For many years I saw prayer as something that you did when there was nothing else to do. It was a last resort. My wife was a person who prayed and, through her and through other people and resources, I came to understand that prayer is a powerful thing that God has gifted His people with.
Prayer is the relationship we have with Jesus.
Prayer is about Jesus, not us.
Prayer is you and me as God’s children developing an intimacy with our Father.
In 2 Corinthians 10:4 Paul writes, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
I believe that prayer is the primary weapon that God has given us to demolish spiritual strongholds.
In Ephesians 6, Paul asked the Ephesian Christians to prayer for him.
Ephesians 6:19-20
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Paul wants the Ephesian Christians to pray that God will give him His words every time he opens his mouth.
Paul wants everything he says to be from God.
In Matthew 12:36 Jesus says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”
Paul wanted to make sure that his words were not careless. That word careless can mean lazy. Paul wants to make sure that what he says is not lazy and does not give people a true picture of Jesus.
Jesus says in John 6:63 that His words are life.
Paul wanted his words to be words that imparted life.
Paul wanted his words to encourage others.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to encourage and build up each other.
Condemning people, telling people how bad they are, does not tend to change people. Telling people how much Jesus loves them and what He has done for them and what He wants to do in their lives will change them.
In Romans 3:23 we are told that we all have sinned, but in Romans 3:24 we are told that we have been made right with God through the grace of Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting God gives us words that speak truth, impart life, and encourage.
Then Paul asks that they pray that he would speak God’s Word fearlessly.
The word fearlessly can be translated boldness.
It means to declare God’s Word:
In Freedom
Openly
Frankly
Without Any Concealment
Confidently
Courageously
Without Any Confusion
When we talk to people about Jesus, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to do it without worrying about what others might think about us.
When we talk to people about Jesus, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to do it with nothing held back.
When we talk to people about Jesus we need to allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to do it with confidence.
When we talk to people about Jesus we need to allow the Holy Spirit to enable us to do it with directness and clarity.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is talking to people about Jesus by allowing the Holy Spirit to enable us to do it with boldness, directness, and love.
In this passage in Ephesians I also find it important to look at what Paul didn’t ask the Christians to pray for.
Paul is in prison when he writes this letter.
Paul does not ask that they pray for his release from prison.
Paul does not ask that they pray that he will be given recognition as a great speaker.
Paul does not ask that they pray that he be given great wealth.
Paul asks for prayers for him to fearlessly and powerful declare God’s Word.
We live in a time where, more and more, God, His Word, and His church are coming under attack.
This is both good and bad.
It is bad because it is heart breaking to see people reject God with such intensity.
It is good because it gives us, as the church, an opportunity to show the truth of God’s love in hostile situations.
Praying for the Word of God to be proclaimed is needed now just as much as in the time of the early church.
Some of the rejection of Jesus comes because we as the church have not declared the truth of God in the manner that Paul describes in this passage.
We have many times declared the truth of God to:
Win Arguments
Judge Others
Condemn Others
Show Superiority
We are to declare the truth of God’s Word because God’s Word is
True
Life Giving
Salvation Producing
Pray that we as the Body of Christ will boldly and lovingly declare God’s Word.
Praying and Declaring Boldly to Raise the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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