October 14, 2018

A Way to Pray (Philippians 1:9-11)

Pastor: Ben Muresan Series: Philippians: Finding Joy in the Gospel Topic: Philippians Scripture: Philippians 1:9–11

First Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5:1-30

Second Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:1-29

Sermon Text: Philippians 1:9-11

When we think about the things that characterized Jesus’ earthly life, prayer must be near the top of our list. We read in Mark 1:35 that “rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” We also read in the Gospels that Jesus prayed before he fed the hungry multitude, that he interceded for his Disciples and all believers in John 17 (known as the high priestly prayer), and that he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before going to the cross. Jesus was a man of prayer and the implication is that those who trust in him and desire to be like him will also be people who prioritize prayer.

One of the wonderful aspects of Scripture is that we are not only exhorted to pray, we are also instructed how to pray. We have examples about how to pray in the Psalms, in the Gospels (especially the Lord’s Prayer), and also in the epistles. The Apostle Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:9-11 reveals that we are to ask God for spiritual things. It is good for us to ask for our daily bread and our physical needs, but many of the prayers in the Bible are directed to our spiritual needs. What kinds of requests characterize your prayers?