CHURCH PLANT FOUNDATIONS: PRAYING GOD'S WILL (PART I):

As we move towards planting a new church on Sunday nights for Wahroonga and the neighbouring communities, we do so mindful that we are dependant on God for all that is ahead of us.  Given that, what should we be praying?

Our next series of blogs are designed to lay at the foundation of this new church a wholehearted commitment to pray and to pray according to God's will.  The next 6 blogs will unpack Ephesians 3.14-21 and outline 6 aspects of being a church that prays God's will.

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you 

with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 

18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, 

to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 

19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, 

according to his power that is at work within us, 

21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus 

throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

1 - Praying God's will means prayer that acknowledges our position before God

The first thing to notice from the prayer in Ephesians 3 is that this prayer reminds us of our position before God. It’s there in the opening line:

                  For this reason, I kneel before the Father (14)

The Christian person knows God as Father – Creator yes, Judge yes, and also, intimately as Father.

Through faith in God’s son, we are adopted in and stand with the status of Christ himself as a member of God’s family.

The Christian never moves beyond this basic truth. God is the Father and we are the children.

So we come to him on our knees, not demanding that he give us this or that, but humbly, calling on our generous, loving father to bless us.

As we meet to pray for our church plant, let’s remember God’s position as far above us, but as our loving Father.