Sermon: Pray.
Author: Brian Fletcher
Text: Colossians 4:2-6
Introduction: Jim Rayburn, foundational verse, quote from his journal,
In 1939, Adolph Hitler and the Third Reich were marching across Europe in their vicious campaign to take over the world. In the years to follow things would only get worse, embroiling the entire globe in World War II. However, at the same time in Dallas, TX, there was another man who was starting his own campaign. Jim Rayburn was a seminary student and part-time youth pastor. He was frustrated that hardly any teenagers were coming to church. His campaign was to go outside the walls of the church and meet kids where they were: at school, at sporting events, at soda shops, and on street corners. He would leave seminary on Friday, spend the weekend trying to get to know kids, and then on Monday nights, he would gather as many kids as he could to come to a meeting in someone's home. This became quite an effective way to reach teenagers, and he saw many come to Christ. Jim would return to his dorm room late Monday nights and tell his dorm buddies about what happened. They would spend hours praying and rejoicing in what God was doing. While Adolph Hitler's campaign failed miserably, Jim Rayburn's flourished into what is now the global mission called Young Life.
Pray.
The passage encourages us to pray. Nothing new here, the Bible constantly talks about how we should be praying. But how do we view prayer in a new way? How can we make it fresh when it seems a little stale? What is Paul encouraging us to pray for and how does he think we should pray?
Let me read again, verses 2-3:
[v2-3] "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ,"
I want to look at three specific phrases from this passage that I believe will encourage you to see not only the power and importance of prayer but ...
Author: Brian Fletcher
Text: Colossians 4:2-6
Introduction: Jim Rayburn, foundational verse, quote from his journal,
In 1939, Adolph Hitler and the Third Reich were marching across Europe in their vicious campaign to take over the world. In the years to follow things would only get worse, embroiling the entire globe in World War II. However, at the same time in Dallas, TX, there was another man who was starting his own campaign. Jim Rayburn was a seminary student and part-time youth pastor. He was frustrated that hardly any teenagers were coming to church. His campaign was to go outside the walls of the church and meet kids where they were: at school, at sporting events, at soda shops, and on street corners. He would leave seminary on Friday, spend the weekend trying to get to know kids, and then on Monday nights, he would gather as many kids as he could to come to a meeting in someone's home. This became quite an effective way to reach teenagers, and he saw many come to Christ. Jim would return to his dorm room late Monday nights and tell his dorm buddies about what happened. They would spend hours praying and rejoicing in what God was doing. While Adolph Hitler's campaign failed miserably, Jim Rayburn's flourished into what is now the global mission called Young Life.
Pray.
The passage encourages us to pray. Nothing new here, the Bible constantly talks about how we should be praying. But how do we view prayer in a new way? How can we make it fresh when it seems a little stale? What is Paul encouraging us to pray for and how does he think we should pray?
Let me read again, verses 2-3:
[v2-3] "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ,"
I want to look at three specific phrases from this passage that I believe will encourage you to see not only the power and importance of prayer but ...
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