… that God may open a door for our message… for which I am in chains.
Summary: Paul’s prayer request is both an example for us and something to ponder.
One of the things I marvel at is that unlike Peter, James, John, and others, Jesus didn’t bother to leave any written instructions for us.
Instead, the life of Jesus is recorded by four men. Only Matthew and John knew Jesus personally. Mark’s Gospel is based on second-hand information as is Luke’s. What sets Luke’s Gospel apart is that Luke was a highly educated man trained in critical thinking.
Luke went on to write the “Acts of the Apostles,” more commonly known as “Acts.” This document lays out a historical account of the early church, including Paul’s conversion and his later ministries.
So what does this tell us?
Unlike other people, Jesus didn’t draw attention to himself. Instead, he consistently pointed to God the Father (John 5:19).
Instead of trying to persuade people with his ideas, Jesus changed people’s lives because of who he is and what he did.
Mark’s Gospel was not written because Mark was a writer who needed a subject for a new book. Matthew didn’t write his Gospel because he needed a hobby after working as a tax collector all day (Matthew 9:9, 10:3). Luke was a writer and a historian who apparently began his writings on a commission from a man named Theophilus (Luke 1:1-4). John couldn’t help but write his Gospel, yet judging from his later letters (1st, 2nd, and 3rd John) writing did not come naturally to him.
Why do I mention all of this?
It is God himself who wrote the Bible (2 Timothy 3:15-17). That he used people to transcribe his message into the written word doesn’t take away from that fact. The people he used to bring the Gospel to us are themselves a testimony of God’s power to change lives.
Let me say that again:
The people he used to bring the Gospel to us are themselves a testimony of God’s power to change lives.
The change in Paul’s life is dramatic. Raised to be a Pharisee, devoted to tracking down early Christians and condemning them to prison, Paul was a model of self-righteousness.
Jesus stopped him in his tracks and turned his life around.
Now, years later, older and almost worn out from trekking all over the known world to share the Gospel with everyone he meets, Paul is sitting in prison, chained like a dog.
What does he ask for in his prayer request?
Does he want to be freed? Is he asking for legal help? Does he pray for revenge on those who have thrown him in jail?
No.
He wants prayer for God to give him another opportunity to tell about Jesus Christ.
That is what knowing Jesus does to you.
Application: Get to know Jesus better.
Food for Thought: If you were in chains for the Gospel, what would be your prayer request?
Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments.
Interesting question brother.
If I were in chains, I fear that my request would be to be set free, or for justice, or vindication, for the well being of my family and church family. Not all of these are bad, but I am afraid that perhaps my request would show a soft faith compared to the Apostle Paul and those who are being persecuted throughout the globe. My fear is that my prayer emphasis would be for my personal comfort and relief from pain, without seeking God’s goals.
My hope is that I would also pray for perseverance and to be a testimony to those who were my captors. That I would fearlessly proclaim the gospel in word and action. That I would glorify Christ. My prayer is that I would be strong and rely on His strength rather than my own.
While I hope not to have to find out, it is a possibility. So what I pray and do now shows me how I might pray and act then. I don’t have to wait for imprisonment to improve my prayer life.
Brother Rich,
I hope you never have to find out, too! Yet, the purpose of these meditations is to stimulate different perspectives on God’s Word. Hopefully, looking at Paul’s words today is enriching. By that I mean that the meditation brings us closer to the joy of knowing Christ that Paul experienced rather than any self-recrimination.
Well said, R. I find myself, after honest self examination, in the same boat. I often hate to admit the truth…I’m weak. I need to rely on God who knows and can amazingly use me in my weakness to promote the gospel message.
Hi JEC!
Nice to hear from you!
I suspect that the “boat” you find yourself in is rather crowded. 🙂
For sure
This is a very thought-provoking meditation this morning, and I have to say that the vulnerability spoken in the comments really pierced my heart. I had similar thoughts when I read the question, and to hear that others fear and feel similar to me is a strange comfort, the honesty of the testimony makes me feel gratitude for my brothers and for Christ who strengthens us.
The mediation and question sent me down a little rabbit hole looking at Paul’s times of imprisonment.
In Acts 16, Paul was imprisoned for healing a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. In verse 25 of Acts 16 it says “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” God’s response to their praise was an earthquake that opened the prison doors and broke all the prisoners chains. From that event would be the conversion of the jailer and his family, and the founding of the Church in Phillipa. It is a bit mind-boggling to think that if Paul and Silas had simply just gone to sleep, or wallowed in self-pity, or cried out for a personal need, it may have changed the course of events. It also shows me that God’s response to mankind’s humble, faith-filled, joyful praise is powerful intervention that demonstrates and leads to His Glory.
So, I think if we ever find ourselves in a prison, whether it be a prison of bars or a prison of circumstance, we should pray for a voice of praise if we find ourselves without one. Maybe God is preparing us for something here today?
If you were in chains for the Gospel, what would be your prayer request?
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Colossians 1:16
We are each a creation of God who in His foreknowledge knows our individual names, the number of hairs on our head, our every single thought and choice we will make during our time confined to these physical bodies. The entire purpose for His plan is for all His created beings to be given an opportunity to have full knowledge of every “personal choice” we make during the time we are on earth. These will all be revealed to each and will be the foundation of our Final Judgement.
All those choosing to live in submission to Gods will over their own, must come to understand this is to be a way of life. We do not have any voice in the circumstances of our lives which have been preordained by God as we live lives knowing we will never face more than we can overcome.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. Isaiah 61:1
The strength to continue life in His will over my own, comes from our God and as I face all circumstances in His will, allow His power to give me the strength to overcome what appears to be impossible, I like David will overcome my Goliath, and rise, continue my life in Him as He takes my child.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalms 24:1
My prayer is He will be the sovereign power in me, to overcome all the obstacles I face when events are clearly beyond my power to receive and effectively deal with. I must be prepared to willingly submit to His power, His judgement over my own when my human heart does not immediately agree with the circumstances I face.