Great Prayers: Six Brief Studies in Prayer

#*,&'(%&C0A%"&04&K0,&#"%&3*6%#/(%,?& & Q3%/'.0*/1&=(%*&A#/&'(%&6#/'&'.@%&$03&%RC%".%*7%,&K0,J/&C"%/%*7%O&=(%*&A#/&'(%&6#/'& '.@%&$03&%RC%".%*7%,&K0,J/&C0A%"O&2(036,*J'&A%&A.'*%//&K0,J/&C0A%"&#*,&C"%/%*7%&A(%*& A%&+#'(%"&#/&#&+"03C&'0&C"#$%"O&=($&,0&A%&*0'&A#*'&K0,J/&C0A%"&#*,&C"%/%*7%O& & S0"&'(0/%&,./7.C6%/&.*&T%"3/#6%@&'(%$&%RC%".%*7%,&'(%&C0A%"&04&K0,&.*&#&M%"$&'#*+.D6%&#*,& Great Prayers: "%#6&A#$?&UV4'%"&'(%$&C"#$%,B&'(%&C6#7%&A(%"%&'(%$&A%"%&@%%'.*+&A#/&/(#N%*W&XV7'/&Y1Z[& Six Brief Studies in Prayer \L]^?&!%"(#C/&'(%&/(#N.*+&A#/&4"0@&'(3*,%"&.*&'(%&/N$&0"&#&'"%@0"&04&'(%&%#"'(&0"&@#$D%&.'& By Rick Ezell A#/&'(%&,%M.6&/(#N.*+&.*&(./&D00'/?&=(#'%M%"&7#3/%,&.'B&'(%&/(#N.*+&+#M%&'(0/%&%#"6$& ,./7.C6%/&#&/%*/%&04&K0,J/&C"%/%*7%&#*,&C0A%"?& & Study 1 I(#'&C0A%"&./&3*6%#/(%,&0*&'A0&4"0*'/?&I(%&C0A%"&./&4%6'&0*&'(%&(3@#*&4"0*'?&2.,60A&P#R'%"& Praying for People Facing Hard Times - Part 1 A"0'%B&U_%*&@#$&/C3"*&03"&#CC%#6/B&"%`%7'&03"&@%//#+%B&0CC0/%&03"&#"+3@%*'/B&,%/C./%& 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 03"&C%"/0*/B&D3'&'(%$&#"%&(%6C6%//&#+#.*/'&03"&C"#$%"/?W&I(%&7(.%4&C".%/'/&#*,&%6,%"/&N*%A& '(#'&'(%/%&%#"6$&,./7.C6%/&A%"%&3*/7(006%,&#*,&0",.*#"$&@%*B&D3'&'(%$&"%70+*.a%,&'(%@&#/& (#M.*+&D%%*&A.'(&T%/3/?& The church at Thessalonica was facing hard times. They were being & persecuted. Their faith was being tested as they faced spiritual opposition. I(%&C0A%"&./B/0B&4%6'&0*&'(%&/C.".'3#6&4"0*'?&2#@3%6&)(#,A.7N&/#.,B&UI(%&0*%&70*7%"*&04& The situation was so grim that Paul feared that they would give up on their '(%&,%M.6&./&'0&N%%C&/#.*'/&4"0@&C"#$%"?&-%&4%#"/&*0'(.*+&4"0@&C"#$%"6%//&/'3,.%/B&C"#$%"6%//& faith. So much so that Paul, according to verse 5, wrote, “For this reason, A0"NB&C"#$%"6%//&"%6.+.0*?&-%&6#3+(/&#'&03"&'0.6B&@07N/&#'&03"&A./,0@B&D3'&'"%@D6%/&A(%*& when I could stand it no long, I sent [Timothy] to find out about your faith. I A%&C"#$?W& was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and & our efforts might have been useless” (1 Thes. 3:5 NIV). Hardship and -0A&A.66&A%&N*0A&K0,J/&C0A%"&#*,&C"%/%*7%&/(0A&3C&.*&#&C"#$%"&+#'(%".*+O&L'&/%%@/&'(#'& opposition can cause one to question their faith, and, at times, people '(%&@0/'&0DM.03/&#*/A%"&./&'("03+(&#*/A%"%,&C"#$%"?& & have given up on their faith. I(%&C"#7'.7%&04&C"#$%"&.*&#&D%6.%M%"J/&6.4%&./&#*&.*7"%,.D6%B&M."'3#66$&3*'#CC%,&C0A%"&/03"7%?& !"#$%"&@0M%/&'(%&(#*,&04&K0,?&!"#$%"&C"%M#.6/?&!"#$%"&'3"*/&0",.*#"$&@0"'#6/&.*'0&@%*&#*,& Paul sends Timothy, who brings a good report of the Thessalonians’ faith. A0@%*&04&C0A%"?&L'&./&'(%&N%$&'(#'&3*607N/&'(%&/'0"%(03/%&04&K0,J/&".7(%/?&L'&./&'(%&7#66&'(#'& Paul is encouraged (v. 7); can now enjoy life (v. 8); and thanks God for @0M%/&(%#M%*&'0'&0*&D%(#64&04&%#"'(?&& the joy they bring to him when he prays for them (v. 9). This causes Paul to & & pray for the believers at Thessalonica all the more. & Paul’s prayer in verses 10-13 is an excellent way to pray for those going through hard times. It’s worth pondering because every week we’re asked to pray for people facing difficulty. Very rarely does anyone say, “Things are going great. Pray for me.” One of the most endearing activities a person can do for another is to pray for them. The following are some things to remember when you pray for someone who is facing hard times: Pray constantly (v. 10). Paul prayed “night and day” for the believers in Thessalonica. When is the last time you stayed awake all night to pray for someone? Effective prayer engages the heart and mind at all hours of the day and night. Pray earnestly (v. 10). Paul stated that “we pray most earnestly . . .” Paul uses a very unusual expression, a double Greek compound, when he describes the intensity of his prayer as “most earnestly.” It is like someone describing something as “more better.” While it is incorrect grammatically, it communicates the idea of going above and beyond all normal 89::;&