Class Notes: 4/2/2008

Col 4:2-4 Paul's prayer and request for prayer support

We are continuing in our study of prayer as part of the PPOG or the Predestination provided for the believer by God in eternity past as described Eph 1:3-5; Rom 8:29; for the purpose of determining just how and what we should pray for.

At the moment we are examining Paul's prayers and we have seen in that the focus in his prayers in Eph 1:18; Eph 3:14; Phil 1:3; and Col 1:9; was been for believers to appropriate by Grace the spiritual resources that God has provided and be enlightened, and empowered for their advance in God's plan for their lives.

We are presently looking at of Paul’s prayer requests and his mandate and petition and intercession for prayer support in Col 4:2-4;
We concluded last time with the idea that just as faith is compatible with grace, the believer's devotion to prayer is compatible with faith. Prayer->> Faith->> Grace

It is through their devotion to prayer that the believer's faith is demonstrated. Matt 21:21-22;
Answers to prayer are not dependent on God's ability but rather on man's capacity to receive the answer God provides in his perfect timing. 2Cor 12:7-10; Matt 7:7-11; Isa 30:18;

In this passage, after Paul's mandate for the believer's devotion to prayer, we have the present active participle of the Greek word "gregoreo” which means to " keep on keeping alert.

"Gregoreo" is a term used to describe a sentry stationed on vigilant watch. It is a word for being awake, aware, attentive, and on the look out. It conveys the idea of being fully awake and focused on the prayer being presented to God.

In the discipline of prayer, defined by the Greek word "gregoreo" is synonymous with the Greek term, "agrupneo” which is found in Eph. 6:18; and also means, “to stay alert,”

Prayer is not only about going to the Lord to "speak" but also going to the Lord to "listen," and this requires concentration and being alert so we can receive his answer via our recall of Bible Doctrine he brings to our remembrance during the prayer.

Believers have been given the power of God the Holy Spirit and the word of God and the ability to hear from God through these two resources from the Grace Apparatus for Spiritual Perception (GASP), as well as the perception from the soul and the human spirit.

Many believers are involved in, focused on, alert and sensitive to a lot of things in life, mental distractions attack the believer's spirituality but in spite of the distractions, the believer who is advancing in the spiritual life by means of faith is not distracted away from their focus on prayer as a priority in life.

The advancing believer's concentration on Bible Doctrine being taught in Bible class helps their concentration in their prayer life.

The advancing believer’s quickness to acknowledge any known sin also helps because God the Holy Spirit works with them in their prayer. Phil 2:13;

Col 4:2; ...keeping awake or alert in it (prayer) "with thanksgiving.” The word is eucharista". the normal Greek term for used for expressing thanks, "
Paul uses forms of it throughout his letter to the Colossians. Col 1:12; Col 3:15-17;

As we have noted previously in our study, thanksgiving is always a facet of prayer Phil. 4:6;

Being thankful is an expression of Grace Orientation, the recognition of and thanks expressed to God for what he has done and continues to do for believers. Rom 8:32;

The prayer of the believer priest rises to God just as the fragrance of the sweet incense ascended to God from the sacrifices of the Levitical offerings Ps. 141:2;

Remember in the Church Age we worship in Spirit and Truth and the offerings of the believer priest which include prayer are offered from the spiritual alter in the believer's soul.

We saw in our study of the Levitical Offerings as they related to prayer that there is direct correspondence between the offerings made by the Levitical Priesthood in Israel and the spiritual offerings made by the believer priest in the Church Age.

The expression of thanksgiving is appropriate at all times 1 Thess. 5:17-18; as believers trust in God’s sovereign orchestration of every minute detail of life. Eph. 5:20;

Thanksgiving is always appropriate as believers recall to mind God's Integrity and his work on behalf of believers in the person of TLJC. Eph 1:7-12;

From this position we have his promises to answer our prayers Rom 8:26-32;
we are aware of the fact that He does not permit things to be as bad as they might be, 1Cor 10:13;
We know that that no matter what we see in the world empirically or what we rationalize that could possibly happen to us, that by means of faith the future is as bright as the promises of God, 1Cor 15:51-52;



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