Pray For Me Also

“Pray for me also, that I may be given the right words when I begin to speak—that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:19-20 NET

Paul is showing us the power of prayer when we take it seriously and its impact on others when we pray effectively. God can inspire us to pray for others to receive exactly what they need to empower and help others excel in their faith. When we pray for others, we pray for their boldness and confidence to speak the truth in love as Paul did, or whatever the need is that the recipient of our prayers may be empowered to overcome what is before them with the power of Christ.

Always remember that it's about Christ empowering us to become more like Him, and as we pray for others, we are bringing them along with us as we grow. I mentioned in an earlier post that personal contact with others is not necessary to pray for someone to be effective, it's about reaching out with our portion of Christ to empower another brother or sister in the faith so that their portion of Christ may also be increased to accomplish their mission in Christ by fully utilizing the gift that has been given to them in Christ.

Our mission has two main aspects: to become more like Christ and to see Him fully formed in others. In Christ's body, each of us has a role, such as speaking, prophesying, teaching, serving, leading, giving generously, showing mercy, or any other gift as detailed by Paul in Romans 12:6-8. When we pray, we are appealing to the heart of Jesus, which fills us with joy knowing that He not only knows and loves us, but He hears us, especially when we reach out to others. It's important to remember that we are all His children, and it brings Him great joy when we support each other in our unique and differing roles.

Paul recognizes that in his own effort he doesn’t have the strength to bring the full weight of the gospel to become what it needs to be in his life, unless empowered by other believers who are praying for him in the Spirit to be given the right words to speak for each instance. Paul was literally an ambassador in chains being in jail just for being a Christian in a Romans society that did not value Christianity but saw it as a threat to be vanquished. Paul bore much suffering for the sake of Christ in prison, and among unbelieving Jews, but he saw this treatment as an opportunity that the sufferings of Christ may be fulfilled in him.

I don’t mean to be harping on Paul’s sufferings, but it was his sufferings that brought him closer to the purpose that Christ called him, that Christ’s power may rest fully upon him and give him the revelations necessary to empower others. Paul was a revelatory individual because he saw Christ in all that he did, Jesus had captured his heart on a road to Damascus and wouldn’t let him go, just as it is with us, Jesus comes to us and captures our heart with His amazing love and never let’s us go either. It is only when we let that knowledge become clouded by the cares of this world that we lose sight of who we actually are in Christ.

We are all connected as believers in Christ, and we all rely on each other to become advocates for one another, just as Christ advocates for us before the Father. Like Paul, we are also in chains, but our chains are not visible as his were. Our 'chains of love' symbolize the strong bond created by our love for Jesus because of His love for us, uniting us to Him in personal and profound ways.

One thought I have is that as Paul was an ambassador; similarly, we represent Christ as ambassadors and serve as reflections of Him for others to see. As ambassadors, our role is not to confront or be aggressive towards others; rather, we are called to embody the love of Jesus and to be open and empathetic listeners, seeking to understand and meet the needs of others and offer support.

Paul's request for prayers is not a sign of weakness, but a testament to him recognizing the power of collective prayer. He understands that without the inspiration of the Spirit of Jesus, he lacks the necessary empowerment to speak boldly. This understanding should fill us with hope and empower us to pray for each other, and to boldly share the message of Christ with others, just as Paul did. We are not alone in this effort, but united in our prayers to see beyond the natural and embrace the spiritual, sensing the power of God.

I love that Paul was not too arrogant or prideful to ask for prayer. It is still humility that drives him. Even though he was elevated to such a high status among the early church, he chose the lower position as a servant to reach others, much like how Jesus became a servant for us, emptying Himself of all Deity and becoming a servant to demonstrate to us the power of His kingdom for others..

Stephen Barnett