Advertising companies are always looking for a short jungle that will stay in the minds of consumers. Over the years, some radio or television commercials are so good that if you heard just a few notes or words, you would immediately know what company was advertising. Let’s try it.
| Where’s the beef? | Wendy’s |
| Plop Plop Fizz Fizz | Alka Seltzer |
| They’re magically delicious | Lucky Charms |
| I wish I was an… | Oscar Mayer |
| Give me a break, give me a break | Kit Kat |
| Like a good neighbor… | State Farm |
| Ba-da-ba-ba-baaa … I’m lovin’ it | McDonalds |
| I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a | Toys R Us |
| Every kiss begins with K | Kay Jewelers |
| The best part of waking up is… | Folgers |
| Be… all that you can be | US Army |
Todays’ verse is short and succinct like a slogan or jingle. It is only four words long but reminds us to do something very necessary for Christians to do. What is it?
[Read 1 Thess. 5:25.]
- Who should pray?
When you ask your online friends to pray for you, who are you really addressing? You are not expecting non-Christians to pray to God for you because they don’t know Him. You are asking your fellow-Christians to pray because they are part of the Christian family.
Define ἀδελφός – “a brother, near kinsman, or relative; one of the same nation or nature; one of equal rank and dignity; an associate, a member of the Christian community”[1]
Paul was talking to fellow Christians in the family of God. He considered himself to be no better than them and to just be one of their Christian brothers. This showed his humility in asking them to remember him (as a brother) in prayer.
Prayer is for fellow believers whether men or women. So all of us should listen to what Paul asks because we are all being addressed. - What does prayer involve?
A radio talk show recently shared a clip of someone praying at a political rally. He ended his prayer by raising his voice and telling God that ________ would be the next president of the United States. As he prayed, I got the idea that he was speaking more to the crowd than to God.
What does prayer involve? This is a good question. Is prayer just throwing words into the air? Or is it something very special?
a. It involves talking with God.
Define προσεύχομαι – “From πρός (prós, ‘to’) + εὔχομαι (eúkhomai, ‘to pray, vow’)”[1] The very word construction means pray to. So prayer should be a conversation with God. When you look at the prayers of godly people to God, they are always talking to someone not making a speech to the people listening.
Read these sample prayers of Solomon (2 Chron. 6:12, 14-15), Jesus (Luke 23:34), and Elijah (1 Kings 18:36-37), and consider whether they were talking to themselves or someone else.
b. It involves intercession for others.
On our church website, there is a picture of my wife and I along with a short description of us. In English it might say, About Us. If it were written in Greek, it would be the Greek words “περὶ ἡμῶν.” These are the words Paul used in this sentence.
Paul was asking for prayer for more than himself. At different times, Paul traveled with a variety of people (Barnabas, Silas, Luke, Timothy, John Mark, Demas, etc.). But praying “for us” also would involve praying for the variety of needs this group might have: relationships (Acts 15:37-40), the pull of the world (2 Tim. 4:10), persecution (Acts 16), and spiritual success (2 Thess. 3:1). - Why should we pray?
I will let you read the following passages and consider how God uses prayer in each of our lives.
a. It is God’s process for accomplishing his will (John 14:13-14).
b. It is God’s process for increasing your love for others (Phile. 1:4).
c. It is God’s process for building our faith (Acts 12:12-17).
Conclusion
Each Wednesday night, our church family meets for prayer. We asked for praises and prayer requests and write them on a piece of paper. But there are times when we forget the answers to these questions. Who should pray? What does prayer involve? Why should we pray? I hope that you will consider the answers listed above the next time you pray.
