Sermon Series: The Essential Expectations: Part Two 

All Prayer, All the Time 

Ephesians 6:18

PSBC 6/24/2001 AM

In a nutshell: The core value of prayer must be demonstrated on all occasions, with all kinds of requests, and for all the saints.

I. Introduction

A. Motorcycle Story from CMA Rally

Many of you know that late last Sunday, I returned from taking some vacation time to go to the Christian Motorcyclists Association Western Regional Rally in Kanab, Utah. Nearly 1000 people and almost 700 motorcycles descended on this little town, just north of the Arizona border. Many people who attended, like I did, camped out in the baseball field of the local high school. Others stayed at local motels. But all of us saw some incredible scenery, and heard some inspiring Bible teachers and Christian musicians. It was a 5 day adventure and ministry opportunity that I'll never forget.

On the way to the rally, six of us from this area rode together on the 500 mile trip. Three of the guys rode large Honda Gold Wings. Two others rode Harley Davidson touring bikes. And I packed my clothes, tent, and camping chair on the back of my Honda Shadow.

The real adventure of the trip happened as we approached Las Vegas. There the winds really picked up. Anything that was loose was swirling around us and blowing across the highway. I was hit in the head with a 2 foot by 3 foot piece of Styrofoam insulation. Another time, I had to stop along the side of the freeway to dislodge a large tumbleweed, that decided to get lodged under my bike. And it seemed at times, like we were riding almost sideways, as we leaned into the wind along I-15.

When we exited the I-15 north of Las Vegas, the winds got even stronger. We heard later that they were gusting at 60-70 miles per hour along highway 89A.

Well, we came to Hurricane, Utah. And encountered a stop light. When we all stopped, two of the guys who were riding Gold Wings were right in front of me-Bill and Jerry. Right at that moment, a gust of wind about 60 miles per hour or more blew from our left to our right. And Bill, the smallest man in our group, right in front of me, had his 1000 pound Gold Wing blow right over on its side, with him in the saddle.

Fortunately he was alright, and the bike wasn't damaged. We all got off our motorcycles and helped him pick his bike up, then we rode to the back of a nearby building and waited out the storm for the next hour.

B. Spiritual Implications

Now friends, as we waited out that storm, I began thinking about what I had just seen. You see, I learned in my Motorcycle Safety Course last year-that when the wind blows across your bike real hard, the safest thing you can do is to lean into the wind, and keep moving. That stop light kept us from doing that, and the consequences was that one of us went down.

And then my mind turned to the spiritual realm. When the tough winds of life blow against us, and our problems and the difficulties we face seem so overwhelming, the last thing we should do is stop. The very best thing we can do is to keep moving forward and lean into the wind.

And the way we do that, folks, is through prayer.

C. Prayer is one of our Core Values

This morning, we come to the fourth of seven core values that I believe are utterly essential for us to hold at all levels of our church's existence, if we are going to accomplish our purpose to Love, Accept, Guide and Partner to Share God's Truth and Be His Light!

1. The first value is that Lost People Matter to God, so they matter to us as well.

2. The second value is that Every person we make eye contact with needs a relationship with Jesus Christ.

3. The third value is that Our Leaders must lead with humility.

4. And this morning, we come to the fourth value--We Pray about Everything. It's this fourth value that I know from experience, will help us lean into the winds of life and keep us moving forward in our spiritual growth, even when some of those gusts seem strong enough to knock us down.

The passage that I think expresses this core value best, is a single verse in…

Ephesians 6:18 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

There are five things I want you to see this morning in this verse. Because these five things have helped me make prayer a core value in my life, and I believe will help make this discipline of prayer, a core value in yours, as well.

II. Making Prayer YOUR Core Value

A. With all prayer and petition…

The first thing I want you to notice is in the first phrase, "with all prayer and petition."

John Bunyan wrote a classic book called, The Pilgrim's Progress. In it he tells the allegorical story of a young man, named Christian, and his life-journey to the Celestial City, or heaven. In one part of the book, Christian is battling the forces of Hell, and finds that his sword becomes useless to him. After thinking about his plight, the text of the book says, "He was forced to put up his sword, and betake himself to another weapon, called All-Prayer."

Bunyan gets that idea of ALL-PRAYER from this verse in Ephesians. When we talk about All-Prayer, we are talking about the variety of prayer that is available to followers of God. In other words, there are different kinds of prayer that we can use in the different kinds of circumstances we find ourselves going through in life. -There are time when we need to pray prayers of confession, because we have sinned. -There are times we need to pray prayers of thanksgiving, because we are grateful. -There are times we need to pray prayers of praise and adoration, because we want to worship God. -There are times when we need to pray prayers of intercession, because others need our prayers. -There are times when we need to pray prayers of petition, because we have some need in our lives. Different prayers address different situations. Understand this, friends, there is a huge variety in prayer.

And the bottom line to all this, is that we must become familiar with and skilled in the use of all kinds of prayer. And the only way to do that is through practice.

Example: At the CMA rally I was just at, I experienced first hand, the importance of developing a new skill through practice. A good friend of mine is considering purchasing an additional motorcycle. He wants a cruiser, like mine, for shorter trips around town. But he wants to keep his Gold Wing for longer trips, like to Utah. So, one afternoon, we agreed to trade motorcycles. I rode his Gold Wing, and he rode my Shadow to Zion National Park. Wow! What a difference between the two motorcycles. The Gold Wing has almost 40% more power than my Shadow. It weighs 400 pounds more than my Shadow. And it has all kinds of electronics on it like a radio, CD changer, a CB radio, and an intercom for the driver and passenger to communicate. Plus the seat isn't like a saddle, it's like a sofa.

It took me almost an hour of riding it, before I even started to get comfortable with the feel of this big bike. But it took almost 3 hours of continual riding before I felt at ease on that land yacht.

But that's the way it is with something new. Anything new, no matter how experienced you are at doing something similar, is going to take some getting used to.

And friends, that's the way it is when it comes to using all kinds of prayer. Too many of us are stuck in a rut with just one kind of prayer in our lives…We are very quick to rush into God's presence to ask Him for something, but that's about it.

But, there's more to prayer than just asking. All-Prayer means taking time to praise God, intercede for others, confess our sins, thank Him, and so on. If prayer is going to become a value, it has to be All-Prayer in your life, not just SOME-Prayer.

B. Pray at all times

Here's a second thing we're told to do with prayer, that if we do it, I believe will help prayer to become a core value in our lives… it's the idea in the phrase "Pray at all times".

How often should we pray? This verse says we should pray at all times. It is vitally important for us to see the need for continual prayer in our lives, if prayer is going to become a core value. Do you realize that there is never a time in your life when you don't need to pray?

In the early church, it was a way of life.

Acts 1:14 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Acts 2:42 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Paul writes to the church at Thessalonica…

1 Thessalonians 5:17 17 pray continually;

It's obvious that the early Christians valued prayer. And look at what happened through them. It was said that they turned their world upside down for Jesus Christ.

But how do you pray continually? Well, if by praying, you mean verbally talking to God, with your eyes closed, and your hands folded, then praying continually is not possible. But if prayer is viewed as an attitude of constant devotion and communion with God, then it is possible to pray continually.

This is how that works. If the attitude of your heart is fixed on God, then it stands to reason that He will be the center of your life. That means that in every situation and circumstance of your life, you will find yourself naturally discussing that situation with God. If you're fixed on God, God will be your first thought, not your last. You will run to Him for counsel, rather than your mother or father or friend or spouse.

John Wesley wrote about this kind of life in a Christian when he said, (front of WIG) "His heart is ever lifted up to God, at all times and in all places. In this he is never hindered, much less interrupted, by any person or thing. In retirement or company, in leisure, business, or conversation, his heart is ever with the Lord. Whether he lay down or rise up, God is in all his thoughts; he walks with God continually, having the loving eye of his mind still fixed upon Him, and everywhere seeing Him that is invisible."

If you begin praying at all times, I guarantee that prayer will become a core value for you and our church!

C. …in the Spirit

A third thing that Paul mentions in this verse that will help prayer to become a core value in your life, is that when you pray, you must pray in the Spirit.

Now this isn't some weird Ouijia Board experience. But, let's get real. We do worship a supernatural God. So it stands to reason that we need to be involved in something supernatural when we talk to Him. That's what "praying in the Spirit" is all about.

Romans 8:26-27 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

The Spirit of God, because it is God-the third person of the Trinity-is very much in touch with the will of God. So, when we do not know how to pray, or don't know what words to use, it is the Spirit who enables us to pray effectively. He will direct our prayers-guaranteed!

1. There have been many times that I encountered a circumstance at a bed side in a hospital, 2. or at the scene of an accident, 3. or in comforting a family at a funeral… …where I just don't know how to pray. -Sometimes all I know to say is "Thy will be done". -Then, other times, the Spirit of God puts words in my mouth. -Yet, other times He speaks to my mind and gives me the right thought at the right time. I have learned from experience, that if you submit to Him, the Spirit will give you words.

And Romans 8 says that if you don't receive the words, it doesn't mean that the Spirit of God isn't present. It means that in your silence, the Spirit is conversing with God in a way that conveys your deepest and sincerest feelings, without you even having to think with your mind, or form a word with your mouth. That's the supernatural power of God working through prayer.

But the point to being "in the Spirit" when we pray, is simply that we must be in a close relationship to God and trust in His leading and His timing. Without that, our prayers are powerless. But with the Spirit, our prayers are powerful.

D. …with all perseverance

The fourth thing I want you to see in this verse that I believe will help you make prayer a core value is that we are to pray with all perseverance.

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He describes this kind of perseverant prayer.

Matthew 7:7-8 7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

If we were to translate those words literally as they are written in the original Greek, we would get something like, "Ask, and keep on asking; seek, and keep on seeking; knock and keep on knocking."

Plus, there is an ascending order in the intensity in those verbs. You start by asking. But seeking is more than simply asking. That involves action. Seeking is going after something. And knocking involves more than simply asking or seeking. The picture Jesus is painting is of someone pounding on a door. Jesus is telling us to be perseverant in our prayers. In other words, "Don't give up!"

Illustration: George Mueller, a pioneer missionary to the poor in England, years ago, is said to have prayed for two of his friends to come to know Jesus as their Savior for over fifty years. He was asked one time whether He really believed that God would bring salvation to these men. He replied, "Do you think God would have kept me praying all these years if He did not intend to save them?" In the end, both men accepted Christ. One shortly before, and the other shortly after, Mueller's death. God used the persistent prayer of George Mueller. And friends, He'll use yours as well.

On our board out in the foyer are the names of a number of people who live here in the Coachella Valley who don't know Jesus. Two of those people have come to know Him so far this year. Many more need to. Each name of those names has a connection to people in our church. Listen people, don't give up. Keep praying for their salvation. Persevere in your praying. If you really care, you'll value prayer.

E. …for all the saints

The final thing I want you to see in this verse is that prayer isn't just for your benefit. It is for the benefit of others, as well. The phrase in the verse is "for all the saints."

One of the ideas that helped me value prayer in my life was to start thinking of all the people I could affect with my prayers. -You can bless people through your prayers, -or make people sensitive to sin, -or encourage them, -or impact their lives for Christ, - or keep them from falling to temptation, - or keep the enemy from attacking them. -In fact, you can even impact situations of global importance. There is no place on earth where your prayers cannot touch lives. What an awesome and wonderful privilege we have!

Example: Just about every Friday morning, Diane and I go up to Hutchin's Route 62 Diner in Yucca Valley for breakfast. We do that intentionally so God can use us in an environment that is typically not Christian. When we are served our breakfast, we bow our heads in prayer and ask God to use us in whatever way He wants to advance His Kingdom in that motorcycle environment.

So far, in the year that we've been doing that we've seen the cook come out from behind his grill and sit in our booth, uninvited, and start pouring out his life story and ask us questions about faith in Jesus Christ. We've seen the sales manager rededicate her life to Jesus Christ. And we've had individuals who work there ask us to pray for them or for their family members who are going through difficult times. None of that happened until we began praying for God to use us. And now He is, most every week we go up there.

Friends, the importance of prayer cannot be overstated. We are in a spiritual battle, and so are our other brothers and sisters in Christ, and those that God is chasing after to become members of His family. This spiritual battle must be fought on the spiritual plane.

Ephesians 6:12 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

And if we're going to win this battle, we must pray! Would you go to battle and not value a jet bomber, or a battleship, or a gun? Of course not. Those are the weapons of a physical war. Well, prayer is the weapon of the spiritual war. And if we are going to win the spiritual battle for the souls of human beings, we had better value our weapon of prayer, otherwise we'll lose.

IV. Conclusion

Friend, do you pray? More importantly, is it a value in your life? When push comes to shove, where do you turn when the winds of life are about to knock you over? What I've found with many Christians I know, is that they say they value prayer, but they don't pray. Why is that? John Piper, in his book, Desiring God, helped me understand why…

"Unless I'm badly mistaken, one of the main reasons so many of God's children don't have a significant life of prayer is not so much that we don't want to, but that we don't plan to. If you want to take a four week vacation, you don't just getup one summer morning and say, "Hey, let's go today!" You won't have anything ready. You won't know where to go. Nothing has been planned.

"But that is how many of us treat prayer. We get up day after day and realize that significant times of prayer should be part of our life, but nothing is ever ready. We don't know where to go. Nothing has been planned. No time. No place. No procedure. And we all know the opposite of planning is the rut. If you don't plan a vacation you will probably stay home and watch TV! The natural unplanned flow of spiritual life sinks to the lowest ebb of vitality. There is a race to be run and a fight to be fought. If you want renewal in your life of prayer, you must plan to see it."

So, friends, let's get out of the rut. Let's start valuing prayer in our personal lives and in our church life, more than ever before. Let's start praying about everything!

(Explain new prayer format at the end of each service. Elders and pastors available at the front to pray with you about anything.)

Amen