Isaiah - Verse By Verse

Walk thru Eph #150

versebyverse | April 29, 2008 22:06

Thought:  To me, we ought to continually pray for our Pastors and Evangelists--they need words from God.

Question:  Do I pray before I open my mouth to speak of Christ?

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:19 (NIV):  "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,"

There is a kind of special category of prayer for preachers and ministers of God's Word.  Thus the exhortation, "pray also for me."  Paul gives us a lot of insight into how to pray for pastors when he says "whenever I open my mouth."  More than anyone, I suppose, pastors and full-time Christian workers are expected to speak with much more responsibility than the rest of us "commoners."  Not only that, but Paul is also speaking of the burden upon him to spread the gospel.  Paul was one of our first "missionaries", a real pioneer to evangelism and the grounding of the church age.  Everything he did was centered on this work.  Even so, he knew that his mere desire to preach the gospel was not enough to guarantee success.  The power of success in spiritual matters must come from a Spiritual Source--from God Himself.  Prayer draws God down into the situation and at the same time opposes the fear we naturally have so that we may face humanity with the truth of God's hell and heaven.

We can be "given" words to speak even in the midst of a fearful situation.  This was promised by Christ to His disciples in Matthew 10:19 and 20 where it is said that the "Spirit of your Father" will speak "through you."

What is "the mystery of the gospel"?  To me, the mystery will remain a mystery that God holds within His own knowledge.  But what He has made known through Christ is what we need to know and all we need to know to successfully re-connect to God.

Prayer:  Father, You know what needs to be said to people.  Please give Your words in each appropriate moment, to any who would speak Your gospel today.  Amen. 

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