CHAPTER 3 : THE POWER OF PRAYER PARTNERSHIP

READING OF THE DAY :  2 Thessaloniciens 3 : 1-2
THEME OF THE DAY : THE POWER OF PRAYER PARTNERSHIP

I. INTRODUCTION

In our text today, Paul clearly asks the Thessalonians to pray for him saying:

2 Thessalonians 3: 1 "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have [free] course, and be glorified, even as [it is] with you:" 

From Paul's request, the Lord is teaching us the following lessons :

Lesson 1: Paul teaches us that in order for the preaching of the Word of God to have maximum effect in the lives of men, it must be accompanied by prayer.

Lesson 2: Paul teaches us that through prayer we can be delivered from the wicked men who torment our lives.

Lesson 3: Paul teaches us that there is power not only we pray alone but also when others pray for us.

II. THE POWER OF PRAYER PARTNERSHIP

We all know that Paul was a powerful man in words and deeds.

a) He had the power to make a sorcerer blind who was interfering with the preaching the gospel (Acts 13:11)

b) He had the power to make a born paralytic walk by commanding him to stand on his feet (Acts 14: 9-10)

c) He had the power to deliver a woman possessed of a Python spirit by the power of the word that came out of his mouth (Acts 16:10)

d) God wrought special miracles by his hands  So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. (Acts 19: 11-12)

Going back to the source of the power of Paul, we will find that he was a man who believed in the power of both personal prayer and the prayer of others for him.

On several occasions in his epistles, Paul the Apostle used to ask his disciples to make prayers to God for him.

1st case: In Romans 15:31, he asks for prayer saying:

"Strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; 31 That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints"

2nd case: In Ephesians 6:19, he asks for prayer saying:

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,"

CONCLUSION

If Paul could ask others to pray for him, he surely had good reasons :

1st reason: Even though God was performing great signs and wonders through him, Paul knew and remembered that he was only a man.

In Acts 14, while the peole of Iconium, after seeing Paul healing the paralytic, wanted to make him a god. Immediately, he tore his clothes and said to them:

"O men, why are you doing this? We, too, are men of the same nature as you "(Acts 14:15)

The question that we should ask ourselves today is whether we still keep in mind that we are men and therefore we need prayer or we use the weakness of the flesh as a pretext to live according to the flesh. 

Let us remember today that Jesus says unto us :

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41)

2nd reason: Paul knew to put his trust not in his own abilities, but in the capacity of God and in the faithfulness of God

"But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you." (2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4)

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God;" (2 Corinthians 3: 5)

To you who read  me today, the questions are : where do you put your trust? Is it in your degrees? Is it in your properties? Is it in your talents? Is it in your husband or in your wife? Is it in your bank account?

Know and remember today that putting your trust in something other than God is a curse, as it says in Jeremiah 17: 5:

"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD." 

= PRAYER = PRAYER = PRAYER 

PRAYER 1 Are you weak in prayer? Is it difficult for you to pray? Know that behind any heaviness in prayer, there are forces of darkness at work. I encourage you to seek your pastor and share your case with him.

Pray the Father to restore your prayer life by the help of the Holy Spirit. Take authority against the spirit of infirmity that makes you weak in prayer.

Read and pray with Romans 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

PRAYER 2 Consistent and constant prayer life is impossible if you do not know how to disconnect yourself from anything that is likely to cause distraction to you. What distracts you and negatively affects your life of prayer? (facebook? whatsapp? housework? television? ...)

Pray the Father to deliver you from all kind of distractions and to give you the grace to be focused on Him.

Read and pray with Hebrews 12: 2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

PRAYER 3 When you trust on your own abilities, on your efforts, it will be difficult and impossible for you to pray. Such an attitude is called pride.

Repent and pray the Father to grant you the grace to depend on Him and Him alone.

Read and pray with Jeremiah 17: 5 "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."

PRAYER 4 If Paul needed prayers from others, you too need to pray with others. Do you have prayer partners?

Ask the Father to rise around you people who will stand with you as prayer partners.

Read and pray with Ecclesiastes 4: 9 "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour." 

Read and pray with Matthew 18:19 «Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.» 

SO SHALL IT BE!

JESUS IS LORD! 

Pastor T.D. KASUKU K.K.

The Word Of Life Church International