Life-Changing, Heart-Moving, World-Shaking Prayer - 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Sermon 7 of 13 from the I Thessalonians series

September 1996 - "Prayer is not everything but everything is by prayer." So said Ray Ortlund. All Christians would agree with that statement. No matter what our background, instinctively we know that prayer is central to the Christian life.

Most of you are familiar with Corrie Ten Boom whose family hid Jews in Holland during World War II. After being released from the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp near the end of the war, she had a vital ministry for Christ around the world for four decades. Her story is told in the movie The Hiding Place. How important is prayer? Let Corrie Ten Boom answer that question:

When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops reading the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy. (cited in Prayer Powerpoints, Victor Books, p. 109)

On the Brink of Revival

In the last several years a number of important books have been written on the thesis that we are on the brink of a great worldwide revival. Most people who say that believe that this revival will be the last great move of the Spirit before Jesus returns to the earth. When I was interviewed on TV-38 last December I met Tom Phillips who has written one of those books. He says there are many signs of revival around the world but none is more important than this: there is a growing movement of prayer greater than anything seen in Christian history, a movement that spans the continents and the denominations bringing together the people of God as never before.

Last month the leaders of our church gathered for an overnight retreat in Elmhurst. We invited Dr. Dennis Baker, executive director of CBAmerica, to lead our sessions. He blew us away with research about demographic change, how to reach the Baby Busters without losing the Baby Boomers, and the challenge of doing ministry creatively in a city church in a rapidly-changing culture. To me the most important thing he said came on Friday night when he discussed the characteristics of the most effective churches in America. Each one is unique but all share this common factor. Each one has a dynamic, powerful prayer ministry.

Then I remembered what my friend Bob Briner told me several months ago. He called me one Monday afternoon to tell me that he had just returned from preaching at the Brooklyn Tabernacle the night before. It's a church in a tough section of Brooklyn. Somewhere between 8-10,000 people attend each week. They have excellent Bible teaching, great music, warm fellowship. And guess which service has the largest attendance each week? The Tuesday night prayer meeting.

Prayer is the Key

Three years ago this month God impressed on my heart that if Calvary was going to the next level, we would only get there through prayer. The Lord clearly said that we wouldn't get there by preaching, programs or publicity. Prayer must be the key. It was at that point that we began to organize the Prayer Warriors movement. Since then we have seen great blessings from the Lord. Yet we all know there is much more God wants us to do and much more he wants to do through us.

I simply want to say that what I believed three years ago, I believe even more fervently today—prayer is the key. It is not simply one of the keys. It is the key. Acts 2:42 tells us that the early disciples "devoted themselves to prayer." Is it any wonder that as a result God gave them unity, miracles, and hundreds of people coming to Christ? All things are possible when a church prays.

Our text records a prayer by the Apostle Paul for the young Thessalonian church. As we look at these verses, we can discover what effective prayer looks like,

I. The Marks of Effective Prayer 9-11

Effective prayer is . ..

1. Thankful 9

"How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?" Twice in one verse he mentions "God" and twice he mentions "you." He doesn't say much about himself even though he led the whole congregation to Christ. But Paul was good Calvinist who understood that "salvation is of the Lord." At best, he was only the human instrument. So instead of bragging about himself he gives thanks to God for he has done.

This week I heard the news that Billy Graham's long-awaited autobiography is about to be published. He has been called "the world's pastor" because he has preached to 210 million people face to face in 195 countries—more than anyone in the history of Christianity—and to hundreds of millions more via radio, TV, and satellite technology. He has personally known 10 American presidents and has been voted one of the Ten Most Admired Men in the World 37 times. His autobiography will have a first-edition printing of one million copies, by far the largest in Christian publishing history.

And yet, what impression do you receive when you listen to Billy Graham speak to Larry King? Humility. He doesn't like to talk about his accomplishments. In fact, when asked how many people had been converted, he shook his head and said, "Only the Lord knows." Unlike so many of the "great" people of our time, Billy Graham's foremost desire is to be faithful to God. Even when he has a chance to boast, he give God the glory instead. This, I think, accounts for his amazing ministry as much as anything else. God knew he could trust Billy with success because he wouldn't let it go to his head.

It's a wonderful thing to begin your prayers with praise and thanksgiving. The Psalmist exhorts us to "enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise" (Psalm 100:4).

2. Constant 10

"Night and day we pray." Paul says he prayed day and night. When was the last time you lost sleep because you were praying? I remember Len Hoppe often talked about how God would wake him up in the middle of the night to pray. Effective prayer engages the heart and mind at all hours of the day and night.

3. Earnest 10

"We pray most earnestly." Paul uses a very unusual expression, a double Greek compound. It has the idea of being going above and beyond all normal measures. You might translate it with the phrase "super abundantly." Prayer must be earnest to be effective. Weak, shallow, half-hearted prayers produce weak, shallow, half-hearted results. God says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13) and James 5:16 reminds us that "the earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results" (New Living Translation).

4. Practical 10

He said he was praying "that we may see you again." Do you pray about your everyday affairs? If you are a salesman, you should pray about your appointments. If you are a doctor, you should pray for your patients. If you are a teacher, you should pray for students. If you work in an office, you should pray about your projects and also for your fellow workers. Paul understood that all of life is to be lived under God's watchful eye. Nothing is too small to bring to his attention. If it matters to you, it matters to him.

5. Purposeful 10

"And supply what is lacking in your faith." Paul had a particular goal in mind. He wanted to supply what was lacking in their faith. The word "supply" was used for mending torn nets and setting broken bones. He used the same word in Galatians 6:1 for restoring sinning saints and in Ephesians 4:12 for equipping all the saints for the work of ministry.

The rest of this letter tells us what Paul found lacking in their faith. Some of the issues related to moral concerns (4:1-8), others to doctrinal issues (4:13-5:11), and still others touched the daily life of the church (5:12-22).

This tells us that Paul didn't waste his breath in rote, routine, repeated prayers. When he prayed, he had a specific purpose in mind.

6. Submissive 11

"Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you." Paul understood that only God could open the door to him to return to Thessalonica. Therefore, after making his plans he submitted them to God. He knew that God could "clear the way" by removing every obstacle. Or he might choose not to "clear the way." In either case, Paul was ready to accept God's will. However, he fervently prayed that the door would open.

We do not know with certainty whether this prayer was ever answered or not. I assume the answer is yes, since Acts 20 records a subsequent visit to the region, but we cannot be sure. In this we see the outworking of Proverbs 16:9, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Or to say it another way, Man proposes, but God disposes.

II. The Goal of Effective Prayer 12-13

In these two verses we have a short course in Christian prayer. If you don't know how to pray for someone, here are two requests that are always in order.

Overflowing Love 12

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you." I think we all understand these words. Love is the supreme grace. You can never have too much of it. You can never have enough of it. Paul is saying, "I pray that God will make you an overflowing fountain of love." He is praying that they might become "Super Lovers."

If we are full of God's love, it will overflow to others. It's not enough to be kind and polite. Our love must constantly be growing.

How do we get more love? From the only source of true love—God Himself. Since God is love, when you ask him for more love, that is a request He will surely answer.

This week I received a wonderful note from a friend who writes:

Life is so good with God in the center. Now problems turn into solutions, fear turns into hope, anger turns to love. I'm free in God and it's the best place to be. I've learned to take risks and face challenges. I take no credit for any of this. To God be all the glory. He never let go. He took me from a bitter, unhappy, depressed alcoholic and gave me the wings of eagles, soaring to heights I never dreamed possible. He's given me his words to share with other alcoholics, he's restored my family, and has filled me with His love each day.

That testimony is wonderful in many respects, not least because it perfectly illustrates what it means have love overflowing in your life. Only God can do that … and he does it whenever he can find a willing heart.

Inward Holiness 13

"May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones."

First there is love and from love comes holiness. Holiness is that state of being separated from sin and wholly dedicated to God. Love and holiness go together so that you can hardly have one without the other. Love leads us away from ourselves and on toward holiness. And holiness it the child of love.

This is the doctrine of progression sanctification. You don't become holy by thinking about holiness. As God's love fills your heart, it will burn out the dross of sin. Said another way, love is the Drano of the soul, unclogging the arteries of your heart.

III. The Path to Effective Prayer

One problem we face in prayer is that we don't know where to begin. I know it's easy to make people feel guilty about not praying. But that's not my goal. Deep in my heart I want to motivate you to get involved in the wonderful adventure of prayer. Let me offer nine practical suggestions.

You need a Plan

I don't know anyone with an effective prayer life who prays by accident. If you're waiting to feel like praying, it's not going to happen. You need a plan. That probably means you need a prayer list. My personal plan of prayer includes daily journaling, reading Puritan prayers, praying on Tuesday morning, attending the prayer meeting at 6:30 A.M. on Wednesday mornings in the chapel, praying for the cities of America at noon on Wednesdays, praying around the tables after the Wednesday night meal, and praying on my knees with the pastoral staff on Friday morning. In addition to that, I meet with the elders in my office at 8:00 A.M. every Sunday morning to pray for our services.

That plan works well for me, but it wouldn't fit anyone else in our church. You don't need my plan, but you definitely need a plan.

You need a Partner

You will find your prayer life growing by leaps and bounds if you have one or two other people with whom you can pray on a regular basis. Don't try to learn about prayer on your own. You can pray with your spouse, with a friend at work, with a neighbor, or with someone from the church.

Among the many benefits of having a prayer partner, here are two: One, a prayer partner keeps you encouraged when you feel down and two, a prayer partner keeps you honest and accountable.

Become a Prayer Warrior

You may not be familiar with this ministry so let me tell you that God laid on my heart three years ago that we should raise up 100 praying men and 100 praying women who would lead the way in praying for our church and its leaders. We eventually called those praying men and women Prayer Warriors. At one point we had over 240 warriors. As of this moment, we have 172. I have asked God for 50 more volunteers who will commit to praying for our church faithfully each day. Won't you consider joining us?

Visit the Prayer Room

Many of you don't even know that we have a prayer room. Several years ago we opened a room directly under the Sanctuary where our people can go to pray during each worship service. In some ways I believe that the most important work of all on Sunday morning is being done by a handful of people meeting to pray while we meet to worship God. In my mind's eye I see that small group of people lifting up hundreds of others into the very presence of God. We have room for 8 or 10 down there. I long to see the day come when we have to build a bigger prayer room because we have so many wanting to pray while we worship God.

Get up Early

Consider these two verses from the book of Psalms: "I cry to you for help, O Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you" (88:13) and "In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you." While we know that God hears us whenever we pray, something powerful happens when we start the day with him. I can testify that my day always goes better if I take the time to start it with the Lord.

Pray for new believers

That's really what this passage is all about. Paul was a mighty prayer warrior who constantly prayed for the people he led to Christ. Who are you praying for today?

Keep a Prayer Journal

Two things cause me to mention this to you. First, the most recent issue of Kindred Spirit, the publication of Dallas Seminary, contained two articles on the importance of spiritual journaling. Chuck Swindoll explains his journaling this way:

Why do I journal? I'm at an age when all the trinkets and gimmicks and fads really don't mean a thing to me anymore. Life has been distilled for me through time. I want to capture those thoughts and have a record for the little hands of a grandson or granddaughter to move through while reading about their granddaddy. Best of all, I want to keep a journal because it is a conversation with God. (Kindred Spirit, Autumn 1996, p. 3)

The second reason is more personal. On several occasions I've kept various kinds of journals and notebooks, but in the last few years had fallen out of the habit. Then about a month ago I began keeping a prayer journal on my computer. Nothing I have done in a long time has been as helpful to my own spiritual life. Each day I write down a few goals for the day, my thoughts and insights, and then I write a prayer for the day. I also try to spend time in the Word and also reading a Puritan prayer. The main benefit has been to give my life focus and direction as I start each new day.

Join a Small Group

It doesn't matter what kind of small group you join. I'm part of a Promise Keepers group that meets twice a month. Right now we're studying Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R. C. Sproul. Each time we meet we share our lives together and then spend time praying for each other. I recommend that you join a small group for many reasons, including the encouragement it will be to your prayer life.

Memorize Scripture

Prayer and the Word always go together. If you pray without the Word, you may become unstable in your faith. If you read the Word without prayer, you may become cold in your faith. But when the bedrock truth of God's Word is joined with the power of prayer, you will become stronger and your prayers will be more effective.

The Chief Thing

I close my message with the words of S. D. Gordon:

The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is to pray. It is not the only thing. But it is the chief thing. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray—not those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor those who can explain about prayer; but those who take time to pray. (Prayer Powerpoints, p. 184)

Think about this for a moment. You are where you are today because somebody prayed for you. Somebody prayed and you came to Christ. Somebody prayed and you found a job. Somebody prayed and you were healed. Somebody prayed and you won a game. Somebody prayed and you were rescued in the middle of the night. Somebody prayed and your marriage was saved. Somebody prayed and you didn't give up. Somebody prayed and you made the right decision. Somebody prayed and you experienced God's power.

Let me say this another way: No one knows how much sin and sorrow we've been saved from because somebody prayed for us.

What is the application? Pray! Do for others what others have done for you. When we can serve people in no other way, we can pray for them.

It is better to begin by doing something—however small—than to begin by doing nothing. Take one of these suggestions and get started this week. Or think of a suggestion on your own. Please don't just read this sermon and put it aside.

May God make us a praying people and may he make this a praying church. Amen.