Lessons on prayer are best learned by praying. Yet much direction, instruction, and correction can be learned from the New Testament’s letters to individuals and the various churches. To make references to prayer from these books more manageable, we will in this chapter examine various teachings on the practice of prayer in the Epistles that name Paul as their author. In the next chapter, we will examine Paul’s prayers themselves, with the intent of encouraging all believers. And finally we will examine Hebrews and the General Epistles.
Few individuals have prayed as effectively and powerfully as the apostle Paul. His recorded prayers probe such heights and plumb such depths that anyone who reads them is awed by the contrast. Further, beyond his recorded prayers are his insights and instructions on prayer, to which anyone who desires to have a more effective prayer life should give earnest heed.
Almost without exception, those who pray are keenly aware of their own weakness and shortcomings, especially as they seek to pray according to God’s will. Only the foolhardy and the presumptuous lack this awareness. Paul has strong words of encouragement for us:
The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will (Rom. 8:26–27).
The child of God at prayer is not without aid. God provides a Helper, the Holy Spirit. Never is a believer more effective and assured than when praying by virtue of the indwelling Spirit. How does the Spirit helps us as we pray? The word “helps” is a translation of the Greek sunantilambanō, meaning “to take part with,” “come to the aid of.” The Spirit joins us in intercession to fashion prayer that cannot be grasped by human understanding. This Spirit-prompted prayer is a charismatic manifestation in which the Holy Spirit intercedes with groans uttered by the believer from the deepest recesses of the heart. Just as Christ intercedes in heaven for the child of God (Rom. 8:34), the Holy Spirit intercedes within the believer on earth. The burdens and yearnings that cannot be expressed in familiar words have their source in the Spirit himself.
“Weakness” is a translation of the Greek astheneia, which means physical, mental, or moral weakness, and may include timidity and lack of spiritual insight. The opposite of all such weakness is the power (Gk. dunamis) of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps believers at the point of their need, their inability (mental weakness) to comprehend the will of the Almighty: “We do not know what we ought to pray for” (v. 26).
Yes, we do have the Scriptures to guide us in a general sense, but we need the assistance of the Paraclete, the Helper, to particularize our praying as may be required at the moment. “The Spirit [himself] intercedes for us with groans which words cannot express.” What a comfort to know that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us from within! He inspires these unutterable yearnings known only to the One who searches the heart and answers according to the mind of the Spirit that inspired them.
“Groans” comes from the Greek stenagmos, which can mean either an unvoiced sigh or a voiced groan. Between verses 22 and 27, three references are made to groans, or sighs. First, all creation sighs together in pain awaiting its restoration to the state lost with the fall of Adam (v. 22). But believers sigh too (v. 23). Though already a new creation spiritually, their bodies are still subject to corruption. So they sigh, waiting for the transformation of an earthly body into a glorified body. Finally, there is the sighing of the Spirit (v. 26). There are times when we are unable to pray, or do not know what we should pray for (because of our weakness). The Spirit acts in our place, interceding for us. As a Paraclete (Helper), He helps us in our weakness at prayer. The sighs of the Spirit are literally wordless; they are sighs too deep for words. Yet along with these sighs the Spirit also intercedes for the saints in a way that agrees with the will of God (v. 27). This intercession God understands. The result is that “God works for the good of those who love him”(v. 28).
Some expositors deny that the sighs of the Spirit can be tongues, or charismatic utterances. Many Pentecostals do see room for the gift of tongues to be involved in the process along with the sighs. The sighs, or groans, however, are inexpressible and are not in words of any kind. They are expressed in the hearts of God’s children. Only the Father (“He who searches our hearts”) understands them. The Holy Spirit by this means helps us rise above our human inadequacies through His humanly unutterable sighings, which are in harmony with the divine will.
Stanley M. Horton expressed the flow of this passage:
We remain in the weakness of our present bodies.… But the Holy Spirit is with us. Though our experience with Him in the age to come will be beyond anything we know now, He is still with us in person, ready to help us in a real and personal way. Though Paul does not call the Spirit the Comforter, the Paraclete, he certainly sees the Spirit as our Helper here. He is right here to help us in our weakness. In our weakness we often do not understand ourselves or our needs. We want to do God’s will, but we do not even know how to pray as we should. The Spirit comes to our aid and makes intercession for us (instead of us) with groanings too deep for words.
These groanings are not expressed in words.… But they do not need to be expressed in words. The same God, the same Heavenly Father, who knows what is in our hearts also knows what is in the mind of the Spirit. So there is perfect communication between the Father and the Holy Spirit without the necessity of words. Moreover, the Holy Spirit knows what the will of God is, so we can be sure that His intercession is according to the will of God. In other words, we can be sure His prayers will be answered. No wonder Paul says that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.1
It would be helpful if all the biblical passages on the content and manner of prayer were clear and subject to no alternative interpretations. But such is not the case. If Paul had given reasons for his statements about the proper attire and covering when a person prays in public, we could determine better if his statements are timeless and universal truths or merely relative to the time that he lived and ministered in. Probably no passage has been as controversial as the one Paul addressed to the Corinthians, who struggled to be a light in one of the most affluent and morally corrupt cities of the ancient world.
Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.… Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?[2] For long hair is given to her as a covering. If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God (1 Cor. 11:4–6, 13–16).
It is a clear violation of what the Scripture teaches here to say that God is concerned only with attitudes and inner devotion. To dress properly and modestly, both in the community and in corporate worship, is a valid biblical principle for every time and culture. Though it may not be wise to allow cultural considerations to overly influence our understanding and application of biblical teachings, the principle of modesty and propriety must be applied within the context of the times. We are not told to dress and groom ourselves like first-century Jewish Christians, but we, like them, must practice modesty and acceptable behavior.
Paul’s declaration that a man should not pray or prophesy with his head covered (11:4) was later contradicted by the canons of the Jews.3 They do not let a man pray without some kind of head covering because he must, by being covered, show that he is ashamed before God and unworthy to face Him. Is God then offended if a man prays with a cap on his head? Or is it the possible negative reaction of persons present during the prayer that should be our concern? The principle of respect, as when an American serviceman in certain situations removes his hat before addressing a superior, must also be a consideration along with modesty and propriety.
Verse 5 introduces an idea that has strong cultural overtones: “Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head.” The usual head covering for women was a piece of fabric or net bag to cover the hair, similar to what is today called a snood (not a veil over the face). It was a custom among the Greeks and Romans, and an express law among the Jews, that no woman should be seen in public without the appropriate covering. Public prostitutes defied such customs as a mark of their profession. Consequently, for a woman to appear in public without proper covering was immodest and dishonoring to her husband’s reputation.
Verse 13 is an appeal to propriety: “Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?” To paraphrase the apostle, “Does it make good sense, in the light of cultural and other considerations, for your women to pray in public without their heads covered?” Certainly to conform to the pagan manner of priestesses praying or delivering their pronouncements bareheaded, or having their hair loose and flowing,4 would be a disgrace to the godly Christian woman.
Paul wrote that the very nature of things, that is, of human customs, teaches that it is shameful for a man to have long hair; on the other hand, it teaches that long hair is a glory to the woman (vv. 14–15). Was the shame a cultural matter, or does God consider long hair on a man to be shameful? The Nazirite vow of dedication to God called for the hair not to be cut (Num. 6:5). There have certainly been times, also in Christian societies, when mature, dignified men wore long hair and wigs. Did the nature of things still teach what Paul said it taught, or is there some intermingling of the term “nature” with cultural respectability? To be dogmatic or contentious on these points would seem to be unchristian (11:16). The principles of modesty, propriety, and respect, however, are principles not to be compromised.
We need to remember that the primary reference in 1 Corinthians 11:13–16 is to customs common to the churches in public prayer and worship. When we come with other believers into the presence of our holy God, our demeanor, attire, and everything about us should testify to decency, moderation, and order. Although the outward cannot compensate for the absence of the inward, the outward often does bear loud testimony to the inward.
Paul’s intent in his instructions to the Body is to bring order and purpose to spontaneous expressions as individuals pray in the Spirit. If followed carefully, these instructions will keep Pentecostal prayer and worship from becoming disorderly.
For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified (1 Cor. 14:13–17).
Paul’s overriding concern is edification of the Body and how it can best be achieved. From the context, it is evident that the gift of tongues, while profusely manifested in the Corinthian assembly, was falling short of its God-intended purpose. Tongues were front and center, being spoken simply for the drama and display. Edification of the Body was being disregarded. What then was the solution? Pray! “Pray that he [the speaker] may interpret.” Only as tongues-speaking is interpreted can it edify the Body. The gift of interpretation is available to the believer. Therefore, the person who speaks or prays in tongues before the congregation should pray to be able to interpret.
In verse 14, Paul, still speaking about the importance of interpreting what has been prayed in a tongue, explains, “If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but [apart from the gift of interpretation] my mind is unfruitful.”
The question, “What shall I do?” (v. 15) follows naturally. That is, what shall I—as one who prays in a tongue in the gathering of believers—do? The answer follows: “I will pray with my spirit [i.e., in tongues] but I will also pray with my mind.” Is Paul saying, “I will pray supernaturally in tongues, as the Holy Spirit gives utterance, and I will pray also from my own mind and thoughts”? In light of his previous instruction about praying “that he may interpret,” Paul seems to be saying, “I will pray in tongues, and then I will interpret what I have prayed, that the Body may be edified.” The same practice applies to publicly singing with the spirit: “I will sing with my spirit, and I will interpret what I sing—so that others may benefit.”
Verse 16 sets the seal to this. We might paraphrase Paul’s instruction: “If you fail to follow these guidelines requiring you to interpret in the public meeting what you have prayed or sung in a tongue, how shall those who cannot understand what you are speaking say ‘Amen’ and thus be edified?” Consequently, we see what praying and singing in tongues include: praising God and giving thanks to God. Therefore, when one praises God and gives thanks in a tongue, and then follows his tongues-speaking with the interpretation, having previously prayed that he might interpret, the whole Body is edified because all can now say “ ‘Amen’ to your thanksgiving” (14:16).
The custom of affirming prayer and praise with an assenting “amen” was heard in Jewish as well as Christian worship.5 Some observers of the Early Church in worship compared the loud chorus of “amens” to the echo of distant thunder. The concurring “amen” of the congregation was regarded as no less important than the prayer itself. (See Rev. 5:13–14; 22:20.)
Public prayer should be more than something one person does in the presence of the congregation. The “amen” in the Early Church was a response by which the people identified themselves with the one praying, assented to what he said, and appropriated his prayer as their own. Thus, when one person led in prayer it was as much community prayer as when they all joined their voices together in prayer, for it indicated to the Lord that they were approaching Him collectively as the Body of Christ.6
We are in a spiritual conflict. It is imperative that we understand this, for to seek to wage battle against the enemy in the strength of the flesh is to court certain defeat. We do well to remember the words of our Lord to Peter: “ ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak’ ” (Mark 14:38). “Body” (Gk. sarx) alludes to earthly life. Our battles are not fought on an earthly battleground, or with earthly instruments of war. They are waged with weapons of another sort—weapons made effective through God’s might.
Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, as we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:3–5).
Even though the believer’s weapons are numerous (see Eph. 6:14–17) and prayer is not named among them, it is at least the means whereby the weapons are employed (see Eph. 6:18). Through the enablement of prayer (not by mere human means such as metaphysics, human philosophy, or mental maneuvers), arguments and pretensions are demolished, as well as every high and mighty opposition to the knowledge of God. Arguments against the gospel involve imagination and purely human reasoning. Through prayer and study of the Word of God, the Spirit gives wisdom to demolish them.
“We take captive every thought” (10:5). The believers’ warfare involves bringing our entire thought life into conformity with Christ’s will. The mind itself is a battleground. Some of our unholy thoughts originate with us; some are planted by Satan; and others are thrown at us by our environment. We therefore wrestle both against our own sinful nature and against active forces of evil. We must firmly resist evil and unwholesome thoughts, seeking rather that the mind of Christ might dwell in us (Phil. 2:5; 4:8). We overcome our adversary by persistently saying no to his temptations (Titus 2:11–12).
Assurance When Prayer Is Not Answered
Does God always heal and deliver us from our distresses when we pray? This agitating question comes to every believer at one time or another. Though we would like a positive answer, we are confronted with such cases as Paul’s unremoved thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7). It is noteworthy that Jesus’ healing ministry was directed, with a few exceptions, toward the sinners and the ungodly. The same was true in the ministry of the Early Church. And when believers were the object, there were several instances when healing—although it is most assuredly a provision of the Atonement—was not forthcoming (see 1 Cor. 11:30; 1 Tim. 5:23; 2 Tim. 4:20). In some instances, the reason is given. In other instances we can only conjecture. Paul does state reasons for his continued infirmity.
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, and my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:7–10).
In the Corinthian assembly there was also a stated reason for the prevailing weakness, sickness, and death among them: not “recognizing the body of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:29). God permitted such conditions in order to correct a problem. It is not likely that any effort at gaining healing would have been fruitful until the problem was addressed. Otherwise, for God to have healed would have made Him like parents who cease to discipline their children before appropriate character traits are formed.
There is much uncertainty about the nature of Paul’s distressing problem. Some think it was a physical malady, possibly an annoying eye problem or recurring malaria. Others suppose it was strictly a spiritual matter, basing their assumption on the phrase “a messenger of Satan … to torment me” (12:7). Still others say it was a Judaizer who followed Paul around and caused him problems (cf. Num. 33:55, where “thorns in your sides” are people). Not much is to be gained by forcing any private interpretation. Whatever the problem was, Paul prayed three times that it would be removed. After his earnest praying, he got his answer, not the healing he so sincerely sought but an understanding of the reason for his affliction (see 12:7). He learned that it was in his best interest that his condition persist. At the same time, God promised to give him the grace to bear it (12:9).
The lesson for believers today is that when sickness or affliction comes to us, we are well-advised to pursue earnestly God’s healing, but to keep in mind that even more important than our physical healing is our spiritual state. If healing seems to evade us, though we seek it repeatedly, we should take note of Paul’s experience, opening our hearts for understanding from the Lord himself; then He can minister to us according to His wise counsel and our true need.
Countless people have entered into a new experience with the Holy Spirit today. They have spoken with new tongues (like the Ephesian elders [Acts 19:6]). They may also have prophesied and witnessed other manifestations of the Holy Spirit. According to David B. Barrett, a top authority on religious demographics, there were at the beginning of the final decade of the 20th century over 353 million Pentecostals and charismatics in the world.
But as it was in Paul’s day, particularly in the church at Ephesus, the once vital and glowing experience can easily be exchanged for an unworthy lifestyle, one which, instead of furthering the gospel, becomes an impediment to its progress. Paul had a remedy for this problem:
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:18–21).
To Paul’s sanctified thinking, this is standard procedure for spiritual advance. Those things which militate against being Spirit-filled must be addressed and eliminated before the Spirit-filled lifestyle can be achieved and maintained. For example, the believer who argues for the use of wine, or any other alcoholic beverage, argues at the same time against being Spirit-filled; there is no compatibility between the two. For the sincere seeker after God there is but a single course to follow: “Be filled [“be being filled,” “keep on being filled”] with the Spirit.” And to be filled with the Spirit requires prayerful attention to that end.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a vital and viable experience. Nevertheless, if the experience is to have continuing purpose and meaning, it must necessarily result in an ongoing Spirit-led lifestyle. That lifestyle encompasses disciplines that avoid hindrances to it and embrace enhancements of it. The list of practices that Paul intimates will be evidences of the Spirit-filled lifestyle (5:19–21: meditation, singing, giving thanks, submitting) are at the same time the God-appointed means to that lifestyle.
Even though some would translate lalountes heautois as “speaking to each other” or “speaking among yourselves,” it is not erroneous to understand the meaning to be “speak within yourself.” Paul uses a similar line in 1 Corinthians 14:28, “If there is no interpreter, the speaker should … speak to himself and God.” Therefore we may say that the Spirit-filled lifestyle is fostered by an inner worship that expresses itself by means of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. At first thought we might relate the word “psalms” to Old Testament psalms. Although they need not be excluded, the lack of the article makes the meaning more general, i.e., songs with musical accompaniment along the order of the psalms. The idea of “hymns” here seems to be songs expressing praises to God the Father and Christ.7 Though not the only intended sense of “spiritual songs,” it is quite likely that Paul was indicating here what he spoke of in 1 Corinthians 14:15, “I will sing with my spirit.” This is singing the praises of God in an unknown tongue.
First Corinthians 14:26 indicates that these things are manifest as people come together. The very word “psalm” includes musical accompaniment. “In your heart” could just as well be translated “with your heart” or may mean while you are joining in the congregational singing, your heart is also filled with music. Making melody in Old Testament usage involved musical instruments. The following verse, “Submit to one another,” also shows that Paul is talking about what is going on in the church body, not just in the individual heart.
Harold Horton observes, “Speaking to yourselves … ‘in … spiritual songs,’ that is, songs in other tongues sung to cadences dictated also by the Spirit. Speaking—in songs! Speaking to ourselves thus in the Spirit is edifying ourselves.… If we speak with tongues we have a well within us in this barren wilderness of a world. Singing thus will start a fountain in the driest desert.”8 “Singing and making music in [or with] your heart to the Lord” seems to mean that psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs flow out from the private sanctuary of one’s inner being.
Thanksgiving is the very essence of Spirit-filled living; at the same time it is another important means to the Spirit-filled lifestyle. “Always giving thanks” is the soul’s access into the divine presence. It is to be directed toward God the Father, from whence the Spirit comes. And it is to be done in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only means of approach to Him.
Submission is to praying what blood is to the human body. Apart from submission, prayer is only a cold and lifeless form. The Greek word used by Paul, hupotassō, means to “submit oneself.” Submission undergirds all effective prayer. It is essential to the initial infilling of the Holy Spirit. Apart from its continued practice there can be no Spirit-filled life-style. Submission is the key to admittance into the Holy of Holies. Submission is always the initative of the one who submits, for it emanates from the core of a person’s being, the central will. If imposed or forced, it is not submission at all. Jesus was the epitome of submission. He could say without equivocation, “ ‘I always do what pleases him [the Father]’ ” (John 8:29). He said also, “ ‘Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart’ ”(Matt. 11:29). “I am gentle and humble in heart” is equivalent to “I am fully submitted to My Father and His will.”
“To one another out of reverence for Christ” presupposes the well-spring of all other necessary submission in the Christian community. The fundamental submission is to our Lord himself. Once this is in place, submission within the family of God, according to God’s prescribed order (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:21; 6:9), is quite natural. All lack of submission within the household of faith is traceable to a fundamental rebellion against God. By its very nature, refusal to submit becomes a hinderance to prayer and the Spirit-filled lifestyle.
Most believers find it easier to pray in the midst of a crisis. But crisis praying without regular communion is like grasping for a life ring whose connecting line has not been maintained. Paul captures the divine intent for our prayer habits as he encourages the Ephesian believers to pray with regularity, intensity, and perseverance.
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 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 (Eph. 6:18–19).
Dropping the metaphor of the Christian soldier’s armor in 6:10–17, Paul continues in verses 18 and 19 the idea of the believer’s conflict by focusing on the most vital element of all in successful spiritual warfare: prayer. Though prayer is certainly implied in the foregoing instructions on putting on spiritual armor, Paul now specifically advocates a wide-ranging variety of prayer approaches.
Since the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil are always pitted against us, it is imperative that we always pray. The Greek en panti kairō means “on every occasion.” This is no casual injunction; it is a matter of such vast proportions and consequences that it must be taken up with all resoluteness. To believe that we can contend successfully in this warfare through the power of our puny intellects or the might of our Adamic nature is to discover to our hurt that we are no match for him who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
The Greek dia pasēs proseuchēs means literally “through every kind of prayer.” Verse 18 begins with this phrase, with no separation from the previous passage on the Christian’s armor. In reality, Paul was saying, “Put on the full armor of God [6:11], … stand firm then [against Satan] [6:14] … Take … the sword of the Spirit [6:17] with all kinds of prayers [6:18].” It is useless to debate whether we through prayer put on the full armor or take only the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God). Prayer is the instrument of spiritual warfare that makes effective the defensive armor and the offensive weapons.
“All kinds of prayers” includes public as well as private prayer, informal as well as formal, silent as well as vocal, praise as well as petition, planned as well as spontaneous, and in the Spirit as well as with the mind. “Prayers” derives from the Greek proseuchē; “requests” comes from deēsis. Proseuchē represents general prayer and deēsis denotes prayer for a specific need. “Requests” implies strong, persistent prayer that perseveres until evil is checked and righteousness prevails. “In the Spirit” is perhaps better translated “through the Spirit.” Paul likely has in mind praying in another tongue (see 1 Cor. 14:14). By this means the believer’s praying is elevated beyond intellect and offered according to God’s will.
Not only are believers to pray at all times under the direction of the Spirit (who knows what to pray for), but they are to be diligent in prayer and petition for “all the saints” in this spiritual warfare. Paul then demonstrates his seriousness, as well as his humility, by asking for their vigilant prayer for himself. This request for prayer support of one’s own ministry ought to be the prime request of every gospel preacher. Satan seeks by every means to stop the mouths of God’s servants, either by fear so they cannot speak boldly, or by doubt so they cannot speak authoritatively, or by confused thoughts so they cannot speak clearly.
The Christians in Rome were admonished, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). To the Philippian Christians the advice becomes more specific. In the face of difficult circumstances, they were told how to cope: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7).
The prevailing tone of the letter to the church at Philippi is one of joy. There was genuine need for the encouragement. Paul was in prison. The Philippian Christians were suffering at the hands of a hostile world. There were false teachers who sought to entice the Philippians to follow a false gospel. Yet Paul could say, “Do not be anxious about anything.” “Anxious” is from the Greek merimnaō, meaning to “be anxious about,” “be unduly concerned,” or “have a distracting care about something.” “Not … about anything” is the major emphasis of the admonition, for mēden is the first word in the sentence: “Nothing be anxious about.” Not one thing!
We cannot help having cares or concerns: employment, health, loved ones, fellow believers. But we are not to be harassed by those cares, as though we carried their full weight ourselves.
But it is inadequate to exhort a person not to be anxious. To do so may only impose a greater anxiety. An antidote must be provided, so Paul prescribes the means for overcoming anxious care: “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (4:6). Thanksgiving should be an essential element of all praying. It is the means of expressing appreciation for what God has already done on our behalf, and of expressing faith for what we anticipate He will do in answer to our prayers. The fact that “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:8) is another reason for giving Him thanks, for He will always answer our prayers in such a way as to meet our real needs.
It is also true that He desires us to present our requests to Him. We do not make our requests to give Him new information, but rather to exercise our faith in obtaining from His hand.
Such praying not only obtains answers to the concerns that generated our anxieties, but results in a state of mind every child of God should experience: “the peace of God.” It is that deep inward repose of the soul, identified as “the peace of God” because it is communicated and sustained by Him. It grows out of a spiritual mind-set, for “the mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6). Peace is the blessed fruit of having replaced anxiety with supplication and prayer. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isa. 26:3). Prayer is rewarded with God’s peace, a peace “which transcends all understanding” (4:7).
The ungodly cannot perceive it, for it is beyond their comprehension. It is also beyond the believer’s comprehension, for even the godly who enjoy the blessed experience cannot quite grasp how light breaks in upon their darkness in such a mysterious yet real way, bringing with it a tranquility defying explanation.
“The peace of God … will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” The Greek phroureō (“keep” or “guard”) is a military term used by the kind of guarding done by a whole garrison of soldiers. It describes the sense of security the believer experiences after having placed all concerns in God’s hand. It is more than mere protection; the Holy Spirit keeps a watchful eye and benevolent custody over our hearts and minds so that no disturbing influence may pass through and upset our inner serenity.
R. Finlayson, an earlier writer, offers this counsel:
If your mind be overcharged or overwhelmed with trouble and anxiety, go into the presence of God. Spread your case before him. Though he knows the desires of your heart, yet he has declared he will be sought after; he will be inquired of to do it for you. Go, therefore, into the presence of that God who will at once tranquillize your spirit, give you what you wish or make you more happy without it, and who will be your everlasting Consolation, if you trust in him. He will breathe peace into your soul, and command tranquility in the midst of the greatest storms.9
The peace of God, mediated by the Holy Spirit in response to prayer and supplication, “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Good advice can well be repeated. Colossian believers and Ephesian believers needed the same encouragement to pray. What was good for believers in Colosse and Ephesus in the first century is still good for believers around the world today. Note the similarity of Colossians 4:2–4 to Ephesians 6:18–19.
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should (Col. 4:2–4).
The Greek proskartereō, translated “devote yourselves,” means to “persevere in,” “spend much time in,” or “be continually steadfast with.” The word is used in Acts 1:14 to describe how the disciples together held on in prayer immediately prior to choosing a replacement for the fallen Judas. Jesus himself prayed similarly when He spent entire nights in prayer before making importent decisions or appointments (e.g., Luke 6:12 and Matt. 26:36–44). The same word is used in Romans 12:12, where Paul exhorts believers to be “faithful in prayer.”
“Watchful” is a translation of the Greek grēgoreō, meaning “to keep awake,” “to be spiritually alert,” “to be vigilant.” Jesus used the same word when he chided the sleeping Peter, James, and John to “watch and pray” (Matt. 26:41). The message is simple and direct: Be always praying; keep your heart focused on the subject of your prayers, lest you be diverted and as a consequence fail in your purpose. And while you’re praying in this manner, do not neglect to give thanks.
Once again the apostle urges his personal appeal upon the church: “praying at the same time for us as well” (4:3, NASB). Paul was at the time a prisoner in Rome, as a result of violent Jewish opposition; and yet he did not lose sight of his holy calling and mission. His passion to preach the gospel was not diminished, although his opportunity to do so was greatly limited. Therefore he solicited the prayers of fellow believers. Prayer for spiritual leaders must be a priority for all believers. In fact, all leaders need our intercession: kings, presidents, governors, and those in lesser public offices.
But of all those we should intercede for, none are more worthy (cf. 1 Tim. 5:17–18) or stand in greater need than preachers of the gospel. Their message is more important than that of ambassadors or kings. So when Paul asks the Colossians to intercede for him, it is that he may speak the mystery of Christ with greater boldness. The intercession of every saint should be that preachers may be delivered from all limitations and hindrances in proclaiming the gospel.
“That I may proclaim clearly” is a request with more meaning than may appear at first. Besides “proclaim clearly,” the Greek phaneroō means to “reveal,” “make known,” “teach.” Paul’s desire is that he will not only be given an open door to proclaim the gospel, but that in his proclamation there will be God-given clarity in the manifestation of the mystery hidden to previous generations but which has already been revealed to Paul (See Col. 1:25–26). And what Paul desired, every preacher of the gospel should covet most earnestly, remembering the words of our Lord: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63).
Paul customarily makes a theological statement and then proceeds to clarify, explain, and apply the truth for the recipients of his letter. But on one occasion, as he wrote to the Thessalonians, he changed his approach. In a staccato of instruction, he lays out concise commands to be followed by all believers: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances.… Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.… Brothers, pray for us” (1 Thess. 5:16–21, 25). Most of these pungent instructions relate to prayer—for twentieth-century as well as first-century believers. No conditions or contingencies qualify the commands; in the midst of tribulation or triumph, they are all to be followed.
Two manuscripts of note10 add the words “in the Lord” to “be joyful always,” thus relating the command to prayer (cf. Phil. 4:4). True joy springs from a vital relationship with the Lord. It is His joy within that enables us to be joyful always. The way to be joyful always is to pray continually. People would rejoice more if they prayed more. “Continually” does not mean to be constantly uttering formal prayers. Rather, it echoes Ephesians 6:18—“Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” We should maintain scheduled times of prayer, but we must also be instant in prayer as the need arises or as the heart has opportunity to turn toward its Master. Paul does not say that believers should do nothing else but pray; yet nothing we do should hinder an attitude or spirit of prayer.
What an integral part of prayer is thanksgiving! It should always accompany prayer (Phil. 4:6); it grows out of faithful prayer. Prayer leads into God’s presence, and who cannot give thanks there? “All circumstances” covers the entire sphere of life, the good and the evil, the victories and the defeats, the joys and the sorrows. Nothing is omitted. This parallels the exhortation to give thanks for everything (Eph. 5:20). Our thanksgiving is faith’s acknowledgment that God works in all things for our good in the end; so thanksgiving is always the will of God in Christ Jesus. (See the definition of “thanksgiving” in the Introduction; Paul may have been suggesting that a constant attitude and expression of thanksgiving is one way of praying without ceasing.)
It is commonly understood that Paul is alluding to the Spirit’s working in the gifts when he says, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire,” especially the publicly manifested utterance gifts (cf. 1 Cor. 14:39); it is also appropriate to apply the admonition to our personal prayer lives. We must guard against suppressing those God-inspired times of private praying in unknown tongues and those gentle nudges of the Spirit to intercede for various concerns He may bring to our attention.
Paul also solicits their prayers (cf. Rom. 15:30–32). Believers need the prayers of each other (cf. Gal. 6:2). Our prayers make possible God’s intervention in our lives as well as the lives of others. How many tragedies might be averted, how many problems might be solved, how much more effective preaching might be, how much more may be accomplished for the Kingdom, if believers intercede in prayer for God’s ministers.
An Avenue for the Spread of the Gospel
The success of the gospel depends on believers’ prayers more than most of us realize. It is an evil of major proportions to neglect intercession for the rapid and effective spread of the gospel. “ ‘Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’ ” (Matt. 9:38). Paul’s final instructions on prayer to the Thessalonians was to that end: “Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith” (2 Thess. 3:1–2).
“Spread rapidly” is an allusion to the races run in a stadium. Paul pictures the word of the Lord already in the race and desires that it shall run mightily until it gains the appointed crown or is “honored, just as it was with you [the Thessalonian believers].” He perceives that prayer is the enabling propellant, thrusting the word of the Lord toward its intended goal: the conversion of the unregenerate. Apart from prayer the race is lost. The second part of the petition relates to the first. Wicked and evil men obstruct, or at least seek to obstruct, the advance of the gospel. “Wicked” (from the Gk. atopos) means “out of place,” “injurious,” “morally evil.” Such faithless and evil people are ever present to oppose the Word of the Lord, either by ridicule or by otherwise hindering the messenger. Paul perceived, and we are wise to believe, that the answer to this problem is ever the same: freedom through the prayers of God’s people.
Prayer should be offered for everyone. Not that every person can be mentioned by name, but all groups and classes of people should be included in our praying. There will, of course, be specific names mentioned within each circle, whether ethnic group, inner city addicts, homosexuals, or secular authorities. It is this last group that Paul singles out as one that should not be overlooked in our praying.
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men … I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing (1 Tim. 2:1–5, 8).
It is not easy to determine the precise difference between “requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving.” There are, however, distinctions that suggest ways the believer can approach the throne of God. “Requests” (Gk. deēseis) are petitions or burdened requests that God will meet a lack or need in the life of the person for whom prayer is made. “Prayers” (Gk. proseuchas) are general requests for gaining essential needs, both spiritual and temporal. “Intercessions” (Gk. enteuxeis) speak of petition to a superior, e. g., a king. For the believer, intercession is petitioning an Almighty God to meet the needs of others. “Thanksgiving” (Gk. eucharistias) denotes a prevailing attitude of thankfulness and gratitude as prayer is lifted toward heaven; a prayer of praise always pleases the Lord.
It is probable that the apostle gives directions here for public worship, and that the words may be thus paraphrased: “Now, I exhort, first of all that, in the public assemblies, deprecations of evils, and supplications for such good things as are necessary, and intercessions for their conversion, and thanksgivings for mercies, be offered in behalf of all men—for heathens as well as for Christians, and for enemies as well as for friends.”11
The essence of our praying should be twofold: (1) for those in authority and (2) for peaceful and quiet lives. Believers do well to pray not only that leaders may rule in justice and equity, but that they will be protected from rash and evil influences, that they will effect peace by their administration, and that they themselves will be saved (v. 4). Furthermore, the prayer for rulers has peace with godliness and holiness as its end. Believers should always pray for a social and political atmosphere in which they can live in faith, godliness, and obedience to God, without having to contend with pagan magistrates. Praying for secular leaders is pleasing to God because His salvation is for all mankind, the noble and powerful as well as the poor and lowly.
We come now to a concept that is foundational to all true faith and also to prayer itself: “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (v. 5). The God we come to in prayer is the only God. There can be no other, for this One fills eternity and infinity. He was so concerned about humanity that He provided His Son as the one and only Mediator to reconcile us to himself. He desires the salvation of all; no one perishes but by one’s own neglect. We come to the one and only God through the one and only Mediator, the man Christ Jesus, for our salvation. So it must be for every human being, regardless of social or political stature.
How does Paul apply this basic truth of the Christian faith? What should be our behavior and devotion in light of the eternal reality of divinely provided salvation? Because there is one God with whom we must be reconciled and because there is one Mediator through whom we can gain this reconciliation, Paul says, “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing” (v. 8). “Also” (v. 9) means “in the same way.” Therefore, women as well as men must present holy or dedicated hands, with a pure spirit. A synecdoche, “hands” stands for the whole being, one’s very lifestyle. “To lift up [the] hands” was a common practice among both Jews and pagans. To lift up or spread out the arms and hands while praying denoted entreaty and request. In this way, Paul shows us how to pray effectively. We are to come to God, humble ourselves for our sins, present as our sacrifice the Lamb of God, offer holy lives in worship and praise to Him, and then expect to enjoy access into His presence. Petitions expressed as we enter His presence with His righteousness will receive a response. For women there is the additional request for modest dress with decency and propriety.
Attitudes are absolutely critical if our prayers are to be answered; therefore, Paul advocates the avoidance of “anger or disputing.” There can be no unforgiving or vindictive spirit, no reasoning or dialogues that militate against simple faith. “I want men everywhere,” said Paul, “to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” This was certainly characteristic of Paul’s prayers and should be of ours.
1. Under what circumstances is it important for us to look to the Holy Spirit to intercede for us in sighs too deep for words? How do we know the Spirit is doing this?
2. How should we apply 1 Corinthians 11:4–6 to our own day?
3. When is it necessary for praying in tongues to be interpreted?
4. What should we do when God’s answer to our repeated prayers is no?
5. Why is it important to pray in the Spirit on all occasions?
6. What is the cure for anxiety?
7. What is included in the peace of God?
8. What part does thanksgiving have in prayer, and why?
9. The early Christians expected persecution, but Paul still urged them to pray that they might lead peaceful and quiet lives. Why?