Pray for the church-5

⁹ 여호와여 주는 온 땅 위에 지존하시고 모든 신 위에 초월하시니이다 ¹⁰ 여호와를 사랑하는 너희여 악을 미워하라 저가 그 성도의 영혼을 보전하사 악인의 손에서 건지시느니라 ¹¹ 의인을 위하여 빛을 뿌리고 마음이 정직한 자를 위하여 기쁨을 뿌렸도다 ¹² 의인이여 너희는 여호와로 인하여 기뻐하며 그 거룩한 기념에 감사할찌어다. ⁹ For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. ¹⁰ O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. ¹¹ Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. ¹² Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! (Ps. 97:9-12 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: People in general have wishes and desires for a better life. They desire to have enough wealth and health. They wish to live a long and happy life. But the problem is they can’t secure it no matter how hard they wish. So, they try to beg an absolute being or gods to help them fulfill their wishes. Prayer for such things is universal in the hearts of people. Religious conmen utilize such a human tendency to control people and make money. For example, a religious conman named “Gyeong-Young Heo” in Korea tells people he is a God-Man, like Jesus Christ. He claims to be the Messiah. He teaches his followers to call his name “Gyeong-Young Heo” repeatedly, which will bring them health, wealth, longevity, power, etc. I believe he adopted it from a Christian sect in which people are taught to use the name of Jesus like a magic wand so that they could receive what they want from God. They repeat the name of Jesus and tie it with their wishes in their prayers. They concentrate all their hearts on calling the name of Jesus to get their wishes answered by God. Their prayers sound like meaningless and mindless gibberish.

This is not what Jesus teaches us about Christian prayer. He warns us not to pray like Gentiles and teaches us to rely on all-knowing Father: ⁷ 또 기도할 때에 이방인과 같이 중언부언하지 말라 저희는 말을 많이 하여야 들으실 줄 생각하느니라 ⁸ 그러므로 저희를 본받지 말라 구하기 전에 너희에게 있어야 할 것을 하나님 너희 아버지께서 아시느니라. ⁷ "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matt. 6:7-8). Do you heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles or do you bring your requests to your omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Father? I still remember having heard of an elder who kept saying, “Diabetes, diabetes, diabetes” in his prayer. Someone heard of his meaningless, repetitive prayer in the church’s Friday night prayer meeting. Did this elder ask God to heal his diabetes? Why didn’t he ask God to do that instead of keeping on saying “diabetes…?” He could have articulated his petition instead of heaping up empty phrases.

What about you? How do you pray? Do you pray to your sovereign Father on your knees? Do you have a dialogue with God? Do you articulate your requests to God like Paul does in vv. 14-19? How do you open and close your prayer? Your prayer should reflect what you believe about God, reveal what you need from God, and rely on who God is. Biblical prayer is God-centered rather than man-centered. Paul concludes his prayer with doxology in which he expresses his gratitude, confidence, and hope. He closes his prayer with a song that brings glory to God. His doxology teaches us what the final goal of prayer is and how we may close our prayer. So far, we have been studying this single proposition: “Because God answers more than we ask, we must pray to our sovereign Father for the church.” Under this proposition, we have covered the four points: 1) pray to the sovereign Father, 2) pray for your inner person to be strong, 3) pray for Christ to dwell in your heart, and 4) pray to be filled with the love of Christ. Today, I will close the series of sermons on prayer for the church by discussing the final point, which is “pray for the glory of God.”

I.               주권자 아버지께 기도하세요.

Pray to the Sovereign Father.

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.

The Shorter Catechism no. 1 is “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is “It is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Every Christian, who knows the Bible, knows the ultimate purpose of man. Though people live for their own pleasures and glories, we Christians at least confess we are saved from the bondage of sin and death so that we may glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This encompassing and supreme purpose covers every aspect and area of our lives. There could be different ways to glorify God and enjoy Him. One of the ways is to praise and thank God for all things. Indeed, we were created to give praises to God. The prophet Isaiah said, 이 백성은 내가 나를 위하여 지었나니 나의 찬송을 부르게 하려 함이니라. the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise (Isa. 43:21). When we praise and thank God, we bring glory to God and enjoy Him.

Of course, Paul lived and died for the glory of God by preaching the gospel to Jews and Gentiles. He was willing to live and die for the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When he wrote the letter to the Ephesians, he was under house arrest in Rome. He was concerned about spiritual well-being of the Ephesian congregation, which suffered conflicts and divisions between the Jewish Christian group and the Gentile Christian group. As he penned the letter, Paul had his spiritual sons and daughters in mind and expressed his heartfelt desires to God through prayer for them. We have studied Paul’s prayer recorded in Eph. 3:14-21. He opened his prayer by mentioning who God is, that is, “the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named” (vv. 14-15). His threefold requests for the Ephesian congregation are their inner persons may be strengthened with power, Christ may make a permanent abode in their souls, and they may be filled with the love of Christ.

As a result of all these requests, they may be filled with the totality of who God is, that is, the presence and moral character of God. The goal of our requests should be God. In other words, we are able to be filled with the presence of God. We live in the presence of God, with the power of God, and for the glory of God. As we see in his prayer in vv. 14-21, Pauls’ theology of prayer is God-centered, Christ-centered. Notice how Paul concludes his long prayer; Paul closes his prayer with a song of glory for God. Paul himself must have been filled with the presence and love of God in his heart. He must have been filled with the fullness of God. With the fullness of God in his heart, Paul bursts into a song of praise whereby he ascribes power, thanksgiving, and glory to God. Paul’s doxology shows us a proper way of concluding our prayer. This doesn’t mean doxology is the only way of closing any prayer. But it is a certainly biblical way to close our prayer. Furthermore, doxology shows us the final goal of prayer is the glorification of God.

Then, what does Paul say in his doxology? Let’s look into the content of Paul’s doxology. In v. 20, Paul depicts God as the One who is able to answer all our prayers. Certainly, God is omnipotent. This is what Paul has believed about God. All that he has asked in vv. 15-19 is not beyond God’s sovereign power. God is surely able to answer them not only because Paul’s threefold request is in line with God’s will but also God is capable of answering them. Paul expresses his confidence in God’s power: “God is able to do far more abundantly than we ask or think.” If God were not able to answer Paul’s prayer, Paul would be most miserable. All his prayers would be futile and meaningless. It seems Paul deliberately fills his mind with the God of omnipotence. Paul’s statement about God, “God is able to do far more abundantly than we ask or think,” reveals God knows all things, can do things, and will answer our prayers.

Do you believe such a God and offer your prayers to Him? Without believing God is able to answer our prayers, we may feel still anxious and fretful. Our minds may be confused. Our hearts may be restless. However, if we are confident in God’s power and goodness, we can be assured of God’s answer to our prayers. Do you believe about God? Do you affirm the power of God’s love and goodness for yourself? Do you stand firm in God’s almighty power? We need to be assured of God’s almighty power when we prayer. Our faith in God’s power and goodness is to lead us pray on our knees. The Lord Jesus reminds us of God’s tender care and love so that we would not be worried about our necessities. God meets all our needs by grace. We can rest in this truth.

Listen to what the Lord Jesus still says to us: ²⁹ 참새 두 마리가 한 앗사리온 에 팔리는 것이 아니냐 그러나 너희 아버지께서 허락지 아니하시면 그 하나라도 땅에 떨어지지 아니하리라 ³⁰ 너희에게는 머리털까지 다 세신 바 되었나니 ³¹ 두려워하지 말라 너희는 많은 참새보다 귀하니라. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows (Matt. 10:29-31). Does anyone of you count the number of hairs on your head? Hairs are everywhere. They are on your head and on your skin. Hair makes up your eyebrows and eyelashes. It grows in your ears and nose. The only places hair doesn’t grow are on the palms of your hands, the bottoms of your feet, and your lips. Hair isn’t just for looks. It has a purpose.

The hairs on your head help keep you warm. Eyelashes keep dust and dirt out of your eyes. Eyebrows help keep the sweat and rain away. And those nose and ear hairs help keep germs, pollen, and other bits of stuff out of your body. Hair grows out of a special organ under your skin called a follicle. The average person has 100,000 follicles on the head — and more than 5 million on the entire body. That’s a lot of hair! And God knows each and every hair in each and every follicle! You might not be able to count them all, but He can. The Bible tells you so. When you’re going through a tough time, especially if it’s a long, tough time, you may start to feel that God has forgotten you. But that’s not true. God could never forget you. Jesus said God knows what happens to every tiny bird in His world. And He loves you a lot more than any bird! When tough times come, God doesn’t forget you, and you’re not alone. God is always with you, even though you may not see it. Remember, the God who knows every hair on your head also knows exactly how to take care of you.

With this biblical knowledge, we can turn worry into prayer, saying, “Lord, You know everything happening in life. You count even the number of hairs on my head. So, I’ll always trust you to do what’s best for me.” What truths on God motivate you to pray and encourage you to trust God for all things? Is it the truth God is the Shepherd, Refuge, Fortress, or Rock? Is it the truth God is the Father, Divine Warrior, Provider, or Protector? Is it the truth God is the Savior, Helper, or Refiner? The Bible is filled with the truths about who God is and what He does for His people. You have to grasp such truths in your prayer, encouraging yourself to fight doubt, confusion, discouragement, or distress. You have to saturate yourself with biblical knowledge of God so that you can pray with assurance of divine answer. If you are not sure whether God is powerful enough to know your current problems and help you out of them, you won’t pray. However, faith based on the knowledge of God leads you to pray and anticipate God’s answer. It ultimately leads you to sing a song of glory to God.

What are you praying for these days? What truths on God do you grasp in your prayer? God answers all our prayers according to the power at work within us. God knows what we need even before we ask or think. When we think about our needs or utter them to God in prayer, God is able to answer them more abundantly. God is at work within us through the Holy Spirit. This is what Paul has believed. He was confident that God would answer his prayer, affirming God’s power and goodness. Since Paul placed his confidence in God’s unchangeable attributes such as God’s omnipotence and God’s goodness, he was able to sing praises to God in the conclusion of his prayer. He didn’t question whether God was willing to answer his prayer or not. Nor did he question whether God was good and powerful enough to answer his prayer.

Paul believed God was not only good but also powerful to answer his prayer. His faith in God led him to praise God by attributing glory to God. The doxology in vv. 20-21 is not only a climax of Paul’s prayer in the immediate context, but also a climax of Paul’s discussion of the blessing of salvation in Christ, salvation by grace alone, Christ’s reconciling work as the basis of reciliation with God and one another in the church, the gospel ministers and their calling, and Paul’s prayer in the first three chapters. Before he turns to the application of the gospel of Christ in the church discussed in Chapters 4-6, Paul concludes the first three chapters with doxology.

This is his typical way of writing his letters. In his letters, Paul sometimes bursts into doxology in which he ascribes glory, honor, or thanksgiving to God. Or he concludes his letters with benediction, which is doxology. Let me quote some of them here: 만세의 왕 곧 썩지 아니하고 보이지 아니하고 홀로 하나이신 하나님께 존귀와 영광이 세세토록 있어지이다 아멘. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Tim. 1:17). In the immediate context, Paul shares his testimony in which he tells others how God has saved from persecuting the church and made him the preacher of the gospel. Paul attributes his salvation to God’s rich mercy. Then, he sings a song of glory to God, ascribing honor and glory to the King of the image, immortal, invisible, the only God. Paul’s doxology reveals how he was filled with God through the Holy Spirit. Paul was a man consecrated to God to fulfill God’s purpose. He was ready to sing praises to God even while he was writing his letters to others.

Another example is found in the conclusion of Romans: ²⁵ 나의 복음과 예수 그리스도를 전파함은 영세전부터 감취었다가 ²⁶ 이제는 나타내신 바 되었으며 영원하신 하나님의 명을 좇아 선지자들의 글로 말미암아 모든 민족으로 믿어 순종케 하시려고 알게 하신 바 그 비밀의 계시를 좇아 된 것이니 이 복음으로 너희를 능히 견고케 하실 ²⁷ 지혜로우신 하나님께 예수 그리스도로 말미암아 영광이 세세무궁토록 있을찌어다 아멘. Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages ²⁶ but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith-- ²⁷ to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen (Rom. 16:25-27).

Having discussed what the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Christ is all about and how it should be applied in the church, Paul concludes his epistle to the Romans with doxology. Paul certainly knew God deserved all the glory, credit, and honor. His doxology was a way of not only glorifying God but also affirming his convictions based on who God is and what He does. It is a praise of glory for God. By ascribing glory to God in a hymnic language, Paul cemented his confidence in Christ and fixed his attention to his glorious God. Also, he called the attention of his readers to the God of glory, power, and love. In so doing, he attempted to establish the church of Christ on who God is and what He does.   

We may find something similar in lament psalms in the Old Testament. The psalmist starts off his psalm by lament or complaint about his current plight and suffering. He honestly expresses his complaint about God’s seeming absence or non-involvement in the midst of his painful circumstances such as his enemies attacking him and slandering him or his physical diseases or spiritual distress. As he goes through the process of his spiritual struggles, he triumphs over them by faith. He expresses his confidence in God’s future intervention and vows to praise God for His answer. The psalmist comes out of his suffering and praises God in the midst of his suffering with confidence in God’s gracious attributes.

Let me show you the psalmist’s conclusion of his prayer with vow to praise. David concludes his lament psalm with confidence in God and vow to praise: ⁵ 나는 오직 주의 인자하심을 의뢰하였사오니 내 마음은 주의 구원을 기뻐하리이다 ⁶ 내가 여호와를 찬송하리니 이는 나를 후대하심이로다. ⁵ But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. ⁶ I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me (Ps. 13:5-6). Let me give you another example: ²⁷ 나의 의를 즐거워하는 자로 기꺼이 부르고 즐겁게 하시며 그 종의 형통을 기뻐하시는 여호와는 광대하시다 하는 말을 저희로 항상 하게 하소서 ²⁸ 나의 혀가 주의 의를 말하며 종일토록 주를 찬송하리이다. ²⁷ Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, "Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!" ²⁸ Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long (Ps. 35:27-28). David expresses his desire for God to be praised in his conclusion. A song of praise or vow to praise is a proper way of ending a psalm.

A distressed psalmist encourages his soul to hope in God while vowing to praise God, the God of salvation: 내 영혼아 네가 어찌하여 낙망하며 어찌하여 내 속에서 불안하여 하는고 너는 하나님을 바라라 나는 내 얼굴을 도우시는 내 하나님을 오히려 찬송하리로다. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God (Ps. 42:11). Again, the conclusion of a prayer or song should be a song of glory for God, which encourages our souls and helps us concentrate on who God is and what He does for us. In this way, we encourage ourselves to stand strong in God by faith. This is a biblical way for us to remind ourselves of God’s power, goodness, and glory. Suffering shakes our faith and throws it into doubt. But prayer makes our faith endure our suffering. A doxology at the end of prayer places in our souls confidence in God, anticipation of God’s answer, and desire to glorify God.  

Let me ask you this question, “How do you close your prayer? With what statement do you close your prayer?” Most of us will close it with “in the name of Jesus Christ!” We rest our prayers in the meritorious work of Jesus Christ. But we can learn something from Paul’s doxology, which is the climax of his prayer in vv. 14-21. First, all our prayers should lead us to bring glory to God. Through all our prayers, we should desire to see God’s will be done, God’s kingdom be expanded, and God’s name be known to the whole world. All our prayers should be a means whereby God would be known as a true and only God in the entire universe. But we often forget this point, attempting to twist God’s wrist to get what we want. When God answers our prayers, we want to see God be glorified and exalted. Even before we see God’s answer coming, we should sing praises to God by assuring ourselves of God’s power, goodness, and faithful love.  

The great German composer Bach was known for giving glory to God in all that he did. In fact, during his lifetime, he was not much known for anything else. Most people think of Johann Sebastian Bach as a classical musician, but as historian Mark Galli notes, "그는 우연히 키보드를 다루게 된 신학자였습니다." “he was a theologian who just happened to work with a keyboard.” Bach was orphaned by age ten, and bounced around until finally, at the age of thirty-eight, he settled down in Leipzig. It was there that he served as musical director and choirmaster of Saint Thomas’s church and school. These were not necessarily happy years because the town council regularly criticized him for stubbornly clinging to obsolete forms of music. Ironically, it was in this setting that Bach created his most enduring works. Although he is remembered for classical music, nearly three-fourths of his one thousand compositions were written for worship. On each score he would write “S.D.G.” It stood for Soli Deo Gloria, Latin for, “To God alone be the glory.”

During his lifetime he labored for poor wages and little recognition. After his death, some of his music was sold and some was reportedly used to wrap garbage. It would be another eighty years before the world would come to know Bach, because it was not until 1829 that Felix Mendelssohn, the great German composer, arranged a performance of Bach’s, The Passion of Saint Matthew. During a lifetime of relative obscurity that was punctuated by ongoing criticism, Johann Sebastian Bach lived for the glory of God. Let your prayer life be to the glory of God! Paul says, 그런즉 너희가 먹든지 마시든지 무엇을 하든지 다 하나님의 영광을 위하여 하라. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).

Second, we may close our prayer with confidence in God’s power and goodness. He describes God as the One who is able to do more abundantly than we ask or think. We learn at least two things about God from Paul’s description of God. First, it is God’s power. It is good power at work within us in Christ through the Holy Spirit. It is not destructive power, but God’s power to answer our prayers. Second, it is God’s goodness. He does much more than we ask or even think. We may utter our prayers and have them in our hearts. Even those unuttered prayers are in God’s view, which suggests the idea of God’s fatherly care and love. Paul has this in mind as he concludes his prayer with doxology. What do you mention at the end of your prayer? It is always good to mention God’s attributes at the end of your prayer. The Lord’s Prayer ends with “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen” (Matt. 6:14-KJV).

If you close your prayer with doubt rather than confidence in God’s power and goodness, you will not succeed in your prayer life. Even though you pray much, you will not grow spiritually. You may still walk in spiritual confusion and lethargy. You need to encourage your faith in God. You need to close your prayer with confidence in God’s attributes such as love, grace, power, mercy, good, or faithfulness. David closes his famous Psalm 23 with the following statement: 나의 평생에 선하심과 인자하심이 정녕 나를 따르리니 내가 여호와의 집에 영원히 거하리로다. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever (23:6). David in another psalm highlights his psalm with the following statement of faith: 하나님이 한두 번 하신 말씀을 내가 들었나니 권능은 하나님께 속하였다 하셨도다 ¹² 주여 인자함도 주께 속하였사오니 주께서 각 사람이 행한 대로 갚으심이니이다. ¹¹ Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, ¹² and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work (Ps. 62:11-12).

Our confidence in who God is leads us to praise and thank Him. We can surely say with the psalmist: ²⁸ 주는 나의 하나님이시라 내가 주께 감사하리이다 주는 나의 하나님이시라 내가 주를 높이리이다 ²⁹ 여호와께 감사하라 그는 선하시며 그 인자하심이 영원함이로다. ²⁸ You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. ²⁹ Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (Ps. 118:28-29). With confidence in God and vow to praise Him, we can confidently close our prayer with faith in God’s power and goodness. We can’t increase our faith on our own. But we can let God’s truth increase our faith in God. Who God is and what He does for us is the fodder of our faith. We must rest our faith in the truths on God. Therefore, remember to close your prayer with confident faith in biblical truths on God’s attributes even though you may start off your prayer with lament and complaint. Don’t forget to close your prayer with a song of faith, gratitude, and glory to God.

Third, we may close our prayer with anticipation of God’s answer. Paul expresses his confident expectation in God’s answer by mentioning God’s power and goodness. His doxology reveals his hope in God’s answer. The kingdom of God is everlasting. His power is infinite. And His glory fills the whole world. While confessing all this truth, we identify ourselves as citizens of God’s kingdom who live under His power. God is both the transcendent One and the Father being always with us. For this reason, we can anticipate God’s answer as we close our prayer. Many psalms describe the outpourings of pain and sorrow of the psalmists to God. They are their lament toward God. The psalmists commit their sufferings to God through the process of their prayer. Having the confidence in God’s answer, they praise God at the conclusion of their lament. It is because God is both good and omnipotent. Meeting all our needs, God displays His power and glory. Our response of faith to this is to ascribe kingdom, power, and glory to God.  

Fourth, we may close our prayer with the perspective of God’s eternity. Paul ascribes glory to the everlasting God. Though he has asked God to meet his needs on earth, Paul directs his perspective to the God of eternity. The focus of his faith is not on the things of this world, but on Christ and His church. He was not confined to this passing world, but to the everlasting kingdom of God. So, he ascribes glory to God. He wishes God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. God’s glory is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. His church is a manifestation of God’s glory in Christ. Such glory is revealed in Christ and His Bride throughout eternity.

Even though we pray, God is the Hero of our prayer. God is at the beginning, middle, and ending of prayer. It is God who answers our prayer. Indeed, God is at the culmination of our prayer. The conclusion of Paul’s prayer shows that we must close our prayer by turning all glory to God because He is our eternal king of glory. Relinquishing his vengeance to God, David states at the end of his psalm this way: “Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long” (Ps. 35:28). At the end of our prayer, we are to acknowledge, anticipate, and praise God who hears, works, and answers. Ascribing God’s attributes to God is our confession and declaration of faith. It is our longing for a God-glorifying life. It should be at the conclusion of all our prayers.  

Exiled at Patmos, the apostle John saw the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders ascribing glory, power, and honor to God in worship (Rev. 4:9-11): ⁹ 그 생물들이 영광과 존귀와 감사를 보좌에 앉으사 세세토록 사시는 이에게 돌릴 때에 ¹⁰ 이십 사 장로들이 보좌에 앉으신 이 앞에 엎드려 세세토록 사시는 이에게 경배하고 자기의 면류관을 보좌 앞에 던지며 가로되

 ¹¹ 우리 주 하나님이여 영광과 존귀와 능력을 받으시는 것이 합당하오니 주께서 만물을 지으신지라 만물이 주의 뜻대로 있었고 또 지으심을 받았나이다 하더라. ⁹ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ¹¹ "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." Enumerating the attributes of God and attributing them to God are acts of praise. It is an act of worship that we ascribe glory, honor, and gratitude to God at the conclusion of prayer. Don’t forget to make your prayer an act of worship by sing a song of thanksgiving and glory to God.          

Conclusion: Paul knew God answers our prayers. So, he sang a song of glory in which he exalted the God of power and goodness. God is good and powerful enough to know all that we need. Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire, told the following story. "A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. 하나님, 오늘 뜨거운 물병을 보내주세요.내일은 너무 늦을 거예요. 그때는 아기가 이미 죽었을 테니까요. 그리고 주님, 여동생이 외롭지 않도록 인형을 보내주세요.' 'Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won't feel so lonely.' That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, '하나님이 저걸 보냈다면 분명 인형도 보냈을 거예요!'그리고 그 아이의 말이 맞았습니다!하늘에 계신 아버지께서는 그 아이의 간절한 요청을 미리 아셨고, 5개월 전에 여성 그룹을 이끌고 그 두 가지 특정 기사를 포함하도록 하셨어요."'If God sent that, I'm sure He also sent a doll!' And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child's sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies' group to include both of those specific articles."

This is a story that illustrates God answers our prayers. Surely, God is able to do abundantly more than all we ask or think. We know all our prayers may not end up like this story. However, we must submit or commit ourselves to the hand of our sovereign Father for all things we struggle in life. We are called to work and pray together for the unity of the church. How can we fulfill our calling? It begins with our prayer for the church. As William Barclay said, we must remember the following in prayer: 1. 우리를 위해 최선을 원하시는 하나님의 사랑. 2. 우리에게 가장 좋은 것이 무엇인지 아시는 하나님의 지혜. 3. 그것을 성취하실 수 있는 하나님의 능력.1. The love of God that wants the best for us. 2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us. 3. The power of God that can accomplish it. We find God’s love, wisdom, and power in the cross of Christ. The cross of Christ demonstrates God’s love, wisdom, and power. For this reason, we must look up to Christ who died for us 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)