Striving Together in Prayer (April 2025 at First OPC)
Paul's Prayer Request
Near the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul shared some of his ministry plans, including his hope to visit Rome on the way a new missionary venture in Spain. The Christians at Rome would have the privilege not only of meeting Paul, but also of helping him in this new missionary venture.
No doubt, Paul was looking forward to meeting these people and reconnecting with old friends like Rufus (Romans 16:13). Certainly, he would benefit from their practical care and support. But the only specific help he asked for was their prayer:
I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf. (Romans 15:30)
Prayer as Fellowship
Every week in the creed, we speak of "the communion of the saints." A very important part of that communion is "striving together" in prayer. We do not worship on our own, evangelize on our own, parent on our own, make wise decisions on our own, or grow in holiness on our own. We pray for each other (as we have promised in our membership vows) and together we pray for others and for the advance of Christ's kingdom.
Undoubtedly, this is hard work. It is a kind of "striving." That is probably why it is easier to invite people to the church picnic than to the church prayer meeting. But hard work is worthwhile if it is done for Christ, and that includes the hard work of prayer.
Prayer as Worship
Prayer is an act of worship, in which we offer to God desires that honor him. Paul's wording shows a careful balance: our prayers must be "on behalf" of people, but first they should be "to God." When we pray about daily concerns, our overarching desire is that God will be glorified in matters big and small. We seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and trust that all these other things will be added to us.
Christian prayer is a reflection of the triune God. Paul asks for prayer in the name of "our Lord Jesus Christ." He appeals to "the love of the Spirit." And he reminds us that our prayers are "to God." Enjoying and proclaiming the glory of the triune God is our great purpose in life and ministry, and that is why prayer ought to be a major part of all that we do.
Our Prayer Request
As a member or friend of First OPC Sunnyvale, would you "strive together with us in your prayers to God on our behalf"?
- That God will use our preaching to bring unbelievers to saving faith and believers to Christian maturity.
- That God will give us zeal and diligence to use our spiritual gifts to build up the church in love.
- That God will grant faithfulness, humility, unity, and good health to our pastors, elders, and deacon.
- That God will give us vision to see the ministry needs and opportunities around us right now, and ahead of us in the future.
An Invitation
Speaking of prayer for missionaries, you are invited to our presbytery's foreign missions conference on Saturday April 11, 10am-3pm. The conference will be hosted by our friends at New Covenant OPC in South San Francisco. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Charles Jackson, who recently retired from missionary ministry in Uganda. There is no cost to attend, but please register online so that we know you're coming. Lunch will be provided.