Praying Like We Mean It, Part 3

Today from Chuck Swindoll.

We have an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading waiting in heaven for us. Among that inheritance is seeing the Savior and all of his glory. It includes crowns that will be given to you when you stand before him at the judgment and you will cast them at his feet and worship. That's part of your inheritance. There is a special reward. Even the crown of life for those who suffer for God has given his access to his throne.

So how is it that our personal prayer lives are often reduced to a few mumbling words before a meal or a litany of prayer requests right before we fall asleep today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll continues his study in Ephesians chapter 1 beginning at verse 15 in this passage we provided a model from Paul on how to pray to do so in a manner that reflects the promises of God. Chuck titled today's message praying like we meet about the apostle Paul saying to you people in Ephesus. I make mention of you I make mention of you in my prayers. What did he pray verse 17 verse 18 verse 19.

This is what he mention any prayed like he met.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. Father glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of discrete, I pray as I think about you people in Ephesus in a culture that's idolatrous in a lifestyle that's licentious, surrounded by the majority who were listening to Rome and the Emperor taking their cues from him. I pray that you will come to a full knowledge of God. How do I get to a full knowledge of God.

How do I get to a deeper understanding of the workings of God, look at this 17 verse through a spirit of wisdom and revelation, a spirit of wisdom and revelation.

See, I pray I make mention of you in my prayers for 17 that God may give you wisdom revelation that leads to the knowledge of him not initially verse 18 it goes even further. He still pray. The first was that they would have a knowledge of him for knowledge of God. I pray then the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that they might know the word no will get on the little arrow pointed up the knowledge of him and no here's about knowledge that you will know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance, that you may know what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe you know what I think.

I don't think you can know any of the three. Without prayer, I think we need to request these three things you were going to get them. The channel is through prayer not on now I lay me down to sleep. Prayer, not the traditional prayer you memorized when you were eight or nine and you're still using it.

Not that this is a prayer that says in simple terms, help, help. I've I've lived years of my life clueless, spiritually speaking. I've been selfish. I I've kept score. I've held grudges.

My eyes are horizontally focused on people I've got a list of folks that I'd be happy if I never saw again stop stop Lord I'm tired of living like everybody around me is living and I pray that my heart will be enlightened, so that I might know these three things change me.

What are they will one has to do with his calling. How is it Eugene Peterson words this so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do you know what is calling you to do it. Don't tell me what your job is.

Don't tell me your occupation, it may be part of it may not. Do you know what is calling you to do.

Not if you haven't prayed, not if you haven't had your mind and will and emotions fully open to what he is calling you to do it it it it may be very surprising.

I can tell you from experience that it it it is surprise you. You just think you know and it isn't necessarily what comes naturally or what brings you most comfort are the easiest path that's the way we naturally walk there's nothing divine about that. Everybody wants his own comfort zone sustained but but he said so that you will know, meaning you don't know. So I pray that you will know the hope of his calling.

Want to do a little homework for me on this day. Some of you have in the back of your Bibles a concordance, which is an alphabetical listing of the words in the Scriptures. That's a small concordance. Others of you who are really serious about your faith. I want you to buy a biblical concordance, K looking at me like get a life. Chuck know I have a life you need to get one.

You need to own you need to own a nice heavy volume has no pictures and it is a big print a nice heavy volume called a concordance. Seriously, if you don't have one. It is next to your Bible, the most important book you could own a concordance and it is an alphabetical listing of the words used all the way through the Bible.

If you get a good one.

It's called an exhaustive concordance is exhausting. Is that exhausting every word in the Bible is listed in the good concordance get one find the C still with me right look up call and calling and do a study on that if you don't have time for the whole Bible take just the New Testament.

You will be amazed. He asked that we would know the hope of our calling. What is God really wants us to do and I don't think you can do that without a serious study of caller calling just a few of them.

He has called us to be set apart to him, I found that in my concordance.

He has called us to holiness. He has called us to a life of freedom not being captured by others opinions. A life of freedom. Freedom to obey God.

He has called us into one body. He has called us to his life of peace and you know surprising one in first Peter five. He is called us to suffering. Wait a minute. That's right. That means the next time you seriously suffer, you will realize it's part of his calling. That makes all the difference in the world in your reflection when you realize that God the sovereign father who oversees every detail of your life and knows every hair on your head cares about what you were going through even the suffering it will put a whole new dimension in the pain. Pain knocked upon my door and said that she had come to stay in the law wouldn't welcome her and made her go away. She entered in the poet goes on to describe the wrestling of pain, more pain came in. She says a little later on and I said no pain is here.

There is not room for more than I heard his tender voice designed, be not afraid, and from the moment he entered in know the difference he made when the Lord Jesus enters into the pain of your software suffering and sorrow. It changes your whole attitude from resistance to acceptance.

Then you start to learn. Then you start to grow. I've never met a soldier who was a wise individual who wasn't scarred from pain.

Going through tough times. It's the journey toward wisdom. Psalmist says he keeps our tears in a bottle is not a great thought for some of us it's at the jug for a few it's a little flask to little tube, but you're not through yet. Your call to suffering. God didn't make a mistake, you're not out of his will necessarily. You may be in the nucleus of his will, with all the pain you're going through. I pray that the eyes of your heart would be enlightened, so you'd know that it gives hope when you realize you're calling and you also know what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance. You know what we have to look forward to talk about encouragement we have in an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading waiting in heaven for us. First Peter 14 among that inheritance is seeing the Savior and all of his glory is being rewarded for every act done with the pure motive. It is being eternally delivered from the adversary and his dark evil ways.

It includes crowns that will be given to you when you stand before him at the judgment and you will cast them at his feet and worship.

That's part of your inheritance that keeps you on the bed of affliction with a smile. There is a special reward. Even the crown of life for those who suffer for him. Here's 1/3 one, I pray that your eyes will be enlightened, so that you will know verse 19. What is the surpassing greatness of his power words surpassing greatness are you know I would gonna jump over that word.

This is a great word who pair volatile hoop.

We weren't hyper from it bottle we get the word ball from a thinkable ball thrown high up to throw over. It means immeasurably great profoundly powerful, magnificently mighty Paul sort of accumulates the word altogether. Pauline expression. No other writer of the Scriptures uses it. But Paul it means to go to excess.

We get our word hyperbole from it. We talk about a mile high ice cream cone. That's a hyperbole it's a ridiculous extreme to get across the point of how good they taste so good right now you think of you think of his power as surpassing meaning you can't measure them. You know how Paul uses the word Paul is persecuting the Saints when he was lost, he did it without major he used Hooper bottle for the abundance of the revelation God gave him in second Corinthians 12 it was abundance. It was so much he couldn't even measuring the strikes he received from the lies she said were above measure. You know Paul was beaten so many times he lost count who pair volatile. The exceeding riches of God's grace, who pair volatile, the love of Christ that passes knowledge Hooper bottle here it is the power that you might come to know his power and all of its greatness. But it's not power like, try to imagine them strong right now. Okay, it's not that kind of Charles Atlas is not that kind of Arnold Schwarzenegger, power that's a human power. That's only as strong as the beatable heart soon as their heart stop they die know this is a do not miss dynamic power we get our word dynamo from the surpassing greatness of the Dynamo that comes from the indwelling Christ.

Some of the most soft-spoken, sweet spirited of God's things are like human Dynamo's when you get beneath the surface. You know how they got there prayer it doesn't come naturally. It's not the result of positive thinking that this is not about just mind control is not about that at all. That's all human.

These are gifts that come from the father through the son by the power of the spirit to us. Our eyes are enlightened and we realize were not victims any longer were victorious were not helpless and are hopeful were not at the enemy's mercy.

We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 831 to 39 more than conquerors. How do we tap into this praying like we mean civil I'm not sure I can remember all of this go to Ephesians 1 and pray versus 15 to 19. He took notes for you so you got them right there just read him back to just where the print off the page.

Just run your fingers over those words over and over again. You think a missionary stays on the field when nobodies turns to Christ William Carey stay over 40 years in India and not know a soul coming to Christ till toward the end of his life, and we looking back we call in the father of modern missions. He had the Dynamo packet Hudson Taylor say in inland China.

Having buried more than one wife there. How could he do it.

There is a dynamo at work and how could people found these great schools that have the vision to start ministries all over the world. There is a dynamo that God gives an go to rest stop beating. It will leave begin to pray like this, it transforms you, you lay hold of God and you get a greater knowledge of him through wisdom and revelation, and then the Enlightenment comes from the heart, and you begin to see your calling in your inheritance and you detected what tell you my story again. Okay, I know I've told it before when you get my age yet you think I'm a tell a story they've never heard this before you told it several times so I want you to know I know you've heard it, but I'm a tell it again because it's a story on me and on us, not your story.

And so you're safe. Next Sunday I'll use yourself.

But this Sunday I'm using my note to tell you about mine sitting pretty in the 19 early 1990s ministry was going real well insight for living radio growing people responding wonderful church was going great great ministry, harmony, marvelous staff.

We cultivated our relationship.

Some of them with me more than 20 years we have been close. Many of the more than 15 years. It was just terrific and I get this letter from Dallas and 92 I get a phone call first and they want to know the chairman of the board of the seminarian and current president, Dr. Campbell called me and said would like you to consider coming get a life. Come on you guys know they didn't laugh and said well that's that's nice thinking. I appreciated that's way out of my league coming.

I was thinking I'm so comfortable here. Got it together. Happy life. For the most part and I got four children and all the grandchildren around and you know almost everybody is living there under that area and I'm thinking there's no way so they called again.

He wouldn't leave it alone and I finally thought I need to write him a letter I wrote a great letter spent several hours on it and two pages airtight full of great logic wrong, but it was a good letter and I sent it to them and they didn't accept it so that's that's fine.

We we know where you're coming from but were convinced otherwise thought these men were to have need more to do than than that and so I will save you all the stuff that I got on the search committee on the board.

They put me on the search committee since I wouldn't come that will maybe you could help us find the person and find out about finding it's easy to know, and so we sent out letters to our alumni 8000 of them in. We ask him to come back with suggestions and my name was on most of those lists and I thought this matter with these people out there and so the search committee said you know it you need to probably reconsider this and I thought I I'd like that not to be brought up again. Really I said I'd appreciate it if that would not okay which is pray. That's not fair. I thought so. Time passes and I wake up in the middle of the night and the eyes of my heart began to be enlightened.

I didn't.

This is not what I wanted this part of the problem best things God has for you.

You don't want right now. You don't want. You don't want to go that way so you you you write your letter and I'm thinking authorities told him no and I saw that my wife you know who's thinking you need to really consider that for come on, you know, look mean. Think of what would have to give up.

She said when you follow God. You don't give up anything thanks a lot very helpful long and short of it is. I realize that it was right and I realize that all of my reasoning was great logic and good human thinking, but it all revolved around preserving what I wanted my comfort mean, why in the world what I ever want to leave something that great because God wanted me to the answer was hard to tell them some. I'm sure to this day don't understand God bless love but you know what he had this in my look around. I shake my head every Sunday. I'm amazed every week. Not supposed to be this happy, fulfilled, full of dreams. I great desire God's great desire and a whole another direction. Remember that I'm such a poor model of doing this right. So learn from the delay. When I had the brakes on and dragging my feet I was surrounded by men and women who knew better than I because they were not selfish. They were open had no idea of the people we would find serve on our staff where they would come from how we would get started I'd never done this before and never ever done this like Abraham and Sarah having a baby at 90 and 99. Can you imagine them with the crib infant seat oozing to carry this baby were both he's got a great great plan. You just think you know you just think you know you have a clue that it cannot bring, but I will warn you start to pray and mean it. Hang on to be so great to get the letters from you in the future and say remember that sermon he preached from the well. We began on our seats sitting here listening to this and now we find ourselves on our knees. It's a great way to end we bow our knee to the Lord whom we love.

And if you don't love in your you're missing out. How can you possibly restrain the magnet of his love is calling you to himself calm come now today and you'll learn a dimension of life in a way to live. That will so surpass anything you've ever known before.

Give everything to gain and nothing to lose the forgiveness of your sins and eternal home in heaven, secure in the spirit, protected from the adversary right now your open, pray he's got you come to Christ, we do love you, our Lord and we lift our voice to praise you. Thank you. To give you ourselves afresh in the new forgiveness for wrestling with you. Forgive us for running from you with your arms were wide open, inviting us to come on.

We do love you and we do worship you. It's exciting to realize at this very moment.

Men and women around the world are coming to Christ and saying yes to his call. In taking this step toward him. God is opening the eyes of your heart and giving you a brand-new vision for your life you're listening to Insight for living in the Bible teaching of pastor and author Chuck Swindoll to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online head insight world.org will you be glad to know that check is written a commentary on Ephesians that helps us understand and apply more of these promises of God. For instance, in the next chapter of Paul's letter. Ephesians chapter 2 God says this about his children.

He says we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago to help you dig deeper on your own. We encourage you to add checks commentary on Ephesians to your collection of Bible study tools affect this particular book is paired with Galatians as well.

The format is user-friendly, providing cultural context, practical insight, and even some guidance on how to pray like you mean it is well to purchase Swindoll's living insights commentary on Galatians and Ephesians give us a phone call listening in the US. That number is 1-800-772-8888 or go online insight.or/store insight for living is made possible through the purchase of books and other resources through the generosity of our monthly companions. Anyone who gives a donation and your contributions are helping us reach our long-term goal of bringing God's message of grace to every country in the world vision 195. So to become a monthly companions right now. One time donation, listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 forgive online insight or thank you for your generous support. Join us again tomorrow when Chuck Swindoll explains how to stay connected to our God be listening Tuesday to Insight for living. The preceding message praying like we need was copyrighted in 2000 2001 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited