Cedarville Magazine, Spring 2017

Chapel Notes In Colossians 4:2, the Apostle Paul continues the rich theological tradition of persistent petition. He begins our text by saying, “Continue steadfastly in prayer.” And there’s no end. Keep praying, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. There is power when God’s people persistently petition their God. But we’ve got to be theologically careful. We can reduce God to our cosmic concierge, who exists so I can pull off my best life now. God is not our administrative assistant. He is the CEO of our lives. The older I get, the more I realize that the real power in prayer is not getting my wish list checked off, but encountering my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul says, “Continue steadfastly in prayer.” Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Watch what he says next. “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it.” That word “watchful” is primarily used in the New Testament eschatologically. That is, it is used to speak about the end times. Jesus used it in the Olivet Discourse when He talked about the return of the Son of Man. What keeps you praying is having one eye on this life and another eye on the life to come. My great-great-grandfather Peter was a slave who, according to family tradition, was a praying man. My great-great-grandfather — branded by his owners, shackled in chains — was a praying man. Question: What keeps a slave praying? My great- great-grandfather was convinced this life was not all there is. What keeps slaves praying — in the midst of shackles and chains— is the eschatological reality that this life cannot be all there is. Paul says, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” There are two sides to thanksgiving. One is expectation. Bryan, when you get on your knees to pray, you aren’t talking to your next-door neighbor or to some government official. You are talking to the Creator God; He can take care of any situation in your life. Therefore, when you come to Him, come with expectancy. T h e o t h e r i d e a o f thanksgiving is soteriological. Even if God does not grant my request, He’s done enough on Calvary, so I’m thankful. When you pr ay, pr ay remembering that on a hill called Calvary, Jesus Christ died in your place and for your sins. Finally, Paul says, “At the same time, pray also for us.” Paul is in prison, writing the Colossians, so I’m thinking, “At the same time, pray also for us, that God would get us out of here.”That’s not what he says. He says, “At the same time, pray also for us, that Godmay open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison — that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.” And here Paul gives us a window intomature praying. Question: If God were to answer all of your prayers from the last 12 months — every last one of them—would the world change? Or just your world? Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. And pray also for us, that the Word may go forth. Let’s pray. Bryan Loritts is Lead Pastor of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship in Mountain View, California. The Life-Changing Power of Persistent Prayer The following is an excerpt froma December 7, 2016, chapel presentation by Bryan Loritts. Listen to his full remarks at cedarville.edu/chapel . If God were to answer all your prayers from the last 12 months, would the world change? Or just your world? Mar. 29 Sam Allberry Speaker for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, editor for The Gospel Coalition, and author Berkshire, United Kingdom Apr. 12 Al Mohler President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky Apr. 20 HeartSong Chapel Cedarville Magazine | 23