Pray for the church-1

⁷ 구하라 그러면 너희에게 주실 것이요 찾으라 그러면 찾을 것이요 문을 두드리라 그러면 너희에게 열릴 것이니 ⁸ 구하는 이마다 얻을 것이요 찾는 이가 찾을 것이요 두드리는 이에게 열릴 것이니라 ⁹ 너희 중에 누가 아들이 떡을 달라 하면 돌을 주며 ¹⁰ 생선을 달라 하면 뱀을 줄 사람이 있겠느냐 ¹¹ 너희가 악한 자라도 좋은 것으로 자식에게 줄줄 알거든 하물며 하늘에 계신 너희 아버지께서 구하는 자에게 좋은 것으로 주시지 않겠느냐. ⁷ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matt. 7:7-11 ESV)

¹⁴ 이러하므로 내가 하늘과 땅에 있는 각 족속에게 ¹⁵ 이름을 주신 아버지 앞에 무릎을 꿇고 비노니 ¹⁶ 그 영광의 풍성을 따라 그의 성령으로 말미암아 너희 속 사람을 능력으로 강건하게 하옵시며 ¹⁷ 믿음으로 말미암아 그리스도께서 너희 마음에 계시게 하옵시고 너희가 사랑 가운데서 뿌리가 박히고 터가 굳어져서 ¹⁸ 능히 모든 성도와 함께 지식에 넘치는 그리스도의 사랑을 알아 ¹⁹ 그 넓이와 길이와 높이와 깊이가 어떠함을 깨달아 하나님의 모든 충만하신 것으로 너희에게 충만하게 하시기를 구하노라 ²⁰ 우리 가운데서 역사하시는 능력대로 우리의 온갖 구하는 것이나 생각하는 것에 더 넘치도록 능히 하실 이에게 ²¹ 교회 안에서와 그리스도 예수 안에서 영광이 대대로 영원 무궁하기를 원하노라 아멘. ¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:14-21 ESV)

FCF: We tend to forget to pray for the spiritual well-being or unity of the church.

주제: 하나님은 우리가 구하는 것 이상으로 응답하시기에 교회를 위해 우리의 주권자 아버지께 기도해야 합니다.

Theme: Because God answers more than we ask, we must pray to our sovereign Father for the church.

Introduction: True story. A Christian leader -- we'll call him Steve --was traveling by plane. He noticed the man sitting two seats over was thumbing through some little cards and moving his lips. The man looked professorial with his goatee and graying brown hair, and Steve placed him at fifty-something. Guessing the man was a fellow believer, Steve leaned over to engage him in conversation. "Looks to me like you're memorizing something," he said. "No, actually I was praying," the man said. Steve introduced himself. "I believe in prayer too," he said. "Well, I have a specific assignment," said the man with the goatee. "What's that?" Steve asked. "I'm praying for the downfall of Christian pastors." "I would certainly fit into that category," Steve said. "Is my name on the list?" "Not on my list," the man replied.

            This is an appalling story. Two things got my attention. First, Satan’s followers prayed for the downfall of the church of Christ. Second, they believed in the power of prayer. This story sounds like a rebuke to modern Christians who fall under the spell of spiritual slumber. I wonder whether Satan answered his followers’ persistent prayers and so a lot of Christian pastors and churches have fallen apart. If so, then what are Christians doing while watching their churches split over petty personal issues? Do those divided in their churches repent of their pride, approach the throne of grace together in Christ, and pray for their divided churches? Surely, their splits are attributable to their failure to pray for their divided churches.

Spiritual battles are never-ending in the churches. Christian churches need prayers. We Christians are called to pray for churches. If Satan’s followers believe in the efficacy of prayer, Christ’s followers must trust God answers their prayers. Paul affirms the truth that God answers more than we ask. With faith in this truth, Paul prays for the Ephesian believers who have struggled with conflicts and divisions in the church. Surely, a given church's well-being and spiritual condition depend on God. Prayer plays a key role in its spiritual soundness. Like Paul, we must pray to our sovereign Father for the church. I have five points to share with you. Today, I will discuss the first point: “Pray to the sovereign Father.”     

I.               주권자 아버지께 기도하세요.

Pray to the Sovereign Father.

            Paul concludes Chapter 3 with prayer. He has been explaining his privilege and responsibility to preach the gospel of salvation. Despite all hardships and trials involved in his gospel ministry, Paul is willing to suffer for the church and its unity. Even during his imprisonment in Rome, Paul never ceases working for the harmony of Jewish and Gentile Christians in Christ. He carries out the gospel ministry according to divine enablement. He knows God appointed him to preach the gospel of the mystery of Christ to Gentiles. His gospel ministry was a result of God’s overflowing grace. Regarding himself as the one less than the least of all saints, Paul takes his imprisonment as an opportunity for the glorious salvation of Gentiles. While recognizing the sufficiency of God’s enabling grace during his imprisonment, Paul turns his heart to God in prayer for the Ephesian church

We learn from Paul’s prayer three principles concerning prayer from vv. 14-15. 첫째, 기도는 하나님과 우리 사이의 관계에 기초합니다. First, prayer is based on the relationship between God and us. Paul addresses his prayer to the Father. Paul’s prayer is built on the truth that God is the Father to Paul and Paul is a son to God. The father-son relationship thrives on the dialogue between God and Paul. Paul is not calling on some deity unknown to him. Pagans called on unknown or unnamed gods to answer their petitions. Some kneel in prayer facing a huge rock, the shining full moon, the dazzling sun, or the gigantic mountains. They offer their wishes and requests for health, prosperity, or happiness. Unlike them, Paul directs his prayer to the Father. Here we see the relationship between God the Father and His children.

He has already taught the Ephesian believers about the blessing of adoption in Eph. 1:5: 그 기쁘신 뜻대로 우리를 예정하사 예수 그리스도로 말미암아 자기의 아들들이 되게 하셨으니 “he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” Elsewhere, Paul says, 너희가 아들인고로 하나님이 그 아들의 영을 우리 마음 가운데 보내사 아바 아버지라 부르게 하셨느니라. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" (Gal. 4:6). Jews were hesitant to address God as “Father.” They usually addressed God as “Lord.” But here Paul addresses God as “Father,” which conveys the idea of intimacy rather than distance between God and man. The Lord Jesus addressed God as “Father” in prayer. He taught His disciples to address God as “our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9).

Like the Lord Jesus, Paul addresses God as his Father. In so doing, Paul, like a little child, begins his talk with the Father. Prayer is not a profound theological talk with God. Rather, it is a baby talk with his dad. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It may be like a casual, friendly talk with the father. We don’t need to prepare our hearts to talk with our fathers. We freely talk to them and hear them speak to us. We honestly chat with them about our concerns, wishes, dreams, plans, or requests. We talk with them face to face. We don’t need to pretend to be someone else when we converse with them. Our prayer may sound like unintelligible babble. But God is pleased to listen to our baby talk. God gives His whole attention to our prayer talk because we are His beloved children.

God’s fatherly relationship with us assures us that God answers our prayers. The Lord Jesus said: ⁷ 구하라 그러면 너희에게 주실 것이요 찾으라 그러면 찾을 것이요 문을 두드리라 그러면 너희에게 열릴 것이니 ⁸ 구하는 이마다 얻을 것이요 찾는 이가 찾을 것이요 두드리는 이에게 열릴 것이니라 ⁹ 너희 중에 누가 아들이 떡을 달라 하면 돌을 주며 ¹⁰ 생선을 달라 하면 뱀을 줄 사람이 있겠느냐 ¹¹ 너희가 악한 자라도 좋은 것으로 자식에게 줄줄 알거든 하물며 하늘에 계신 너희 아버지께서 구하는 자에게 좋은 것으로 주시지 않겠느냐. ⁷ "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matt. 7:7-11).

In prayer, we are not trying to twist the arm of God to make God grant us our requests. God is happy to meet our needs because He is our heavenly Father who loves and cares for His children. In prayer, we focus on God, not on our conversation with God. Through our talk with God, we get to know the Father and deepen our fellowship with Him. It is a way through which we feel the heart of God and realize the will of God. God is the same Father to the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians as well. Paul directs his prayer for the Ephesian church to the same Father. Paul is concerned about the unity of the church. Calling God the Father reminds them that they belong to the same household of God. 

Prayer is relationship-centered. Our talk with God reveals our relationship with Him. If we have a good relationship with God, our talk with God will be intimate and joyful. However, if we have a bad relationship with God, we may have stopped talking with God. The closer in relationship we are to the Father, the more intimate we are to Him in prayer. Prayer is all about the relationship between God and us. We don’t think about words but about whom we are talking with. Prayer is simply the means through which we experience and connect to God. But many Christians try to pray more and better rather than focus on God in prayer.

Paul E. Miller warns us about our tendency to focus on praying rather than knowing God as follows: "이상하게도 많은 사람들이 기도하는 방법을 배우는 데 어려움을 겪는 이유는 하나님이 아니라 기도 행위에 집중하기 때문입니다. 기도를 중심에 두는 것은 가족 식사 시간에 대화를 중심에 두는 것과 같습니다. 기도할 때 대화에 집중하는 것은 마치 앞 유리를 통하여 보는 것이 아닌 앞 유리 자체만 보면서 운전하는 것과 같습니다. 그것은 우리를 얼어붙게 하여 어디로 가야 할지 확신할 수 없게 만듭니다. 대화는 우리가 서로를 경험하는 수단일 뿐입니다. 따라서 기도는 이 책의 중심이 아닙니다. 하나님 한 분을 알아가는 것이 중심입니다."   “Oddly enough, many people struggle to learn how to pray because they are focusing on praying, not on God. Making prayer the center is like making conversation the center of a family mealtime. In prayer, focusing on the conversation is like trying to drive while looking at the windshield instead of through it. It freezes us, making us unsure of where to go. Conversation is only the vehicle through which we experience one another. Consequently, prayer is not the center of this book. Getting to know a person, God, is the center.”  

            We should always remember this point each time we pray to the Father. God is our Father and we are His children. We have a family talk to get to know the Father. Prayer is a way to develop, deepen, and enrich our relationship with God. Also, prayer resolves our spiritual family issues in the church. When we have conflicts in the family, we may go to our father for arbitration and resolution. Likewise, we must bring our issues to our Father in heaven so that He will resolve them through His Spirit and Word, and through His Son who died on the Cross to reconcile them to God and each other. The Father has the authority, wisdom, and affection for all His children. We must turn to Him first and foremost in prayer. When we turn together to the Father by calling Him “Abba, Father!”, our heavenly Father won’t let us down. He will surely intervene for His glory and our good. So, remember our heavenly Father immediately responds to our prayer talk when we call Him “Abba, Father!”   

둘째, 기도는 하나님께 순복하는 행위입니다. Second, prayer is an act of submission to God. Notice what the physical posture of Paul is. Paul says, “I bend my knees before the Father.” It is quite understandable that Paul bowed his knees before God in light of the religious culture of his time. He wanted to show humility and reverence to the almighty Father who created all things in the universe. In today’s culture, however, kids don’t bow their knees before their dads. Today’s culture idolizes children. But sometimes, kids bend their knees before their fathers when they make a serious blunder. Except for such an occasion, kids don’t bow their knees before their fathers. They grow up without learning to bow their knees before anyone else. They take it as a shame.

Have you ever bowed your knees before anyone? In today’s culture, we have no occasion to bow our knees before someone. Unless we are forced to do so by our enemies, we won’t bow our knees to anyone because we don’t want to be under anyone’s authority. However, it is natural that we bow our knees before the authorities appointed over us, our parents, kings, or bosses, to show our respect to them. We have no kings here in America or Korea. In some countries that still have their kings, people bow their knees before their kings. Here in America, we don’t need to bow our knees before our presidents. Rather, we stand up when they come into the room to show respect for their position. Some saints in the OT stood up and raised their hands toward heaven when they prayed. Other times, they knelt before God in prayer. Their bodily postures reflect their inner attitudes toward God. If you throw your fists toward the sky, you may be seen to challenge God.

Paul here bows his knees before the Father. If he feels so close to the Father, doesn’t he feel comfortable before his heavenly Father and feel free to talk to Him? Certainly, Paul enjoys the blessing of adoption in Christ. He shares everything in his heart with the Father in prayer. He enjoys intimacy with the Father. But this doesn’t mean that Paul is allowed to act lightly before God. Nor does it mean that Paul is allowed to act in whatever ways he feels comfortable. Paul never forgets how great, awesome, and magnificent God the Father is. He senses the awesome presence of God who created all things and rules over all things. Even though he calls Him “Abba, Father,” Paul never acts audaciously in the holy presence of God. So, he bows his knees before the Father.

Then, what does his posture imply? Bowing his knees before the Father, Paul expresses his total submission to the Father. Paul won’t do anything against the holiness and greatness of God. He will act properly even in prayer, considering the character of God. If God is a living Person, we must treat Him properly according to His character. We may enjoy intimacy with Him. At the same time, we must honor His holiness and act properly in light of His holiness. By lowering himself in the presence of God, Paul first recognizes who or what God is. Also, he surrenders himself to the Father and His will. E. Stanley Jones said in his book "성공 신드롬에서 사역을 해방시키기" “Liberating Ministry From the Success Syndrome,” "기도는 항복, 즉 하나님의 뜻에 대한 항복과 그 뜻에 대한 협력입니다. 배에서 갈고리를 던져 육지를 당기면 육지가 나를 끌어당기는가, 아니면 내가 나를 육지로 끌어당기는가? 기도는 하나님을 내 뜻으로 끌어당기는 것이 아니라 내 뜻을 하나님의 뜻에 맞추는 것입니다."  “Prayer is surrender--surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will. If I throw out a boathook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God.” 

As the Lord Jesus surrendered Himself to the redemptive purpose of God in prayer at Gethsemane, Paul surrendered himself to the will of the Father in prayer. Paul is not seeking to make God do his bidding. Rather, he is willing to do God’s bidding or pray according to God’s will for the church. You may pray anytime anywhere. While driving, he can’t bow your knees on the ground. But you can show the same attitude as kneeling before God, such as humility, reverence, and submission. When you are stuck in the hospital bed, you can’t physically bow your knees to pray. But you can humbly come to the presence of the Father and have a dialogue with Him intimately and reverently. I learned from my former pastor to bow my knees before God. I don’t bow my knees to show others how godly or earnest I am. But bowing my knees prepares my heart before God and leads my heart to the presence of God. When I bow my knees in prayer, I feel spiritually comfortable even though I may feel physically uncomfortable. Sometimes, I pray while walking, driving, or working. But my best prayer time is when I come to the Father on my knees. I am ready to pour out all in my heart to Him for His exclusive hearing.

I remember reading a story of Joni Erickson Tada about her desire to bow her knees before Christ. After her diving accident, she became a quadriplegic. She can’t kneel before God. Her Irish tradition is that worshipers bow their knees in prayer. When she watched people kneeling in the presence of God, she missed her religious tradition. She greatly wanted to kneel before the Lord who died for her and rose again from the dead for her. She wanted to express her homage, humility, and submission to the Lord by bowing her knees before Him. Even though she can’t bow her knees now, she longs for a day when she will be made whole at Christ’s return. She longs to bow her knees in the presence of her Lord to glorify and enjoy Him in worship. For her, the hope of resurrection keeps her moving through this pilgrim’s journey to the celestial city.

When do you kneel before God the Father? Do you show your submission to the Father in prayer? Imagine Paul bowed his knees before the Father in his room. He was concerned about the division between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians. He founded the Ephesian church. He bore them through the gospel in Christ. He truly cared about them. He urged them to come together for the unity of the church. He wrote the letter to the Ephesians to explain Christ died on the cross to make them reconciled to God and each other. Now, he knelt on his knees before the Father by himself. The room was quiet. No one was looking at him. Paul was there by himself. But he was not alone there. God the Father was with him there. He was ready to meet with Paul. Paul recognized the presence of the Father in Christ. He focused all his attention on the Father, being ready to tell Him about his heartfelt concerns for the divided church.

Do you see or have some conflicts in the church or the family? What have you done to resolve the issues? The best thing you can do is to bow your knees before the Father. If you have trouble with church leadership or fellow believers, you can bring it to the Father. Also, your church leadership or fellow believers must come to the Father in prayer. Both should look to the same Father in humble prayer. While praying on your knees before the Father, you must learn to be humble, respectful, and submissive to the Father. Never forget both of you are worshiping the same Father. Paul brings the attention of the divisive Ephesian church to God through his intercessory prayer. You may question what Paul could do for the church during his imprisonment. His prayer in imprisonment was his best work for the church. Though he may not be able to do much in imprisonment, he prays for the church, knowing God can do things necessary for the harmony of the church. Alfred Lord Tennyson, a British poet in the 19^th century, said, “이 세상이 꿈꾸는 것보다 더 많은 일들이 기도로 이루어집니다. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” It is because prayer moves the heart and hand of the almighty God.

셋째, 기도는 하나님을 의지하는 행위입니다. Third, prayer is an act of reliance on God. Paul was under house arrest. Paul couldn’t do much to unify the divided Ephesian congregation except to write them a letter in which he told them what he prayed for them. He did his best. But humanly speaking, the divided church wouldn’t come together in harmony. Each member of the church may have had different opinions or solutions on the division in the church. They may not have been willing to compromise with the other party. We often hear many modern churches being divided over petty issues. But we do not hear about them being reconciled to each other in Christ. Divisions in the church are plenty, but reconciliation is rare. Here we realize how hard people can come together in harmony. What can we do? We should turn our attention from our issues to God. Prayer helps us do that. Prayer is an act of reliance on God.

When we are at the end of our wits, we must bow our knees before the Father. Abraham Lincoln said, "저는 더 이상 갈 곳이 없다는 압도적인 확신에 여러 번 무릎을 꿇었습니다.제 자신의 지혜도, 저에 관한 모든 지혜도 그 날에는 충분하지 않은 것 같았습니다." “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me seemed insufficient for the day.” Kneeling on your knees, you can’t do anything helpful. But you can move the heart and hand of the almighty Father through your prayers. Your reliance on God is never in vain. It brings you to your sovereign Father. 

When Paul began to bow his knees before the Father, he called the attention of the Sovereign Creator to the issue of the Ephesian church. The phrase “heaven and earth” refers to all things in the universe. One’s naming someone or something refers to one’s ownership or rulership. Certainly, God created all things. All things are under His sovereign control. Though everything seems to be out of control in the world today, it is still under God’s absolute control. This means that God has the power to answer our prayers. If things happen by chance, we are resting our prayer on the power of chance. But if things happen by God’s sovereign decrees, we are basing our prayer on the power of God’s love.

            Paul expresses his assurance of God’s providential goodness and love as follows: 우리가 알거니와 하나님을 사랑하는 자 곧 그 뜻대로 부르심을 입은 자들에게는 모든 것이 합력하여 선을 이루느니라. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28); ³⁴ 누가 정죄하리요 죽으실 뿐아니라 다시 살아나신 이는 그리스도 예수시니 그는 하나님 우편에 계신 자요 우리를 위하여 간구하시는 자시니라 ³⁵ 누가 우리를 그리스도의 사랑에서 끊으리요 환난이나 곤고나 핍박이나 기근이나 적신이나 위험이나 칼이랴 ³⁶ 기록된 바 우리가 종일 주를 위하여 죽임을 당케 되며 도살할 양 같이 여김을 받았나이다 함과 같으니라 ³⁷ 그러나 이 모든 일에 우리를 사랑하시는 이로 말미암아 우리가 넉넉히 이기느니라. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-- more than that, who was raised-- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:34-37).

            Convinced of Christ’s powerful love, Paul bowed his knees before the sovereign Father. His prayer reveals his unwavering faith in the power of God’s love. His prayer stands on the power of Christ’s love. He calls his readers to do the same. One of his requests here in his prayer is that the Ephesian believers would be filled with the love of Christ, which we shall discuss later. Your prayer life reveals the state of your faith. Paul showed his firm faith in the sovereign Father who planned His redemption, accomplished it through His Son Jesus Christ, and has applied it to His people through the Holy Spirit. He rested his prayer for the Ephesian congregation on the power of Christ’s love.

Indeed, Paul was a man of faith. He was a faithful gospel minister. He carried out his gospel ministry by relying on God in prayer. His prayer was an act of acknowledgment that all things depended on God. Indeed, the unity of the church, for which each of us should work together with others, ultimately relies on the power, wisdom, and goodness of the triune God. As we approach the throne of grace through Christ, we must rest our prayer on the power of God’s love. We must begin our prayer with who God is. This doesn’t mean we should always start our prayer with the theological statements of God’s character. But it is always helpful to focus on God. Reminding ourselves of who God is, what He has done for us in Christ, and what He is doing for us through the Holy Spirit, we may encourage ourselves to continue praying and make our praying life abundant.     

Instead of asking “Do you pray?”, I must ask whether you believe in the almighty power of Christ’s love. If you don’t feel Christ loves you, you may not believe in the efficacy of prayer. Or if you have unanswered prayers, you may question the validity of Christ’s love. At any rate, Christ never changes; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). If you believe in Christ for your salvation, then you must believe in Christ for everything in life. This means you must come to the Father with utter reliance on the power of His loving character. If your faith in Christ works properly, you will be a man or woman of prayer. Prayer is a matter of faith. Prayer is a matter of your relationship with God. Then, do you believe in the providential goodness and love of God?

Jeremiah said, 나 여호와가 말하노라 너희를 향한 나의 생각은 내가 아나니 재앙이 아니라 곧 평안이요 너희 장래에 소망을 주려하는 생각이라. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11). The challenges for our personal lives or church often seem overwhelming. Let me introduce a book written by Scott Morrison, Australia’s 30^th Prime Minister (2018-2022). The title is "당신의 유익을 위한 계획:하나님의 신실하심에 대한 총리의 간증." “Plans for Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness.” In this book, he said, “모든 것에 대해 하나님을 신뢰할 수 없다면 그 어떤 것에 대하여도 하나님을 신뢰할 수 없습니다." “If you can’t trust God with everything, you can’t trust Him with anything.” He challenges us to trust God with everything because God is always good.

He says of the importance of our faith in God as follows: 우리의 믿음은 취미, 의견, 자판기 같은 것이 아닙니다. 그것은 우리의 정치가 아닙니다. 우리의 믿음은 철학도, 세상을 바라보는 방식도, 심지어 우리가 설명하려고 하는 방식도 아닙니다. 이보다 훨씬 더 개인적인 것입니다. 우리의 믿음은 생명 그 자체이며, 예수 그리스도의 복음에 대한 믿음의 활성화를 통해 우리는 하나님의 영원한 은혜(값없는 은혜)에 접근할 수 있게 되었습니다. 이를 통해 우리는 이전에는 불가능했던 하나님과의 영원하고 사랑스러운 인격적 관계를 맺을 수 있게 되었습니다. 이는 예수 그리스도의 십자가 희생과 죽음에서 부활하심으로 가능하게 되었습니다. 이 관계에서 우리는 용서받고, 우리의 정체성이 확보되고, 우리의 목적이 확립되고, 두려움과 불안이 그분의 능력과 평강에 압도되고, 그분의 무한한 사랑이 우리의 슬픔을 감당하고 우리를 지탱해 줍니다. 이것이 제가 간증할 수 있는 경험입니다. “Our faith is not a pastime, an opinion, a vending machine. It is not our politics. Our faith is not a philosophy, a way of looking at the world, or even how we try to explain it. It is much more personal than this. Our faith is life itself, and it is through the activation of our faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ that we have gained access to the everlasting grace (unmerited favor) of God. This has brought us into an eternal and loving personal relationship with God that was previously impossible. This was made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. In this relationship, we are forgiven; our identity is secured; our purpose is established; our fears and anxieties are overwhelmed by His power and peace; His inexhaustible love bears our sorrow and sustains us. That is the experience I can testify to.”

What can you tell about your faith in Christ? Is it personal and practical in your relationship with God? Is it working properly? Does it benefit you spiritually? Paul’s bowing his knees before the sovereign Father was an act of his reliance on Him. Your prayer life reveals the condition of your faith. Please, turn your attention to the God of love in Christ now!

II.             속사람이 강건해 지도록 기도하세요.

Pray for your inner person to be strong.

III.           그리스도께서 마음에 거하도록 기도하세요.

Pray for Christ to dwell in your heart.

IV.           그리스도의 사랑으로 충만해지도록 기도하세요.

Pray to be filled with the love of Christ.

V.             하나님의 영광을 위하여 기도하세요.  

Pray for the glory of God.

Conclusion: A woman went to Andrew Murray with the problem of feeling she couldn't pray. He said, "그렇다면 이렇게 해 보지 않으시겠습니까?  골방으로 들어가서, 아무리 마음이 차갑고 어두워도 억지로 올바른 태도를 취하려고 애쓰지 마세요. 그분 앞에 엎드리고, 그분께서 당신의 슬픈 마음을 보시고 당신의 유일한 희망은 그분 안에 있다고 말씀하세요. 어린아이와 같은 신뢰로 그분이 자비를 베풀어 주실 것을 믿고 그분을 기다리십시오. 그러한 신뢰 속에서 당신은 그분과 올바른 관계에 있는 것입니다. 당신에게는 아무것도 없지만 하나님께는 모든 것이 있습니다." "Why then, do you not try this? As you go to your inner chamber, however cold and dark your heart may be, do not try in your own might to force yourself into the right attitude. Bow before Him, and tell Him that He sees in what a sad state you are, and that your only hope is in Him. Trust Him, with a childlike trust, to have mercy upon you, and wait upon Him. In such a trust you are in a right relationship to Him. You have nothing -- He has everything." The woman later told Murray that his advice had helped her. She discovered that her trust in Christ's love for her could help her pray, even when prayer did not come easily. 

When we don’t feel like praying, we must trust in the power of God’s love. We must commit ourselves to the hand of our sovereign Father for all things. We are called to work together for the unity of the church. How can we fulfill our calling? It begins with our prayer for the church. The cross of Christ demonstrates God’s love, wisdom, and power. We must look up to Christ who died on the cross and rose again from the dead for us. Now, He intercedes for us in heaven. Let’s remember this truth. Let’s pray to our sovereign Father for the church because He answers more than we ask or think. Let me leave you with the following text: Paul says elsewhere, ⁶ 아무 것도 염려하지 말고 오직 모든 일에 기도와 간구로, 너희 구할 것을 감사함으로 하나님께 아뢰라 ⁷ 그리하면 모든 지각에 뛰어난 하나님의 평강이 그리스도 예수 안에서 너희 마음과 생각을 지키시리라. ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7). Let’s bow our heads in prayer!

Benediction: ²⁰ 우리 가운데서 역사하시는 능력대로 우리의 온갖 구하는 것이나 생각하는 것에 더 넘치도록 능히 하실 이에게 ²¹ 교회 안에서와 그리스도 예수 안에서 영광이 대대로 영원 무궁하기를 원하노라 아멘. ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)