- Watchful prayer: (4:2b): We must be awake and alert as we pray. Jesus “said just before his arrest: “Pray and watch that you may not fall into the temptation” (Mk.14:38). Nehemiah while rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem: warned the people to be watchful. A dull and listless prayer has no power. If there is no fire on the altar, the incense will not rise to God (Ps.141:2). Real praying demands spiritual energy and alertness, and this can come only from the Holy Spirit of God. Routine prayers are mostly unanswered prayers.
- Thankful prayer: (4:2c): Thanksgiving is an important ingredient in successful praying (Phil. 4:6). When we ask and receive and never give thanks God for His gifts, we are selfish and ungrateful. Sincere gratitude towards God is one of the best ways to put fervour into our praying.
- Purposeful prayer: (4:3): Our prayers ought to be purposeful and expectantly: Too often our prayers are vague and general. “Lord, bless the missionaries!” How much better it would be if we would pray for specific needs and expecting the needs to be met. By doing so, we would know when God answered. Perhaps it is our lack of faith that causes us to pray generally instead of specifically. Prayer is not telling God what to do or what to give. Prayer is asking God for that which He wants to do and give, according to His will (1 Jn. 5:14-15). When we grow in the Word and fellowship, we discover His will and then boldly ask Him to do what He has planned.
Prayer for proclaiming God’s Word in prison(4:3b-4):
Paul did not ask for the prison doors to be opened, but that doors of ministry might be opened. It was more important to Paul that he be a faithful minister than a free man. It was worth noting that in all of Paul’s prison prayers, his concern was not for personal safety or material help, but for spiritual character and blessing.
Paul was in prison because of the “mystery of Christ” which was related to the Gentiles. The mystery involved God’s purpose for the Gentiles in relation to Israel; for in the church, Jews and Gentiles are one (Acts 21:18-22:30).
How strange that Paul would want God to help him to do the very thing that had caused his arrest! He had no intention of giving up his ministry or of changing his message. When John Bunyan was arrested for preaching illegally and put into prison, he was told that he would be released if he promised to stop preaching. “If I am out of prison today,” he replied, “I will preach the Gospel again tomorrow, by the help of God.” How could Paul share the mystery of Christ when he was a prisoner? Paul’s case was discussed by many people; Paul was also able to witness to the guards to whom he was chained (Phil. 1:12-18). There were even “saints in Caesar’s household”! (Phil. 4:22).
Ex: A visitor at Spurgeon’s Tabernacle in London was being shown around the building by the pastor, Charles Spurgeon.” Would you like to see the powerhouse of this ministry?” Spurgeon asked, and he led the man into a lower auditorium. “It is here that we get our power, for while I am preaching upstairs, hundreds of my people are in this room praying.” Is it any wonder that God blessed Spurgeon’s preaching of the Word?
We can pray for our pastor/graduates as he prepares the Word, studies, and meditates. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give deeper insights into the truths of the Word. We can also pray that our pastor/graduates will practice the Word as he preaches so that it will be real in his own life too. As he preaches the message, pray that the Spirit will give him freedom of utterance, and that the Word will reach into hearts and minds in a powerful way. The proclaiming of the Word of God is a great privilege and a tremendous responsibility. We do not have to be an ordained preacher or a missionary to share God’s Word. Even in our daily conversation we can drop the seed of the Word into hearts, and then pray that God will water that seed and bring forth fruit.