… 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?
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