Ephesians 6:19-20 - "Pray for Me"

“And for me, that utterance may be given to me,that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains;that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” As we look at thesetwo verses, Paul is now asking for prayer for himself. What’s striking is whathe does not ask for. He does not ask for release from prison. He does not askfor comfort, healing, or even safety. Instead, he asks the church at Ephesus topray that God would grant him boldness to speak the gospel of Jesus Christ. Wemust remember that Ephesians is one of the four Prison Epistles. The others arePhilippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Paul is in prison in Rome when he writesthese letters. To be a prisoner in Rome was no small matter. It was not apleasant place. No doubt he was suffering greatly—experiencing hardship, pain,and difficulties we can scarcely imagine. Yet Paul does not say, “Oh, pray thatI get out.” He says, “Pray that I have boldness. Pray that I have the grace ofGod to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ.” Inanother Prison Epistle, Philippians 1:12–14, Paul writes: “But I want you to know,brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for thefurtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palaceguard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of thebrethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more boldto speak the word without fear.”  Paul issaying that his testimony in chains has encouraged others. The guards know heis imprisoned for Christ. Fellow believers have grown more confident. They arespeaking the Word without fear because they see his faithfulness. Afew years ago, Iread the book, “The Insanity of God” by Nik Ripken. In it, he recountsinterviews with persecuted believers in places like China and Russia. Thosesuffering saints did not ask him to pray for relief from persecution, torture,or hardship. They asked him, “Pray that we will be faithful.” On oneoccasion, they even said, “Persecution is good for us. It purifies the church.”We are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ wherever we are. Today,I am asking for special prayer for a dear friend of mine. Just this week, hewas forcibly taken from his refugee work in a war-torn country and placed onthe front lines of conflict. He is 55 years old—a precious friend, someone withwhom I have shared mission trips and many meaningful times of ministry. Thiswas not something he was prepared to face. Yet he is not asking for prayer forrelease. We have not heard from his family that he is saying, “Pray that I getout.” Instead, they are asking us to pray for grace and for wisdom. He wouldwant us to, like Paul, to pray for boldness—to be a faithful witness whereverhe finds himself right now. Please,I’m asking you to pray for him. I cannot share his name or more details at thistime, but please pray for my friend. He is in a special place of need, and heis asking for boldness to be a witness where he is. Of course, we can also praythat he will be brought home safely to his family who are here in America.Please do pray for him. Aswe reflect on these passages of Scripture, we are reminded that prayer producesboldness. I thank God for the prayers that have been offered for me as apastor, as a believer, and during mission trips. I can sense those prayers.They make a tremendous difference. Prayer overcomes distance. Prayer dispelsfear. Prayer strengthens boldness. Myfriend, we must also remember that our spiritual leaders are special targets ofSatan. That is why we must pray for our missionaries, pray for our pastors, andpray for spiritual leaders across America. May God grant them grace to befaithful to the Lord for all they must face. Maythe Lord bless you as you think on these things. And as Paul says—"prayfor me”. Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.