Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
3/15/98 pm
Prayer Should Be A Five Finger Exercise
Reading – 1 Timothy 1.1-8
Scripture tells us that:
- God is love.
- And that we should love Him with all our heart, mind, body and soul.
- This is the first and greatest commandment.
- The second is to love others as ourselves.
- For if God so loved us then we ought to love one another.
Then John by inspiration says, if we claim to love God and do not love one another then we are hypocrites... We are living a lie.
Now, one of the ways we demonstrate our love for others is by praying for them. Perhaps this is what led Paul to encourage Timothy and us saying, I urge that request, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone.
You know there are only two people who we can pray for... Ourselves and Others. Most of the time we are selfish in our prayers, I know that I am. I find myself;
- Asking,
- Petitioning,
- Requesting,
- Praying for me,
- Giving thanks for me and what is mine.
Eric Fife, in his book on prayer says, nothing is more maddening than listening to a person hitting one note on a piano... Again and again and again. He says, if we’re ever going to make music in our prayer life, we must learn all the notes. That means we must pray for others.
What I want to do tonight with this lesson is give us a simple five finger exercise that will help us in remembering to pray for others, and to note who these significant others really are.
FIRST, THERE IS THE THUMB.
You see, the thumb is the closest finger to our body. At the same time it is very strong and useful. We would really be inhibited without it. So, our thumb should remind us to pray on the behalf of those closest to us:
- Immediate family... Loved ones,
- Brothers and sisters in Christ,
- Friends,
- Those close to us.
Have you noticed that sometimes we never get beyond the shopping list type of prayers. For instance, when we pray for our children, we ask God that they may be:
- Prosperous,
- Happy,
- Healthy,
- Have good jobs,
- And a comfortable home.
Church, have you noticed also that there no prayers like this in the Bible? When Abraham prayed for Ishmael, what did he pray for?... It was that he might live correctly before God. When Job prayed for his children, what did he pray for?... It was for their forgiveness, if they had sinned or been unfaithful to God. When Jesus prays for His disciples in John seventeen, He prays:
- That they might know God as God and Him as their Savior.
- That God might protect them from the evil one.
- That they might be one as He and the Father were one.
- And He asked that they be sanctified by truth.
When we pray for those closest to us, pray that they become children of God and useful in the Kingdom.
This reminds me of the story about Clark Poleing. Clark was called into the military during WW II. As he left, he asked his father, daddy, do not pray for my safe return, that would be selfish. Pray that I be adequate in courage for all circumstances.. That I be brave when bravery is called for. At 1:15 AM on February 5th 1943, the USS Dorchester went down in the icy waters of the Atlantic. Clark Poleing and three other chaplains gave up there life jackets to wounded sailors. They then locked arms tightly and went down with the ship. When Daniel Poleing was told of the death of his son, he said, my prayer has been answered. He was made adequate!
So, point number one tonight is that we should pray for those close to us.
- Our children... Loved ones,
- Those in the church family,
- And close friends, and as we do, let us ask that God make them adequate in all things spiritual, not that they be carried through life on velvet pillows of ease.
SECONDLY, THE FOREFINGER.
The finger with which we point toward others. This finger reminds us to pray for those who we are attempting to teach, to evangelize. Those for whom we are attempting to point to Jesus. Pray for the lost... Pray for those we invite to services with us.
This forefinger also reminds us to pray for those who are pointing to Jesus wherever they are.
- For Bible teachers,
- Preachers,
- Missionaries,
- Those who are involved in personal evangelism on any level.
Jay and Linda Channell are currently involved in a Bible study with Steve Tribe and his wife. Pray for them and pray that God will open their hearts to the truth as it is presented.
Church, are we praying for those we are trying to win?... We must. Here it is, never, never, try to be evangelistic without prayer... The results can be sickening. Here’s something else, do they know that we are praying for them?... Do they?... Tell them so. Pray for them in their presence.
- Nothing is more thought provoking,
- Nothing is more powerful, than a personal petition to God with your loved one, friend or neighbor’s name attached.
For instance we prayed publicly for Bob and Rhonda Alberson. Our prayers were answered, they responded to God’s word. Georgia and I have told Phil Ward that he is in our prayers. Let’s hear his name brought before the throne of God... Publicly! Elders, when you visit and for the out-of-duty pray in front of them, using their name. Taking an individual’s name to God in prayer, in their presence is powerful stuff folk. Some contend, well it will embarrass them. How can praying for someone embarrass them?
Think about it a moment, wouldn’t you have liked to have stood on the edge of the Kidron in John 17, and heard Jesus pray personally for you... Calling your name? I don’t know about you, but that thought excites me. I get excited when you take my name to God in prayer here in our assemblies. Do it more and more and more!
THIRDLY, OUR MIDDLE FINGER.
It’s the longest... It’s the tallest... It’s the most outstanding one. This reminds us to pray for our leaders. Paul, in our text specifically mentions praying for:
- Kings,
- Rulers
- And those in high places, those in authority... That’s verse two.
Audience, in a time when our political leaders have lost their integrity, we must, we MUST. Especially we need to pray for them and their honesty in dealing with people. Read the text closely here... That’s what Paul says, pray for your leaders and their honesty. Paul, in Romans thirteen, tells us that these authorities are established by God and we should submit them. Church, rather than criticizing them, we ought to be praying for them.
Not only political leaders, but also pray for our spiritual leaders. Our Elder need your prayers. I tell you tonight... No one... No single person or group of people are more important to your life and mine than our Elders. They are:
- Soul watchers,
- Guides,
- Protectors.
They provide:
- Discipline,
- Encouragement,
- And exhortation.
Pray for them often... Just do it!
How much better it would be, if instead of criticizing and challenging the decisions of our spiritual leaders, that each time we start to be critical, that we pray for them instead. Here it is church, pray for God to give ELDERS wisdom to make the right decisions for us individually and the church corporately.... And then trust God to answer our prayers... Trust God to answer our prayers. Too many times we are critical of the Eldership simply because they made a decision that we disagreed with. Pray for God to give them wisdom and then trust His answer.
One thing that always impressed me about Arley Bontrager’s prayers, I don’t think I have ever heard him pray that he didn’t ask a blessing on our leaders, both political and spiritual. Leaders stand in need of prayer. Dewitt Talmage once said, poor preaching is God’s curse on a church that will not pray for its preacher. I would expand this and say that poor leadership anywhere;
- In business,
- In politics,
- In professional circles,
- In the church, poverty in leadership is a direct result of a prayer-less people.
Folk, God answers prayers of the righteous... That’s His promise to us. You see, as our leaders are blessed so are we. If we want to be:
- A blessed family,
- A blessed church,
- A blessed community,
- A business,
- A blessed nation, then pray for the leadership.
THEN THERE IS THE FOURTH FINGER... THIS IS THE WEAKEST ONE OF THEM ALL.
Any typist will tell you that. When I type, I get a lot of SS and semicolons mixed in my words... WHY?... Because these two fingers are lazy and weak. This finger reminds us to pray for the weak. Those who are:
- Sick of body,
- Sick of soul,
- Those weak of mind,
- And those whose spirits are down.
We often pray for those who are not in services because of physical health problems, asking God to heal them... And that’s good! We should also pray for those who are sick of soul. Those that are not here because they choose not to be present for worship, praise and fellowship.
Billy Sunday, the famous baseball player turned preacher, once wrote the mayor of Columbus, Ohio saying, I am coming to your city for a campaign, send me a list of those who are weak and in need of prayer in your town. The mayor sent Mr. Sunday the Columbus phone book. We must know tonight that here is no shortage of people to pray for in our world.
Let me insert this here, when we promise to pray for others, be sure to do it. It is an act of hypocrisy to promise prayer then not pray. We must never take prayer and praying for others lightly, there is great power here.
Question!... Do you have a prayer list? I hope you do. If not, I hope after this lesson, you’ll go home and compile one. I don’t know how to pray for others without a prayer list. Nobody can remember all those we should pray for... Write it down!!
She doesn’t know I did this, but I slipped home after lunch and took this prayer list out of Georgia’s Bible. It has fifty-one names on it. I counted, 15 or 20 of these names that are your names, or the names of your loved ones. I’ll not read them, but I will tell you that…
- Some of you would be surprised,
- Some of you would be complimented,
- Some of you would be appreciative
- And others of you would be humbled.
Church, I hope I am on your prayer list. I will tell you my name is not on this one, and I’m asking her now to place me there. The effectual prayer of a righteousness man or woman availeth much. Pray for me... Please pray for me... Add my name to your list. If you don’t have a prayer list, go home and make one... Place my name at the top of your list.
THEN NUMBER FIVE, THE LITTLE FINGER... THAT’S ME.
The little finger stand for the one doing the praying. Of all those around us, no one knows our need for prayer more that we do. No other knows our spiritual poverty like we do.
Let’s be honest, lying to self is the worst kind of deception... Isn’t it?
- God help me a sinner.
- God help me overcome that sin that so easily besets me.
- God help me be a better preacher.
- God help me be a better husband, father and grandfather.
- God help me be more servant-minded in my family, the church and community.
- Help me encourage the faint hearted, lift up the fallen and help the weak.
- God help me to serve you faithfully in everything I do.
In conclusion, let’s be reminded by the lesson that:
- We all need to pray more.
- We all need to pray for others more.
- We all need to allow God to use us MORE.
So that we can become His agents for answering both:
- Our own prayers,
- And the prayers of others.
Church,
- If we pray for another’s salvation, we then must allow God to use us to that end.
- If we pray for the poor and the sick physically and spiritually, then we will be found visiting and assisting them.
- If we pray for the lost, we will be taking Jesus to them.
- If we pray for our Elders, we’ll find it most difficult to criticize them. In fact we’ll find ourselves supporting, uplifting and assisting them.
Well, I didn’t give you this lesson to suggest:
- Some kind of devotional straight jacket,
- Or some kind of rigid prayer discipline.
I just want us, as God’s family, to have a good healthy prayer life. This is best accomplished by including others... By including others in our petitions as Paul instructs in our text.
Perhaps your prayer life has become as mundane and maddening as hitting the same SELFISH note on a piano. If so, begin today, to include others in your prayers:
- Those close to us,
- Those involved in evangelism,
- Our leaders, both political and spiritual,
- The weak, spiritually and physically,
- And don’t forget to pray for yourself.
We must know tonight that prayer is a PRIVILEGE OF GOD’S CHILDREN.
Are you a child of God? You can make prayer your PRIVILEGE tonight by faith, repentance and New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of your sins. Come to God tonight as we stand and sing this invitation song... Will you come?
