Seeing Your Prayers (Living Stones – Part I)

Sermon Title: Seeing Your Prayer

Good News Statement: Jesus invites us to embrace the power of prayer

Preached: Sunday, October 02, 2022 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NKJV): Ephesians 1:15-19: Today’s scripture reading comes from the words of Paul from his epistle to the people of Ephesus. We will be reading from Ephesians chapter one verses fifteen thru nineteen. Listen to the warning from Paul…

 

Prayerful Thanksgiving

¹⁵ Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

¹⁶ Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

¹⁷ That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

¹⁸ The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

¹⁹ And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

Introduction:

A young boy called the pastor of a local “corner” church to ask the pastor to come by to pray for his mother who had been very ill with the flu. The pastor knew the family and was aware they had been attending another church down the road. So the pastor asked, “Shouldn’t you be asking Brother Simon down the road to come by to pray with your mom?” The young boy replied, “Yeah, but we didn’t want to take the chance that he might catch whatever this is that Mom has.”

Paul’s letter to the people of Ephesus is not a letter that will get them sick; rather it’s a letter that can help cure them and make them whole again. Paul is writing to a Christian community in the city of Ephesus, a major city on the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, where Paul spent a considerable amount of time (Acts 18-19). When it comes to authorship of this specific letter,  on the one hand, many scholars hold that Ephesians was written in the late first century by a Jewish-Christian admirer of Paul. On the other hand, a minority of scholars hold that Paul composed this letter at the end of his career while imprisoned in Rome—and Paul was imprisoned for spreading the word of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, many scholars think that Ephesians was a circulated letter sent to a number of churches, perhaps in Asia Minor. The circulation of this specific letter, over the course of nineteen-hundred years, has found its way to us today. We begin our journey of Ephesians in an attitude of “prayerful thanksgiving.”

Paul’s “prayerful thanksgiving” follows the reminder that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, loves His children so much that He freely bestowed upon them His glorious grace (Ephesians 1:3-6). Then, Paul introduces us to the love of Jesus Christ which offers us redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, and lavished our lives with the mystery of his will (Ephesians 1:7-10). Lastly, Paul entices a Trinitarian perspective by mentioning the love of the Holy Spirit. After hearing the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, and choosing to believe in the hope of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit marks, with a seal of promise, the pledge of eternal kingdom inheritance on those who believe (Ephesians 1:11-14). After receiving the love of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, Paul invites the people of Ephesus to pray. Specifically, he calls them to pray a prayer of thanksgiving. It is from this prayer of thanksgiving that we obtain wisdom and revelation. It is from this prayer that we receive the title of “saints.” And it is from this prayer of thanksgiving that we begin our journey of acquiring the living stones of faith, the very stones that will build and prepare our church for the future. Jesus invites us to embrace the power of prayer as we create a hopeful tomorrow.

Opening Prayer:

            Let us pray… Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray that you allow the words of Paul to encourage us to pray thankfully, to engage in your word, and to embrace your wisdom and grace. Today, Lord, help us to accept  the living stone of prayer in our life. May my words fall to the ground as your words settle in the hearts of all those before me. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Body:

Ephesians begins with a greeting (1:1-2) and an introductory thanksgiving prayer (1:15-23) and ends with an epilogue (6:21-24) by which Paul declares that he is sending his associate, Tychicus, to encourage the hearts of the people. Overall, Ephesians celebrates a vision of the universal church. According to God’s eternal plan for humanity, Christ’s death brought together Jews and Gentiles into a new, unified community: the Jewish law, which previously divided Jew from Gentile, was rendered irrelevant by the cross, and Christ thus reconciled both groups to each other and to God (2:14-16). The church looks forward to the complete re-establishment of God’s sovereignty over creation and the perfection of the church as the body of Christ. However, this vision can only happen if and only if we learn to pray with thanksgiving in our heart. We have to learn how to envision our prayers, to see what God needs us to see.

The people that Paul is writing to in Ephesus are the same people that John writes about in the Book of Revelation. As a matter of fact Ephesus is the first church to which John is drawn towards by the angels. The church of Ephesus, according to John, has abandoned their first love (Revelation 2:1-7). The people have lost sight of God: they have given up on prayer and have lost sight of the glory, wisdom, and the power that God granted to them through His love. The people have drifted away from their first love. Because they were unable to see the results of their prayers, they decided to give up and to abandon the only thing in their life that could answer their prayers. They walked away from God.

Have any of you ever given up on God because your prayers weren’t answered they you wanted them to be answered? You prayed for something specific to happen but it didn’t happen? You prayed for healing, but things got worse; you prayed for life, but death conquered the one you love; or you prayed for togetherness and understanding, but instead a wedge was driven into your life. Paul begins his letter by talking about prayer because he knows how powerful it can be even if the outcome isn’t what we wanted. Through prayer, we center ourselves for what God is calling us to do. Through prayer we focus on those who need God in their life.

A couple of years ago, while I was serving at a church in the South Side of Chicago, I was approached by a member of the church during the opening prayer time following Holy Communion (or the Eucharist). The individual slowly approached me with their head down and their eyes contemplating the design of each tile on the floor.

When they came close to me, they lifted their head, their eyes opened, and tears began to appear on their cheeks. I waited a few seconds. I asked this person how I could be in prayer for them. Tears began to fall more frequently, flooding the decorative tile below. Then their eyes closed again, and their hands were clenched so tightly that they had white knuckles and they were shaking. And their voice struggled to break the silence that enclosed us in that sacred space.

At that very moment, we became the only two people in the room, although the congregation could be heard singing “Come to the Table” by Sidewalk Prophets. I, too, struggled to find my voice, but when it came out, this individual stared directly into my eyes and said, “I can’t envision my prayer. I can’t envision God’s call in my life. I can’t envision a life of hope. I can’t see what Jesus needs me to see.” I paused for a few seconds as I tried to comprehend the intensive weight of worry and weariness behind this person’s words. I felt as if I was caught in a moment of stasis and immobility: nothing seemed to want to move or operate. But then, the words of the Apostle Paul came to my mind, and I stated, “Lord Jesus Christ, may you give this individual a spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they can get to know you, so that they can begin to envision a prayer that brings them hope, love, and comfort. May you be with this individual as they envision a life with you.”

The more I think about that experience, the more I begin to ask myself what it means to envision prayer, to see my prayer. What does it mean to envision prayer for ourselves and for the church? Paul gives us a brief guide to answering these questions. He mentions that through prayer the wisdom and revelation of the Holy Spirit will generate an enlightened heart that offers hope. This hope reminds us why God is calling each and everyone us every day of our lives: he’s calling us because he needs us. He is calling us because he has appointed us to do something great in this life. He is calling us because he knows that there is someone in our life that needs to be prayed for.

In effect Paul prays that we will—specifically those reading this letter—will know the significance of God’s reason for why we are chosen. We are chosen to envision our prayers so that we can help open the eyes of our family, peers, neighbors, strangers, and our church in way that introduces the Word to the people in the world. We are chosen to envision our prayers with hopes that through God they can and will be heard. We are chosen to envision our prayers—to see our prayers the way God might see them—so that we can bring hope to those with closed eyes and clenched fists. We are chosen to envision our prayers—to witness our prayers in life, to see them in action—because that is what gives us hope to face tomorrow. Paul doesn’t call us “saints” just because. Paul calls us saints because he knows we are capable to do the work of Jesus Christ in this world and to pray for all those in our life. To envision our prayers is to see God at work in this world. To see our prayers is to be called a saint.

As we envision our prayers, we begin to pray with conviction in the way that Jesus taught his followers to pray in the Gospel of Matthew following the Beatitudes (Matthew 5): “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:9-13). As we pray the way Jesus taught his followers to pray, the words of the Apostle Paul in his epistle or letter to the people of Ephesians rings true. The Apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power” (Ephesians 1:17-19).

The Apostle Paul entices us to pray knowing that through our prayers we may be given the spirit of wisdom, instruction, and knowledge to seek a moment of revelation—a revealing of the manifestation of God in our life—as we come to know him a little bit more. As we pray our heart, although may be experiencing uncertainty and possibly devastation, is enlightened with the hope of the saints and the richness of Jesus’ love and grace. As we pray, what we say aloud or whisper under our breath is accepted with an immeasurable greatness of power, grace, and love. What we pray is what God allows us to see. If we trust in the power of God’s saving grace and healing works, then what we pray is what God allows us to see. We see the pain, the grief, the struggle, and the love and hope of those in our life. When we see our prayer, we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for whom or what God is calling us to prayer for and with.

The Apostle Paul reminds us, at the end of chapter one, we are the church—the body of Christ that is waiting to experience our envisioned prayers for the fullness “of him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:23). Similar to the individual who came to me asking for a prayer, we must all be willing to go to God in prayer when we seem lost or when our church seems lost. In prayer, hope is heard and given; in prayer, what we envision becomes reality; and in prayer, wisdom and revelation become the support for each step as we walk closer to and with God. What we pray is what God allows us to see. The next time you pray, I encourage you to envision the person or persons or things that you are praying for. See your prayer, pray your prayer, and lift your prayer to God in thanksgiving.

Conclusion:

After offering that individual a simple but meaningful prayer, they no longer walked with their head down but walked with confidence knowing that the light of Christ is in their life. They saw, they envisioned,  the prayer of their heart and in turn God showed them that He is working—with great power—in their life. How do you envision your prayers? When was the last time you saw what you are praying for?

The Apostle Paul begins his letter to the people of Ephesus with the reminder of how important it is to pray. Our first “living stone,” that makes us a better disciple than what we were yesterday, is prayer. Through prayer, we communicate with God. Through prayer, we find ourselves lifting up to God the heaviness and struggles of the heart. Through prayer, we seek to bring healing to the hurting and to find the lost. And through prayer, we allow God to speak to us, to help us see who and what needs to experience the love, power, and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through prayer we become alive! Paul’s words remind me of a song, “Lord, listen to your children praying; Lord, send your Spirit in this place. Lord, listen to your children praying; send them love, send them power, send them grace.”

The time has come to meaningfully pray to God. Let God know what is truly on your heart. Let God hear your please, your pains, your worries, your joys, and your happiness. Let God help you see what He needs you to pray for. When you give everything to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving in your heart, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds focused on the will of Jesus Christ. This world needs prayers. This community needs prayers. Our church can always use prayers. And each and every one of you could use a prayer. Our first living stone is prayer because it is the foundation to what Paul is calling us to do for the church of tomorrow, and it reminds us that God and Jesus Christ in the company of the Holy Spirit are always in our life, waiting to hear the prayers of our heart.

When was the last time you truly prayed to God? Prayer can change the world and it can change the heart. God is waiting to hear your prayers. God is waiting for you to see what you are praying for.

 

Communion Transition:

Gathered around the table with his disciples, Jesus prayed for each them when he blessed the bread and wine. Through this blessing, Jesus prayed that those currently at the table and those who may join in the future will receive the love, power, and grace of his eternal salvation. Today, we gather with Jesus, the disciples, and many others around the table of prayer, to receive the body and blood Christ—the elements that grant us salvation and forgiveness. Please join me in celebrating Holy Communion…

Benediction:

As you find yourself this week contemplating what to do next, use that opportunity to pray: let God hear your voice, let Jesus send you love, power, and grace, and let the Holy Spirit guide you towards changing the hearts of many. May God bless you and hear your prayers. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go transforming lives as you live well and wisely in God’s world. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.