servants who are God-honouring. Such is also the secret of a God-honouring, vibrant, fruitful church. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, a praying church will be empowered and guided to fulfil God’s glorious purposes concerning its work on earth. Believers will be built up in knowledge and godliness to serve the Lord in love, unity and peace, that the Gospel may spread far and near. The Spirit of God will invigorate a praying church to magnify the Lord, that more members may be added to the church as the blessings of the Gospel of Christ spread throughout the community.

Be Watchful in Prayer

In Paul’s apostolic counsel on prayer, we are also called unto watchfulness in prayer—“watch in the same” (v. 2b). The word rendered “watch” has the idea of “refrain from sleep”, “stay awake”, “be alert”, “be vigilant”. When physical tiredness and sleepiness prevented Peter, James and John from being awakened unto prayer, Jesus rebuked them: “What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40–41). Even physical fatigue is not a satisfactory excuse for failing in prayer. Christians must be awake unto the pressing matters of life and ministry, so as to bring them to God in prayer.

Besides, being watchful also entails looking out for what God has already blessed us with, which should evoke a thankful spirit in us. Whenever we pray, we must be full of thankfulness towards God. Admittedly, we are more prone to ask or complain than to give thanks. When we pray, we must be grateful for the blessings already granted, and for the promises He has given unto us. Beware: ungrateful men are not fit to pray! On the other hand, grateful men who depend upon God for spiritual wisdom and power to lead those under their care will pray without ceasing. Those who desire to be faithful in their God-given roles will be utterly dependent on God through prayer. Gratefulness and watchfulness would hasten them to the presence of God. They will be serious in their commitment to pray for their families and those under their charge, as well as to pray with them. They will also count it their special joy and duty to be with people who gather together to pray. Indeed, men of faith are not only given to prayer, but also earnest and watchful in prayer.

Conclusion

Most of us are not called to be preachers of the Word or to be leaders of the church. But all of us are called to be mighty in intercession. Like Epaphras, who was constantly mindful of his home church and toiled in prayer for the brethren (cf. Colossians 4:12), we too must pray. With burden, faith and thanksgiving we must pray. Let there be godly expectation of divine blessings as we pray for ourselves and our church. All of us can pray for one another—and that we must do.

In our recent mid-week gathering on Tuesday nights, we have been focusing on John 15:1-11 for the meditation of His Word before our prayer time. We learned how our Lord Jesus Christ has emphasised the importance and benefits of the spiritual relationship which all true believers should have with Him and the Father, using the imageries of the Father as the ‘Husbandman’ (vinedresser), Christ as the ‘Vine’ and believers as the ‘fruitful branches’. Towards the end of the above section of His discourse, Jesus emphasised how those who abide in Him will be prayerful, resulting in their experience of joyfulness.

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:7–11).

Clearly, according to Christ, those who abide in Him and His words will be moved to ask of Him whatsoever they will, and they will be granted the requests. Prayer will be the natural expression of the desires and expectations of their hearts, resulting from their abiding in Christ. Prayer becomes the verbal articulation of their communion with Christ. Prayer is not meaningless utterance (i.e. vain repetition of words [cf. Matt. 6:7]) or demand of carnal desires (i.e. asking amiss [cf. James 4:3]), but vocalisation of desires of hearts that abide in Christ! Our prayers must flow from our relationship with Christ and the nourishment we receive through His Word. Prayers not defined by our abiding in Christ are null and void.

From the understanding that Jesus gives in John 15:1-11 about the correlation between our abiding in Him and our prayers, I shared some vital truths that should shape and constitute our prayers last Tuesday night. They are briefly recounted below.

Father, we thank Thee for:

1. Christ, the Vine, which Thou has made us branches thereof (v. 1). Without Christ, whom the Father has sent, we shall never be part of the vineyard.
2. Thy pruning (“purging”) that makes us abundantly fruitful. “… every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit” (v. 2).
3. The spiritual nourishment we receive from Christ through His Word, just as the branches that abide in the vine receive their nourishment. “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (vv. 3-4).
4. The fruitfulness we are assured of (and expected from us). “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (v. 5).
5. The promise of prayer to all those who abide in Christ. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (v. 7).
6. The promise of divine love to all those who abide in Christ. “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love” (v. 9).

Father, we ask of Thee for:

1. Spiritual nourishment to be fruitful believers. “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away…” (v. 2a).
2. Greater fruitfulness through Thy nourishing and chastening (“purging” or pruning). “… and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (vv. 2b-3).
3. Thy abiding presence to delight us to abide in you and be fruitful. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (vv. 4-5).
4. Thy mercy to forgive and revive us if we are withering or lacking fruit. “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (v. 6).
5. Understanding to pray according to Thy Word. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (v. 7).
6. Thy glory to manifest in and through us. “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit…” (v. 8a).
7. Help to bear the genuine marks of discipleship – “so shall ye be my disciples” (v. 8b). Let all the proofs of being Christ’s faithful disciples be experienced and seen in us.
8. Help to rejoice in Thy love for us, just as the Lord Jesus delights in the Father’s love for Him. “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (vv. 9-10).
9. Help to know and obey Thy commandments as we abide in Thy love. “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (v. 10).
10. Fullness of joy to fill us. “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (v. 11).

Text: Matthew 6:6
Speaker: Pastor Prabhudas Koshy
Date: 5 July 2020