Preparation with Hope

Colossians 4:2-4Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.  40 Day Prayer: praying for family, church and country 3 Themes Purification-through repentancePerseverance by faithPreparation with hope  Why Hope? God's Presence God's sovereignty God's Guidance  How do we prepare? Prayer! "Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies." The essence of prayer is a seeking of God’s presence and power."Devote yourselves to prayer."Acts 1:14, "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer."Acts 2:42, "[The early church] were continually devoting themselves to . . . prayer."Acts 6:4, the apostles said they would devote themselves "to prayer and to the ministry of the word."Romans 12:12, "Rejoice in hope, persevere in tribulation, be devoted to prayer."Ephesians 6:18, "Pray at all times in the Spirit . . . with all perseverance." Praying for Passion, Protection and Production...1. Passion for the gospelRomans 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel,because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes:first to the Jew,then to the Gentile. 2. Protection over God's people Ephesians 6:18 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.3. Production of Kingdom Ministry And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.As we pray, let us prepare for 1. Breakthroughs2. Gospel ministry 3. Revival