Faith and Prayer

Children’s Talk – Prayer bands to remind us to pray.

Colossians 1: 1-14.   Luke 18: 1-8

Two nuns were driving along when they ran out of petrol. Fortunately they could walk to a petrol station, where they asked to purchase a can of petrol. “I’m sorry, sister,” said the attendant, “but all I have for you to carry it in is an old chamber pot.” The nuns agreed that this would be fine. They returned to the car. As they were pouring the petrol into the tank, a man drove by, stopped his car, and said, “Oh sister, if only I had your faith.”

Paul in his letter noted the churches faith in Jesus at Colosse.

Faith is what we plan to do tomorrow, and it’s always in the future. Most of what we do, is in response to having faith in the things unseen.

We have faith in processes: emails texts, postal systems that they will reach their destination and we will receive a reply if we need one.

We put our faith in people like party politicians we consider what they say on issues that concern us and if we go along with what they say, we identify ourselves with them.

Faith in doctors that they will diagnose our illnesses and give the treatment to make us better.

Faith in a football team and decide to become a follower

Faith is associated with our freedom of choice when we are looking for answers to questions about: “Why am I here?” “What is the purpose to life?”

4,200 religious faiths in the world, and there are people, especially people in their twenties and younger  searching for the true way to find God,  and we believe that the Christian Faith reveals the truth, we read about Jesus’ resurrection where over 500 hundred people saw the resurrected Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world revealing Jesus as God made visible in the flesh.  Jesus said, “The truth shall set you free.”

The church at Colosse like the other churches were being challenged by the unbelieving Jews. They followed Paul and Barnabas speaking against what they were saying about Jesus. Acts 14: 19

It is thought the churches  were being challenged by what became known as Gnosticism.

 In my Eyre & Spottiswoode Study Bible. “Gnosticism meaning “Knowledge” Gnosticism was formulated in a Jewish frame work, it deprived Jesus Christ of his unique status as the Son of God and Saviour.” 

In the early church the Christians going through trial’s not of their own making, were being treated as criminals and outcasts.

  ^“Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. ³³ Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.” Hebrews 10: 32, 33. N L T Bible.

“Matthew Henry’s commentary on Hebrews 10: 32, 33 wrote, “And those who have been kept faithful in great trials in a time past have reason to hope for the same grace to help them still to live by faith.”  For many their reason to hope is when faith has been strengthened or increased as suffering draws us closer to the Lord and the Lord upholds us as we go through times of trial.

We read in Jesus’ parable – the King heard the outcry of the woman who continually sought vindication, eventually he responded, But Jesus made the point that God would vindicate, declare innocent his people by a swift response to their prayers.

The Colossians were living the Christian faith and proving their faith . Paul encouraged them as he noted their faith and how God was upholding the truth as their church was growing

We read in Jesus’ parable- he said, ‘Pray and do not lose heart.’

Today in Barnabas Prayer we are asked to pray for the Christians in North Korea who are daily in great danger because of their love for the Lord Jesus.

This prayer has words that relate to Paul’s prayer in Colossians.

Praying that each would be filled with a peace that passes understanding, that they may have no fear as they put their trust in Jesus. For those in brutal prison labour camps, we ask that you would give them grace to endure, that their patience, love and fortitude may be a witness  that draws others to Jesus. Ending with, we ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and for His glory.

Christians need our prayers, and we need their prayers

At the beginning of December I sent an on-line prayer request to CAP Christians Against poverty asking for prayer: for perseverance and for more people to come on the Job Club course.

Just before Christmas I received this card from them, they wrote encouraging words, saying about David the shepherd started out as a shepherd over a small flock in number, compared to the large kingdom God gave him after he was faithful with the little.  They would continue to pray for us.

The card reminded us to be faithful to God’s call and wait for God to give the increase.

Paul ‘s prayer in response to his conversation with Epaphras he has prayed for them to have knowledge of God’s will in order to:  further the outreach in their community at Colossae.

God invites us to pray, to see what His will is, for us to do something to further the spread of the gospel about Jesus.

Spurgeon story

Some students visiting  church in London where invited to see the heating plant of the church. A man lead them down some steps and then opened the door.  In a subdued voice he said, “There, gentlemen, is our heating plant.” What the surprised students saw were approximately 700 people praying for the service which was soon to begin in the tabernacle above.  Then they were further surprised to learn that the friendly host was none other than Spurgeon himself.

Paul’s prayer for wisdom and understanding. Wisdom to work together as a body of believers.

Before we step out in faith, or apply faith in a situation, praying with others first believing that the Lord will give confirmation.

Below my testimony that I’ve never shared in a sermon before and I didn’t intend to share it today.                      (Shorter version this morning)                      In 1992 the Lord gave me a word to start a pottery business for the church, I questioned whether churches had businesses, I asked three ladies at church to pray with me about it. Soon afterwards, one Sunday evening we had a healing service, the lady preacher asked if anyone had any hurts from previous churches that needed healing, everyone there in the Full Gospel Church that evening got up and came to the front for prayer. As a result I was healed and the Lord shortly afterwards called me back into the Anglican Church. (I realised that men and women are equal in ministry) I was continually nudged by the Holy Spirit about the pottery business, so I started going to pottery evening classes at Accrington College. It wasn’t long before I realised I was hopeless at making pots with clay,  also I attended pottery painting classes and again I found I was hopeless, I had no flare, no talent to do it, maybe I had got it wrong and I had wasted my time.

However, I went to buy a kiln at Pilling Pottery, my husband thought that I was starting a new hobby. At Pilling Pottery the Potter Mr Cross had just become a Christian, I shared with him what I felt God had asked me to do, to start a pottery business for our church. Mr Cross told me to buy ready glazed mugs and put transfers on them. I knew God had spoken through him. I went away challenged by the next step that I had to make: to purchase pottery and decorate with floral transfers and Bible verses. I asked the Lord in prayer what Bible texts should be, I was given a picture and word ‘drinking in the promises of God’. Within half an hour I had enough promises to send to the transfer man ‘Photosilk Transfers’ in Burslem  Stoke-on-Trent, England. I travelled around the locality visiting the churches selling my china mugs at basic cost, the church added their profit margin.  Within two years my pottery business was growing I named it after my church ‘St James’.

In 1994 before we went on holiday the Lord gave me a picture of a net being cast and lifted up full of fishes. When we returned from the holiday I had received an order from a lady in Northern Ireland, an order for 12 mugs, I sent the order to her. Further orders came from Mrs Sinclare, she was helping to raise funds to re-roof Dunalong Church, Bready, Strabane. When I received the payment on one of the orders I realised it was from Londonderry where the troubles in Northern Island were going on and where the peace process was in progress. The texts that she had chosen related to their situation: “Do not be afraid,” “Nothing shall be impossible,” “I will never leave you or forsake you,” the beatitudes in single sentences. “All things are possible to them that believe,” “Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.” God is Love”, “Love, Joy, Peace” and many more.

 It had become apparent why the Lord had wanted this pottery business. 400 mugs with the word speaking into a conflict that had been going on for years, they were added to thousands of prayers and words received from God, and the politicians playing their part, the peace process was successful. Praise the Lord!

(Wikipedia – Strabane suffered extensive damage during the Troubles, from the early 1970s and continuing throughout much of the 1990s, with bombings and shootings commonplace. . . . Strabane was once the most bombed town in Europe per size and was the most bombed town in Northern Ireland.) County of Londonderry or Derry

Answers to prayer increases our faith, and we grow in the knowledge of God in a personal way.

So, God calling for us is to pray in faith, in the Spirit, that is in the power and strength of God that produces endurance believing that Jesus will intercede before God on our behalf, so that the relevant things will happen to initiate a work and to move the work forward.

Prayer is the catalyst that God looks for, to actively work with us.

Finally to pray for the North Korean Church.

“Father in heaven, we pray for our brothers and sisters in North Korea, who live daily in extreme danger because of their love for Jesus Christ. Fill each one with a peace that passes understanding, that they may have no fear as they put their trust in You. For those in brutal prison labour camps, we ask that you would give them grace to endure, that their patience, love and fortitude may be a witness  that draws others to Jesus. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and for His glory.