Listen to this Class: 04032013LaboringInPrayerThatWhichIsPerfectDonRuhl
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Laboring in Prayer
How do you labor in prayer?
Colossians 4.12, 13
Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • March 13, In the year of our Lord, 2013
Prelude:
- Recently, I spoke of Epaphras from a reference to him in Colossians 4,
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis (Col 4.12, 13).- I addressed the fact that he labored in prayer, but
- I thought that issue should be addressed more.
Persuasion:
- How Do You Labor in Prayer?
- For what did Epaphras pray?
- He prayed that the Colossian Church would stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
- How long would it take you to say that in prayer?
- It would not take long,
- if that is all you said.
- How often did he pray for these things?
- All the time.
- Whenever he prayed, or at least when Paul heard Epaphras pray.
- Still I would be hard pressed to call that laboring, if that is all he said and did.
- How would you describe or picture laboring?
- If you did something halfheartedly, would you call it laboring?
- How would you apply that to prayer?
- Laboring in prayer requires focus.
- Laboring in prayer requires time.
- Would you say that Hannah labored in prayer? (See First Samuel 1.10–16.)
- Would you say that Jesus labored in prayer? (See Luke 22.41–44.)
- For what did Epaphras pray?
- What Would Be Involved?
- When you start to break down what he was doing,
- you can see more that was involved.
- He would not only say, God help the brethren to stand perfect and complete in all your will.
- What must happen for people to stand perfect and fully assured in God’s will?
- They would need someone praying for them.
- They would need instruction.
- In what areas would they need instruction?
- They would need to know the will of God.
- They would need to know all the will of God.
- Thus, the prayers would include:
- Someone capable of instructing them.
- In what areas would they need instruction?
- They would need to resist temptation.
- What temptations would they need to resist?
- Doing their own will or someone’s will in opposition to God’s will.
- The temptation to stand
- halfheartedly in God’s will, or
- only in parts of God’s will.
- Epaphras would have to know the weak areas of the congregation.
- Then he could address those specifics in prayer.
- He could also think of each member in prayer and
- their specific needs to stand perfect and fully assured in God’s will.
- What temptations would they need to resist?
- He would have to pray for them personally, “always laboring fervently for you in prayers.”
- That means naming the church or the people.
- That means having their specific needs in mind.
- That would take much thought.
- It would involve labor.
- Such laboring in prayer would come from a zealous heart, “For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you.”
- You would have to know the areas of God’s will in which the people are not standing, or in which they are standing, but are having trouble.
- Then your prayers could address those specific areas.
- When you start to break down what he was doing,
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