A Prayer Worth Remembering and Modeling, Part 2

When praying is were searching for the right words. Sometimes we default to empty Shea repetition of the process. Our effort to connect with the living God falls flat today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll presents his second message in a brand-new study through Paul's letter to the Colossians during the next half-hour will discover some fresh ways to truly express what's heavy on our hearts back to find joy where in Colossians chapter 1, Chuck titled today's message a prayer worth remembering and modeling. Even though I don't know most of you personal first on, that you pray you are a person that believes in prayer.

Second thing I know about you is that when you pray, you remember those you love those you know well because you know them well. You can pray specifically for them. Both are commendable.

These are great habits to cultivate the habit of prayer for those you know those you love others. Another side to all of this, you may not have thought about before, which Paul reminds us of when we come to the first chapter of Colossians verses nine through 14, and that is praying for people you don't know people you have never met first. We are to pray for others in this category continually what I say that look at survival.

Colossians 19 so we have not stopped praying for you.

This will get the word continually pray for others continually keep in mind.

Verse nine says we ask God to give you complete knowledge. So we spread the Colossians that they will have discernment to cut through all the deception and realize that they're being led astray by these. Teacher I give you a couple or three tips about false teachers want to warn you here here my warnings number one. Watch out for any teacher or ministry who encourages exclusivity. We are the exclusive group only at this church. When you hear the truth. That's a false ministry. What's up for people like that. There's another one guard against those who regularly criticize good teachers and reliable ministries. If the one you've been following regularly criticizes sound teachers, strong churches you're following the wrong individual.

Here's the third, if the one you are following promotes himself or herself in any way you're following the wrong leader I've never seen a false teacher who was not self serving. Often there is a touch of arrogance and un-teachability.

That's the first part pray continually for those you've not been the second verses 11 and 12 pray for their spring. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so that you will have all the endurance and patience you need. Part of being strengthened in God's power is the ability to cultivate endurance and patience to break those words apart. Endurance is from interesting Greek word who pulled Manet HUP O MON E from Hoople beams under Manet means to abide is the idea of holding up under bearing up under and it often has in mind. Adverse circumstances as you get strength from the Lord.

I'm praying that you will you will be able to hold up against un-adverse circumstances that will come, and invariably they will come in second, you will be a person, a patient see the word right there in verse 11 that you will have all endurance and patient. This is a longer Mac Pro through me off macro meaning along the meal we got a word thermometer from it is the idea of long-suffering being able to endure long heated season, and in this case, macro, chlamydia usually has in mind. Patients with difficult people, so endurance has in mind. Adverse circumstances that you will be able to hold up and patience have to do has to do with dealing with people that are difficult and I could testify of the to the letter is the more difficult dealing with adverse circumstances is hard enough dealing with difficult sometimes impossible.

People it is is a real drain on your patient and here he says, may you have the kind of patients of that that you need and look at what he adds, may you be filled with joy.

Richard Gladney added that this wonderful in the process of dealing with people that are difficult in situations that are adverse don't get negative become sour. William Barclay writes it this way as he expands the meaning of patient is basic meaning is patience with people. It is the quality of mind and heart which enables us to bear with people that there is to so bear with people that their unpleasantness and maliciousness and cruelty will never drive us to bitterness that their unteachable mess will never drive us to despair that their folly will never drive us to irritation and that there on loveliness will never alter our law, the Christians fortitude in events and patience with people must be indestructible that the kind of fortitude we are to pray for others and well read it.

Pray for it for ourselves, that they might be filled with joy and there's one more always thanking the father by the way, this seemed like a long sentence doesn't mean from a startup party taking a breath you'll be interested to know that in the Greek language. This one sentence that starts at verse nine goes through 218. It's 218 words before theirs. That's what I call a sentence. This this baby is a long sentence and were stopping in the middle of the sentence. Even though there's a. That appears in the English tech is going on and on and always adding an attitude of gratitude.

How important you begin to see why this is such a great prayer to remember and to model keep it in mind, always thanking the father with an attitude of gratitude in adverse circumstances and among difficult people will talk you keep doing it because you don't start to wear thin. Well, to quote Dr. John Mitchell your Bible repeatedly. When you read your Bible, you will begin to see her repeatedly refers to the same thing and what is that the converse verse 12 as it continues, always thanking the father he has enabling you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people who live in the light.

That's how there can be joy. You've inherited the light you're surrounded by people that live in darkness. Haven't you noticed look at the faces of all the newscasters they look like EOR will have more bad news today about the president and about his cabinet and about what's going on in decisions that are being made in the White House all really young.

On top of that we have bad weather we need a report that's coming from the northeast and it's going to spread down and while were there we got a bad plague. That's commanders a mosquito on the loose struggle. Oh how unsurmountable is bad news.

Why do you respond like that you're in inheritor. The light some of you know Fox News better than you know your Bible you know the people and bring the broadcast better than you know the people of the Scriptures. No wonder you're so disheartened. No wonder you're so downcast that two different men. After the first service this morning, in tears. I asked her permission. I don't know their name so it's I visit your sure, you're free to tell one man says we just discovered that my wife has MS and on top of that, any day now. I'm going to lose my job. He said I had no idea when I dressed for church this morning that I be hearing what what you're talking about is that you are talking to me looks the other man had us that another story that was just justice said he could hardly finish it sent as he said to me, I wondered when I was a getting up this morning about why even bother to go to church. What could there possibly be that could lift my my head above the water where I am and he described it, and he just started saw that had no idea that the Bible would address something like that. This is real stuff folks. This is real life. This isn't some kind of saintly pious prayer that you learned when you quoted.

I've got a good friend who told me when he heard I was going to teach Pilates always my favorite book. In fact, he said, you will come across as you teach in a prayer chapter 1 verses 9 to 14 were there now. This is before I'd started. He said what you know Chuck, I pray that for you. When I go through that I can just hear him saying what a great thing to read on reading this prayer list might be to know that he cares enough that he would Pray like it when you begin to pray like this, you will begin to operate board the darkness will not shroud in deep and dark in your spirit that you may be filled with joy filled with joy with an attitude of gratitude, always thanking the father since he is enabled you to share in the inheritance of belongs to his people who live in the light of some of you read that you think, guess what it's going to be in heaven. Stop that has nothing to do with heaven is now we are complete in Christ and with Christ to get you get all of this we are those who have inherited and now live in the light, we live in.

It doesn't say we will live in it. We now live in. This is then that little connective for explains what we have just read it says, in effect, because or let me explain.

13 and 14 turns the prayer at the praise look for you so how can I live in the light because he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness.

He has done that he has transferred us into the kingdom of his dear son. What about his son only purchased our freedom.

He for gave her soon agreed, is that the change in pronouns from you and you and you all the way through verses nine through 12. He now says us he's rescued also falls in the group progresses in the group. All of us in the room who know the Lord Jesus have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of his dear son he's purchased our freedom you enslaved to some addiction you been emancipated. You have been emancipated. Maybe you didn't even know it.

Like so many of the slaves toward the end of the Civil War, emancipation from them from the president came years before it was enacted or before they acted on it. I mean, you think the plantation owners wanted those slaves to know they were emancipated, not on your life. There are people who will keep you under bondage and end up all the sentence freeze of what we been rescued. We been emancipated.

We been given.

Our freedom is been purchased for us where on the cross where he who knew no sin became sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in him you have the righteousness of God. You are chapter 2 verse 10 completed Christ.

He forgave your sins. I will surprise you with a statement and was a lot. I like doing it.

You don't have to sin is sin because you want to you like to do good friend of mine Leroy rhymes with the navigators for years used to say we sin because we have a quiet secret delight in sending we love to sin is a satisfaction in it. Not all, but much of that you know what you been freed from the power read Romans six you been delivered from that authority. Sin no longer his reign over you. You choose to sin but you don't have to if you're in Christ now. If you're not in Christ. You can help your woefully addicted and you're not free from even though he is provided this forgiveness.

You still operate as the will never be true for you but you must come to Christ, so that you can enjoy the spiritual emancipation type under wrap it up by giving you three simple tips as it relates to praying for others. Thus, wrap it up in these simple words that I hope you will forget. First let's be faithful. Let's be faithful let's do this continually.

Let's be sure that the day doesn't pass without our praying for someone we don't know course you want to be praying for people. You do know and love. I'm confident you do that, but now I'm talking from this passage pray for those you've never met the faithful said others.

The second let's be specific.

Always been specific. I pray for your knowledge that you will know the will of God. I pray for your strength, your endurance, your patience through hard times and difficult people. I pray for your joy. I pray for an attitude of gratitude. I pray that you will live as if you are indeed in fact free because you are you been rescued.

Be specific. It was anything I would love to change in most Christians prayer is to get rid of the clichéd year of all the time here couple of dear Lord lead, guide and direct us.

You've already said lead she don't need to add guide or direct the same thing but you learn is Sunday school to lead, guide and direct when you pray get rid of one of the three make a difference.

Lord, guide us in the name the way you need him to guide you specifically. Here's another one. Bless us when the Romans at me, or bless missionaries, could you name something specific. How about Frank and Shirley who were struggling to learn the language where they are not. Pray that you will give them facility in the in learning that language that is difficult for them. I pray right now from 444 billing marshes to children that are sick and my heart goes out to them and I pray that you would somehow intervene and bring strength and hope and healing beyond the six I pray Lord for my son who's away at college.

I'm concerned about the influences going on around him and I'm not there to talk about it with him and I know that he's at a distance and I don't know what temptations he's facing a pray that you give him strength to withstand that that's specific prayer.

I love the way the late how we Hendrick used to put it guard against the slimy lose of indefiniteness were you leave again. The directed bullet on the godless lien over having to go how how exactly would you like to be blessed tell me I answer specific prayer blessed says nothing less. Of course you've named let's be specific when we pray, here's 1/3 issue. Let's let let's be sure to the change in pronouns.

He's rescued us is transferred us. I'm confident that Paul writes rescued transfer these freedoms.

He's forgiven us. I get you to pray to be forgiven. You forgiven I talked to you… Say Lord freebie remove and refrain from it that her prayer would be Lord keep me from loving it from like doing it guard me Lord, because I'm given to anger, and when I'm angry I'm enraged lose control and Lord of I'm not about doing something dangerous stuff that in me, Lord, let's let's pray with assurance. Paul is praying and includes himself, and I urge you to pray and not to forget herself. Let me say one final word. I mean, some of you are not here in this passage because you've never trusted Christ on I know I know you're not out killing people.

I know you paying your taxes will most of and and your good long as best you can. Your good neighbor. I know that you're holding down a job best you can and maybe between jobs or your your your trying to be patient know that you've never come to the cross. If you never trusted Jesus just a simple prayer, Lord God, I acknowledge that I am distant from you. I hang around Christians, but I'm not one of even learn the language of some, but I'm I'm a long ways from your dictionary.

You and I are light years apart and I want to be close to being your family. So right now I claim Christ as my Savior. I ask you to make that happen right now. That's let's bow together you please do that with me.

They talk about praying for others. Pray for someone who may be listening right now who doesn't know Christ offer that prayer and I joined my brothers and sisters today dear father I ask that you would by your grace reach into the heart of those who have been disillusioned some of even been turned off by toxic religion, others have become so self-centered that the they are not even aware of how arrogant they become a pray that you break up, break them down, bring them to their knees make him restless through the night take away their sleep trouble them with the reality that they are distant from you so that they might come to realize that there is hope. Only in the Lord Jesus Christ and give us our father we pray through all of this joy that is contagious. Deliver us from that long face pious nonsensical look of religion so that we become for you great advertisements of the real thing in a world that is lost speak to specific parts today in this message that individuals make trusting your son is Savior I ask it in the name of our risen Lord Jesus everybody sit a man a this is insight for living Chuck Swindoll titled the section of Colossians prayer worth remembering and modeling and to learn more about this ministry.

Visit us online@insightworld.org 11 here may reference the searching the Scriptures, study notes and we encourage you to dig deeper into Paul's letter to the Colossians by using this free resource use at the pace you can go as deep as you like to interact with the study notes online, download the free PDF document go to insight.org/studies one of your fellow listeners said I read the Bible from cover to cover once and still read Scripture every day. But while listening to Chuck series.

I'm also using the STS guide. I also purchased Jack's book on the sub and then this listener from Tennessee added. I even reference maps now which is an absolute first, the Bible has become more than just an ideal to follow this come alive to me, will you find the searching the Scripture study notes it insight.org/studies and the purchase text commentary on Colossians go to insight.org/offer.

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The preceding message of prayer worth remembering and modeling was copyrighted in 2014 and 2022 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited