As a pastor who has spent several years leading, mobilizing, and equipping church members to share the gospel with lost people in our community, one of the more common sources of foot-dragging (if not outright objection) I have heard in response to the call of all Christians to evangelize is a statement which sounds something like this: “Why do I need to share the gospel? God is sovereign, and He is going to save who He’s going to save.”

Indeed, God is sovereign! He is sovereign over the wind and the waves. He is sovereign over Tokyo and Topeka. He is sovereign over the twenty-first century just as much as He was sovereign over the eighth century. He is the sovereign Ruler of everyone, at every place, at every time. And yes, in His perfect and infinite wisdom, God is sovereign over the hearts of men (Prov 21:1)—meaning, He knows (because He has foreordained) who will respond to the message of the gospel with repentance and faith, and those who will reject that same message (Acts 13:48; Rom 9:15-16).

So, acknowledging that God is sovereign, why should we, as followers of Jesus Christ, share the gospel? If the deck is already stacked (so to speak), why share?

There are several reasons why the sovereignty of God in salvation not only must not be an impediment to our gospel witness, but instead should fuel our evangelism. Five of those reasons are given below.

1. It Is Logical.

If you are reading this article, you are likely a Bible-believing, and Bible-affirming, follower of Jesus Christ. Meaning, you believe what the Bible teaches about a literal hell (the eternal abode of the damned; a place that is exceedingly and eternally hot, dark, and fearful) as well as what the Bible teaches about the eternal destination for followers of Jesus Christ (an unspeakably glorious new heavens and new earth, a place where righteousness dwells (2 Pet 3:13) and where inhabitants are basking in the radiant glow of the light of the Lamb (Rev 21:23)).

Knowing these realities about heaven and hell, coupled with a genuine love for lost people, ought to stoke in each one of us a zeal for sharing the gospel. Yes, it is worked out in the mind of God who He has appointed unto salvation. But in our fallen and finite minds, those details are beyond us. So we share. Our job is not to figure out who is among God’s elect. Our job is to share the gospel.

2. It Is Our Duty.

Not only is it a logical act of love to share the gospel, it is our duty. It is the duty not only of pastors to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim 4:5), it is the duty of all Christians to do so (Matt 28:19-20).

Our Savior has made it crystal clear for His followers that our chief charge in this world—indeed, the Great Commission He has assigned to us—is to “go and make disciples” (Matt 28:19). So, we “go”! We “go” because the first step in “making a disciple” is to share the gospel with lost people. A disciple cannot be made without this necessary first step of evangelism.

We “go” irrespective of where we stand on Calvinism or Arminianism. We “go” no matter our views on the extent of Christ’s atonement. We “go” no matter how deeply we have worked through the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. We “go” because Christ tells us to “go.”

3. It Is a Privilege.

On the one hand, Scripture is clear that Christ has given us a command to share the gospel as we “make disciples.” When Christ told His disciples to “go,” He was not giving a polite suggestion or making a hopeful request. Rather, when our Lord calls us to “go,” He means it. It is an imperatival statement. It is a command.

But on the other hand, followers of Christ must not lose sight of the great privilege it is to be able to “go” out with the gospel message! Consider how Scripture describes those whom God has called to “go.” According to the Bible, we are ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20). We are dignitaries for the King of King and Lord of Lords.

He is the One who, through His Spirit, presses in on the consciences of those with whom we speak, and white flags of surrender can often be hard to come by, but we—with joy and in faith—entrust the results to Him. We do the proclaiming, and He does the saving. This means there is no pressure on us, as His ambassadors. What a privilege!

4. It Works.

We share the gospel, in light of what we know about God’s sovereignty, because it works! Scripture makes clear that it is the very message we proclaim—the gospel of Jesus Christ—which is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16). The power does not rest in our way with words, our cleverness of speech, or our turns of phrase.

The power is in the message of the gospel itself, and standing behind that gospel message is the God of heaven and earth, who has sovereignly ordained all things that transpire on planet Earth and in the furthest corners of the cosmos. What this ought to help us see, as we employ Jesus’ terminology that we are “fishers of men” (Matt 4:19), is that when we evangelize, we are not aimlessly casting our nets into the deep ocean of mankind. Rather, as we share the good news message of the gospel with those individuals the Lord has put in front of us, we inevitably will come across “fish” that have been “hooked” before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). Meaning, they are already on the line, and we have the privilege of reeling them in as we call on them to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ.

Evangelism is not an aimless exercise, and it is not a man-centered exercise. It’s a God-centered exercise. It is a God-ordained exercise. And because God’s hand is on the entire process, it works.

5. It Brings Glory to God.

It ought to be the aim of each and every follower of Jesus Christ to bring glory to God (Rom 11:36)—the God who created them, the God who saved them, and the God who has commissioned them to call on lost people to bow the knee to His Son. Obedience to the commandments of God, and faithfulness to His Word, always brings God glory.

So, when we share the gospel message with the unregenerate, we are following the Great Commission, we are obeying the Lord, and we are otherwise being faithful. And in this, God is glorified. We do the proclaiming, He does the saving, and He gets all the glory.

In summary, while it is essential that we be committed to biblical truth and sound doctrine—which reveal the truth that God is sovereign over the salvation of sinners—it is no less essential that we be obedient to Jesus’ command to “go” and make disciples, which begins with sharing the gospel with the lost.

God’s sovereignty in salvation, and man’s duty to proclaim the gospel message, are not contradictory. Rather, they are complementary.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Last week we saw that Jesus provides the perfect example of living by faith. Looking at the end of Hebrews 12:2, what did He do in this instance to show how to live by faith? We read that Jesus “for the joy set before Him endured the cross.” Now you’ll note here, He endured the cross because He was looking to the ultimate goal, the joy set before Him. To arrive at the appointed goal and the joy associated with attaining that goal it was required that Jesus endure the suffering of the cross.

Moving on in verse 2, we see that Jesus despised the shame of the cross. In New Testament times the cross was a mark of greatest shame. Only the basest of criminals were condemned to death via crucifixion. It was a punishment so degrading that no Roman citizen could be subjected to it. Jesus Christ despised this shame.

The Greek word translated “despised” means “to think little of or to disregard.” Jesus counted the shame of the cross as nothing because of the joy of the ultimate realization of the goal — the securing of salvation that could only be accomplished by the cross.

The result of His obedience is that He “has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The reward for Christ’s perfect obedience was exaltation by the Father. We see a similar thought in Philippians 2:8-11 where Paul says of Jesus, “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Christ despised the shame of the cross because of the joy set before Him, He was looking at the culmination when he would be seated at the right hand of the Father and the work of salvation would be completed.

It is this exalted Lord whom we serve. We are to follow His example of a life of faith. There will be shame, humiliation, and rejection for those who boldly identify with Jesus Christ. Don’t quit, don’t grow weary, don’t lose heart, don’t get discouraged. Keep your eye on the goal, fix your attention on Christ, the One who endured the suffering of the cross and has been seated at the right hand of the Father. Do you understand what God has promised us?

We will be presented in the glory of His presence without spot, perfect, acceptable in His sight. Do you think that the saints who have gone before us are in glory now saying, if I had it to do over, I would have taken it easier, wouldn’t have been as intense? We have to fix our attention on Jesus Christ, turn it away from things that distract us. We are engaged in serious business, we are in the race that God has set before us.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Fixing our Eyes on Jesus

In verse 2 of Hebrews 12 we are told to be “fixing our eyes on Jesus.” Paul made a similar point in 1 Corinthians 11:1 where he instructed the Corinthians to “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”

We were introduced to examples of faith in Hebrews 11 but here we see that the greatest example of all is Jesus. The word translated “fixing” has the idea of turning our eyes away from other things so they can be focused on Christ.

The Author and Perfecter of Faith

The writer to the Hebrews goes on to say that Jesus is “the author and perfecter of faith.” The Greek word translated “author” means the one who lays the foundation for something, the one who plans and who builds it. Jesus is the one who planned our salvation by faith and established the foundation for it by His work on the cross.

Jesus is also said to be the perfecter of faith. The word translated “perfecter” means the “completer” or “finisher.” For all those we see in Hebrews 11 who trusted God and His promises, the foundation for their faith was the finished work of Christ. Their faith in God and what He promised could only be realized through the work of the one who is the author and perfecter of faith.

Living by Faith

As the heroes of faith looked forward to the promised Messiah, we are instructed to look back at His example. Jesus lived by faith in His Father and His promises during His earthly life. He is the one who trusted God.

In Hebrews 2:10 we are told, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” And then in verse 13, the words of the psalmist put into the mouth of Christ, “I will put my trust in Him.”

Christ during His earthly life lived by faith in His Father and His promises and He is the perfect example of how we are to live.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2)

At the end of Hebrews 12:1 we are told to “run with endurance the race set before us. I want to consider two aspects of this instruction. First is the idea of endurance. The Greek word that is translated “race” in this verse is agona. You get the idea of the word from the English transliteration – “agony.” Agona was used of athletic events because they could be agonizing, they were demanding, and they could drain you. That’s the way the word came to be used.

The word translated “endurance” is a compound word that means to “remain under.” In this “race” we are under pressure so if we are going to finish well, we must have endurance. This is a key word in this section of Hebrews, it is not used broadly in Hebrews, but in chapters 10-12 some form of the word “endure” is used eight times.

A key verse on endurance in this passage is Hebrews 10:35-36: “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” We are sure of what God has promised us at the end of the “race” so don’t give up before the end.

A second point made at the end of verse 1 is that this race “is set before us.” The expression we have translated, “that is set before us,” was used in the Greek races of the course set by the master of the race, as they would refer to him. And the point being made here is that God is the Master who has set the course for us. We are not all running the same course.

What God brings into my life will not be the same as what He is bringing into your life; the circumstances our church faces are not the same as what another church would face. I have to run the race that He has set before me. Isn’t that part of my faith? Things aren’t out of control. God has set the course for me. God has set the course for our church. Now we must by faith run with endurance the race that He has set before us.

Paul provides an example of running the race set before him. In 2 Corinthians 12 he says that he implored the Lord to remove a thorn in his flesh that was tormenting him. The reply he received from the Lord was “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul’s response was that he was content to deal with whatever obstacles came into his life to manifest the power of God. Like Paul, we can magnify the power and grace of God as we run this race with endurance putting our faith in the almighty God who has set the course of our lives according to His wise plan.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Last week we looked at the first part of Hebrews 12:1 and finished with a quick discussion on the “sin which so easily entangles us.” I want to further consider this idea of the “sin which so easily entangles us.” Some take this to be not any particular sin, but whatever sin might tempt us at the moment. Some take it as a besetting sin – all of us, even as believers, have areas of our lives where certain things are more attractive and appealing to us than other sins. I can never understand why one person will commit that sin, but for my sin there is understanding.

I don’t think this passage is talking about either of these types of sin. I think the sin which so easily entangles us, and this is foundational for us as believers, is the sin of unbelief. Isn’t that what we are talking about in this passage and broadly in Hebrews? Trusting God. Even as believers, situations come into our lives that set us back.

How often we face a situation and we say, “I don’t know what the Lord is doing here, and I don’t see what good can come of this, I don’t think I can make it through this.” What are we saying? “I don’t think I can trust God to carry me through this. I know His grace has been sufficient, but I don’t know whether His grace will be sufficient in this situation.”

There are multiple references in Hebrews regarding the danger of a lack of faith. We see a couple examples in Hebrew 4 and Hebrews 6:

For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard (Hebrews 4:2).

 

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:11-12).

In Hebrews 10 we see an exhortation to faithful living:

But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul (Hebrews 10:38-39).

 

When trials come into my life, and it seems like my life is beginning to unravel, can I trust God? I don’t know what you are going through and you don’t know what I am going through, but we have to believe that God knows. He is not up in heaven trying to come up with Plan B for us because of the trials that have come into our lives. For those of us who are believers, we need to remind ourselves that God is our loving Father, He cares for us, and He is sovereignly working to accomplish His purposes in the world and in each of our lives.

The letter to the Hebrews was written to a fellowship of believers that had experienced persecutions, imprisonments, and had their property confiscated. They had been faithful, but with the passing of time they had grown weary. At the time of this letter they were facing growing persecution and suffering. Some did not want to go through it again.

The writer exhorted them,

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near (Hebrews 10:23-25).

 

The writer goes on in Hebrews chapter 11 to list several men and women from the Old Testament who had lived their lives in faithfulness to God. Because of their faith, the men and women in Hebrews 11 saw marvelous things, they were able to accomplish great things, and they suffered great things. Although they all had God’s approval, they all died without experiencing the ultimate fulfillment of what God had promised. The transition at the end of Hebrews brings the focus from Old Testament saints to New Testament believers.

And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:39, 40).

 

Why didn’t Abraham receive what was promised? These other individuals? Because God’s plan of redemption included us, and He didn’t intend to bring to fruition all that He had promised until His work of redemption would be brought to its fullness.

Hebrews 12 begins with the word “therefore.” This will provide the connection from the Old Testament saints to the readers of this letter.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1, 2).

 

These Old Testament saints are testifying to us. Remember God declared that they were pleasing to Him, they were approved by Him. They act as those who are testifying to us of the blessing of living by faith, of believing God.

What are we to do? The writer continues with, “Let us.” This is not a command, but more of an exhortation. He includes himself in this group and encourages those living by faith to continue the pattern: “Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us” (Hebrews 12:1).

The picture in this context is a runner in a race. It’s not a short race; it’s a long race. The first thing the runner does, is to lay aside every encumbrance. The word “every” indicates anything that would weigh us down. We must not fill our lives with things that distract us from God’s plan for our lives.

We need to consider: “Would this in any way keep me from running as intensely as I could in the race that God has set before me? If so, then I don’t want it. The activity may not be bad in and of itself, but if it’s a hindrance that keeps me from running the race with endurance, I must set it aside.

From the beginning of the Church, God emphasized that believers were to reflect His holiness. Not long after the Church began, an event occurred that dramatically emphasized the importance of holiness among God’s people.

The early church in Jerusalem was characterized by unity. The end of Acts 4 says that the believers were sharing everything they had and were giving generously to those who were in need. Barnabas, one of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem, sold a piece of land he owned and gave the money to the Church (see Acts 4:36, 37).

Two other church members, Ananias and Sapphira, saw the respect and honor given to Barnabas for his act of sacrifice. Desiring to receive the same respect and honor for themselves, Ananias and Sapphira also sold some property they owned. However, they held back some of the money for themselves and pretended that they had given all the proceeds from the land to the Church.

Peter addressed Ananias, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit” (5:3). Peter got right to the point, “You have not lied to men but to God” (v. 4). Immediately Ananias fell dead at the feet of Peter. The money belonged to Ananias, and he had the right to keep some of it. He sinned when he lied and said that he had given all the money when he hadn’t.

A short time later, his wife came in and told the same story her husband had told. Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?” (v. 9). Note that Peter did not say they lied to or sinned against him or the Church. He said they lied to God and put the Spirit of the Lord to the test. Immediately Sapphira dropped dead like her husband.

God’s declaration was clear. “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). God required and still requires that His Church manifest the holiness of His character.

“And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things” (Acts 5:11). The immediate discipline by death of Ananias and Sapphira provided a dramatic incident, which emphasized the importance of holiness at the very beginning of the Church’s life.

“But none of the rest dared to associate with them” (v. 13). Not only were believers in awe of what had happened, but word spread throughout the city. Unbelievers said, “We’re not going there!” However, that didn’t keep the Church from growing. “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number” (v. 14).

Notice the distinction. It was not God’s intention to fill the Church with unregenerate people who had no fear of Him or concern for His holiness. The fact that some people did not want to associate with His Church did not keep God from doing His work. When the Holy Spirit does a work in the heart, it is transformed, and that person will desire to worship God in the beauty of His holiness.

Jesus said, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18).

With His death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ laid the foundation for the church that He has been building for the last two thousand years. Among believers, however, there is much confusion concerning the nature of the church and what its role should be in the world today. As Christians, we know of the wonders of God’s salvation in Christ and His infinite grace that saved us from an eternity in hell.

However, we have not always been clear on how God is working out His plan of redemption in the world. God’s instrument for ministry in this age is the church. That is why it is important that we have a proper understanding of the church and what its purpose in the world is today.

Our sole reason for existence as a church is to be a ministry of God’s Word—teaching and living out its truth. In 1 Timothy 3:15 we are told:

I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

 

As a ministry of the Word, we are reaching out to the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ and strengthening believers through the teaching of the Word.

Regarding the functioning of the local church, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

 

Paul’s point is that there is both diversity and unity in the body of Christ. This diversity can be seen in that there are “varieties of gifts” (v.4), “varieties of ministries” (v.5), and “varieties of effects” (v.6).

Different people within the church have different gifts that are manifested in various ways. These gifts can be used in a wide variety of ways. Some have the gift of helps, some have the gift of exhortation, some have the gift of teaching, and so on. The Body of Christ is diverse, yet the church also has unity because it has the “same Spirit” (v.4), “same Lord” (v.5), and “same God” (v.6) who permeates it all and keeps it together.

Next, Paul states,

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7).

 

The emphasis in this verse is on “each one.” Put simply, every believer is given a spiritual gift by God. No one is left out. I have known Christians who say, “I don’t have a spiritual gift.” But that is not what verse seven says. It is a denial of Scripture for any believer to claim that God has not enabled him or her to contribute to His body.

Every believer fits into the body of Christ. As a pastor of a church I have a very visible role, but I realize that I am just part of the Body. Ephesians 4:16 states:

. . . the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

 

As the parts of the body function and work together, the whole body is built up. That is God’s plan.

One of the most important things a believer can do is spend regular time in the Word, and yet it is one of the most difficult areas to be consistent in. The enemy does not want us to be in the Word, and we are constantly attacked and tugged by the pressures of life to give up our precious time with God.

However, the Scriptures clearly indicate that we are to be people of the Word. Psalm 119 shows David’s appreciation for God’s Word. David had a very limited portion of Scripture available to him—primarily the Books of the Law—but he stressed their importance, saying they were sweeter than honey to his taste. God’s Word made him wiser than his teachers because he had God’s revelation as his instruction. God’s Word kept him from evil.

While on the Mount of Transfiguration, the Apostle Peter was an eye witness to the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ. God’s voice from heaven confirmed the glory of the Son as being one with the Father. Peter wrote that God’s written Word added to the validity of God’s declaration:

So we have the prophetic word made more sure . . . But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Pet. 1:19–21).

Peter clearly stated that the Scriptures did not originate with men, but with God. Men were involved as the spokesmen, but Scripture does not find its origin in their minds or wills. The word “moved” refers to carrying something. These men were carried along by the Spirit of God. Human instruments were moved and empowered by the Spirit of God to speak a message from God (see 2 Cor. 2).

The Holy Spirit (through the prophets) spoke about the sufferings of the Messiah and of His glory.

As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow (1 Pet. 1:10, 11).

The prophets did not understand the message they were preaching and studied their own prophecies attempting to understand them. Their messages were clearly supernatural messages from God, through men, to men. Second Peter 1 lays out clearly why careful study of the Bible, both the Old and New Testament, is so crucial. We do not study a message from men, but a message from God through men.

So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention (2 Pet. 1:19).

The present tense indicates that we are to be continually paying attention. Since this is the perfect Word of God, inspired by the Spirit and spoken through men, it behooves us to be paying attention, to be giving heed, to be following it.

Make every effort to make time in the Word of God a daily habit. Be prepared for attacks from the enemy; you will often be tempted to miss your time with the Lord. Keep in mind that Satan knows the power of God’s Word. He does not want us to love, cherish, and obey God, or His Word, and will do whatever he can to keep us from our Bibles. But, reading God’s Word is one of the most important things a believer can spend time doing.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12).

We sometimes need to be reminded how important prayer is. The writer of Hebrews believed that people praying for him would make a difference and wrote:

And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner (Heb. 13:19).

 

James also believed prayer makes a difference:

The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much (James 5:16).

 

Paul’s Example

The Apostle Paul continually asked people to pray for him. It is easy for us to get caught up with life and forget how important it is to pray. We forget that if we are not praying, things will not be happening. In his letter to Philemon, Paul wrote:

At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you (Philemon 1:22).

 

Paul believed that if Philemon and others prayed, God would answer and send Paul to them.

Sometimes prayer is hard work. If we pray only when we feel like it, we will probably have a very limited prayer life. Paul wrote of striving in prayer.

Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me (Rom. 15:30).

 

Paul asked his brethren to join with him in the struggle and become his partners in the battle he was in. As they prayed for him, they became an integral part of his ministry. They went through the struggles and battles with Paul as they upheld him in prayer. Paul asked them to pray:

That I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints (Rom. 15:31).

 

Paul asked for deliverance from those trying to hinder his ministry and that his ministry on behalf of Jerusalem, particularly the offering, would be acceptable.

Sharing in the Rewards

Although Paul is a great example of faithful service to God, I wonder how many now share in the rewards for his ministry because they diligently prayed for him. The visible, focal point of ministry was on the Apostle Paul, but what God was doing through his life was partly in answer to the prayers of the saints.

When we stand in the presence of Jesus Christ for the rewards to be given, we may find that while many were not visibly part of a ministry, much of the ministry’s effectiveness depended on those who were not seen, but were praying.

Hidden Power

It is easy to lose sight of the importance of praying for others. I am a visible figure in the ministry God called me to, but God is using those who diligently pray for this local work to accomplish His will and bring effectiveness to the ministry.

Paul wrote about the experience he had undergone in Asia—sufferings, trials, and burdens to the point of thinking he was about to lose his life. Despite these difficulties he wrote:

[He] who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many (2 Cor. 1:10, 11).

 

Paul believed that because people prayed, he would be delivered for more ministry and that would cause more people to praise God.

Aligning Ourselves with God’s Will

A key element of prayer is found in Ephesians 6:18: “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit.”

As we submit our lives to the Spirit of God, He takes control of us and our desires. As we pray under the control of the Spirit, we pray according to the will of God. The Spirit will move us to ask God for what He is determined to do, that He might answer our prayers and do it.

Knowing the power of prayer, Paul continued, “Be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18).

What a privilege God has given us in prayer. We must not lose hope and we must never give up because prayer makes a difference.