Epaphras Prays Podcast

You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2

We’ve contended from our beginning that the Church is mostly powerless because it is mostly prayerless. And so, what happens when the people of God do not pray is, well…very little.

At least, little from the Lord. because as E. M. Bounds writes, prayer brings God into the situation. So then, not praying does the opposite, it leaves Him out of it. And that leaves us handling it all on our own, in our limited wisdom, strength, ability, and resources.

How’s that working out for us?

The Scriptures are full of stories that give us insights and examples of those who prayed, then acted. Let’s mention a couple.

A nameless servant of Abraham was sent to find a wife for his son. In Genesis 24, we read that he was sent on a mission to the country and kindred of Abraham. As evening approached, he made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town at the time when the women went out to draw water. Then he prayed:

“O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

This servant must have known the assignment needed the Lord’s involvement, His blessing, His guiding hand. His seeking favor and help show us he recognizes his dependence on the Almighty, and is an example of how we also should go on our missions: with prayer leading the way.

What happened? Verse 15: “Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder.” The servants prayer got God involved.

Another is Nehemiah. He was in service to the King of Susa, but had a problem. When he heard that the walls of his beloved Jerusalem were broken down and the gates burned, he wept. And, he says, “I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”

Then he said:

“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion with those who love Him and keep His commandments, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites.

I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have behaved corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that You gave Your servant Moses.

Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to Me and keep and practice My commandments, then even if your exiles have been banished to the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name.

They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed them by Your great power and mighty hand. O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

In chapter two, we read that the king ask Nehemiah why his face was sad and what was his request. After it was told the king, we read in verse 8: “And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.”

And why was the hand of God upon Nehemiah? Perhaps, at least in part, because he prayed, and brought God into the situation.

We should study these prayers for keys to our own praying, like praise, humility, confession, specific requests, putting God in remembrance, etc. But, let us take special note that they prayed, then acted, and Heavenly Father blessed it.

You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed. Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan.

— Paul Bunyan

Thanks for reading Epaphras Prays! If this post is helpful to you, please subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

Until next time, grace and peace…

When we pray, we can pray for the good of those in government – for their health, safety and for wisdom. We pray most especially salvation for those who do not know the Lord, and we pray even for those who would be opposed to the people of God.

We are instructed in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 to pray for all who are in authority in today’s PrayerPodcast.

Prayers to Spread The Gospel

There is upon us an extraordinary godlessness across the land. Many have forgotten God, or denied Him or even defied Him! While there are many who still profess a faith in God and an attendance in a church, those numbers dwindle each year, for a great many in our nation their love for Jesus has grown cold.

For a great many others, they perhaps have never heard the Gospel preached. They have only heard about the Gospel, or about Jesus from someone who has also heard from someone. But they don’t know the Truth of the Gospel for themselves.

What we most need is the Gospel—whether one is saved or not. If saved, we need to hear it again, and again, to remind us that we are sinners in need of Jesus. If we are not saved, we need to hear the good news perhaps for the first time, or to hear it proclaimed correctly.

This Memorial Day weekend, let’s join in praying for the Word of God to spread across the land, for open doors for the Word to increase and result in new believers in Jesus.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run [swiftly] and be glorified, just as [it is] with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. [2Th 3:1-2 NKJV]

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; 3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, [Col 4:2-3 NKJV]

For a great and effective door has opened to me, and [there are] many adversaries. [1Co 16:9 NKJV]

Furthermore, when I came to Troas to [preach] Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, [2Co 2:12 NKJV]

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. Acts 6:7…But the word of God grew and multiplied. Acts 12:24…So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. Acts 19:20

Pray the unconverted would have ears to hear the message of the Gospel and repent, believe the Gospel and be delivered from the power of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of His Son. Colossians 1:13

Pray too, that the Lord to send a revival to even those who regularly attend church and would consider themselves followers of Jesus. May our hearts be revived into Him and stirred up anew to fervent prayers for the Church.

Thanks for reading Epaphras Prays! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

Pray For The People Of God From The Word Of God

Here are four passages we are praying from this week:

* Thursday - Psalm 2

* Friday - Psalm 67

* Saturday - Psalm 80

* Sunday - Psalm 85

Will you join us in praying these verses, and ask one person to join you?

Until Monday, grace and peace

From Prayer 8 of C. H. Spurgeon’s Pulpit Prayers

We adore Thee because Thou art holy and we love Thee for Thine infinite perfection. For now, we sigh and cry after holiness ourselves. Sanctify us wholly, spirit, soul, and body. Lord, we mourn over the sins of our past life and our present shortcomings. We bless Thee Thou hast forgiven us. We are reconciled to Thee by the death of Thy Son. There are many who know that they have been washed and that He that beareth away sin has borne their sin away. These are they who now cry to Thee to be delivered from the power of sin, to be delivered from the power of temptation without, but especially from indwelling sin within.

Listen as we pray along with Spurgeon, this prayer for holiness…

Praying for the People of God from the Word of God

Proverbs 25:4, 5, 14 - Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you art the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. ... The secret of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

O Lord, make us, teach us, and lead us, in Your ways, paths and truth. For Your ways are right and good, pure and true; all Your ways are holy, as You are holy. Teach us as we wait upon You, and make known to us the divine everlasting covenant. Amen

Thanks for reading Epaphras Prays! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

Photo by Carlos Andres Gomez on Unsplash

For a second time we listen to the transcribed prayers from the Prince of Preachers—Charles Hadden Spurgeon, from the volume of Pulpit Prayers. This recording is of Prayer 4 – The All-Prevailing Plea.

Note: The audio version has been lightly edited for the more current use of You in place of Thee, etc.

Pray For The People Of God From The Word Of God

Here are four passages we are praying from (one passage per day):

* Thursday - Ephesians 3:14-19

* Friday - Ephesians 6:10-17

* Saturday - 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

* Sunday - 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Will you join me in praying these verses, and ask one person to join you?

Until Monday, grace and peace

Today is the National Day of Prayer, now designated as the first Thursday in May each year. Long before, came the presidential proclamation, which we reaffirm here:

Proclamation 97—Appointing a Day of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer

By the President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln

A Proclamation.

Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.

By the President: Abraham LincolnWilliam H. Seward, Secretary of State.

Praying for our Nations Government

The Apostle Paul instructed that we pray for our governmental leaders, why? So that we may have peace, godliness and dignity. As believers we ought to pray regularly for the government, for even a casual glance across the land shows that we do not have this peace, godliness, nor dignity.

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim 2:1-4

Here are 7 prayers for our earthly government; and asking for the Lord's kingdom here.

Prayers of the Founding Fathers

From our nations founding, we the people have offered prayers for her and for those in government. It is also true that our founding fathers offered prayers. Today we recite two from George Washington and one from Thomas Jefferson in the PrayerPodcast

Pray For The People Of God From The Word Of God

These are prayers for revival in the church:

* Thursday - Acts 6:7- Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

* Friday - Acts 12:24- But the word of God grew and multiplied.

* Saturday - Acts 14:27 - they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

* Sunday - Acts 19:20- So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

In the last lesson we learned from Andrew Murray that loving obedience to the Father is key to receiving the good gifts in answer to prayer. This child-like living is best seen in the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, in that the child of God is one who is meek, pursuing righteousness, giving, forgiving, praying, being salt and light, and who not only say, Lord, Lord, but do the will of my Father which is in heaven.

But to many of us this can be a bit daunting. Are we to first be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, before asking or being given the good gifts? Asks Murray, will not such teaching discourage the feeble one? If we are first to answer to this portrait of a child, must not many give up all hope of answers to prayer?

And he answers: The difficulty is removed if we think again of the blessed name of father and child…The Lord does not demand of us a perfect fulfillment of the law; no, but only the childlike and whole-hearted surrender to live as a child with Him in obedience and truth. Nothing more. But also, nothing less. The Father must have the whole heart. When this is given, and He sees the child with honest purpose and steady will seeking in everything to be and live as a child, then our prayer will count with Him as the prayer of a child.

In the names of father and child he has the pledge that his petitions will be granted. He would have us see that the secret of effectual prayer is: to have the heart filled with the Father-love of God. It is not enough for us to know that God is a Father: He would have us take time to come under the full impression of what that name implies.

Certainly, even the best of earthly fathers are at best poor examples, but we can imagine the care, the tenderness and the love a good father should have, and the manner in which he listens to and grants each request.

Then, says Murray, as we think in adoring worship of the infinite Love and Fatherliness of God, consider with how much more tenderness and joy He sees us come to Him, and gives us what we ask aright. This Divine arithmetic is beyond our comprehension, but He would have us come and open our heart for the Holy Spirit to shed abroad God's Father-love there.

Let us do this not only when we want to pray, but let us yield heart and life to dwell in that love. The child who only wants to know the love of the father when he has something to ask, will be disappointed. But he who lets God be Father always and in everything, who would fain live his whole life in the Father's presence and love, who allows God in all the greatness of His love to be a Father to him, oh! he will experience most gloriously that a life in God's infinite Fatherliness and continual answers to prayer are inseparable.

Beloved fellow-disciple! we begin to see what the reason is that we know so little of daily answers to prayer, and what the chief lesson is which the Lord has for us in His school.

It is all in the name of Father. Jesus tells us the first is the highest lesson; we must learn to say well, Abba, Father!' Our Father which art in heaven.' He that can say this, has the key to all prayer.

Murray concludes: In all the compassion with which a father listens to his weak or sickly child, in all the joy with which he hears his stammering child, in all the gentle patience with which he bears with a thoughtless child, we must, as in so many mirrors, study the heart of our Father, until every prayer be borne upward on the faith of this Divine word: How much more shall your heavenly Father give good gifts to them that ask Him.'

Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with the glad heart of a good father. Either because your own father was stern, distant, or just absent. Perhaps you are this way with your own children. Too many haven’t had a loving relationship with an earthly father and thus are unable to see the good, glad-heart of our heavenly Father. In the podcast, we give voice to what Andrew Murray included in his lesson, From Thoughts on Holiness, by Mark Guy Pearse, in hopes that it helps teach us all that God loves us not because we are clever, not because we are good, but because He is our Father.

Pray For The People Of God From The Word Of God

Here are four passages we are praying from (one passage per day):

* Thursday - Acts 1:8

* Friday - 1 Thessalonians 1:5

* Saturday - Ephesians 6:18

* Sunday - 2 Thessalonians 1:11, 12

Will you join me in praying these verses, and ask one person to join you?

Until Monday, grace and peace

Edited and formatted from With Christ in the School of Prayer By Andrew Murray, SIXTH LESSON, pp 30-35, Fleming H. Revell - Public Domain - NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO - Fleming H. Revell Company Publishers of Evangelical Literature.

Photo by Juliane Liebermann on Unsplash

Today we present a prayer in podcast form. Of course, none of C.H. Surgeons’ sermons, nor his prayers were recorded in audio form, but they were preserved in written form. Please pray along with us as we “hear” Prayer 1-Help from on High, by Spurgeon as humbly voiced by the Voice of Epaphras.

From C. H. Spurgeon’s Pulpit Prayers in the Introduction by Dinsdale T. Young:

It was memorable to hear this incomparable divine when he preached. It was often even more memorable to hear him pray. Dr. John Cairns, the golden-mouthed preacher and scholar, much as he rejoiced in C. H. Spurgeon’s sermons, rejoiced yet more in his prayers. Many can bear a similar witness. Who talked with God as Spurgeon did? His congregational prayers—and I heard many—are always echoing in my grateful heart. They are sweet and luminous in the memory, as angel-presences. Never did I hear him pray without adoringly saying, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.”

Praying the Word of God on behalf of the People of God

* Mon- Matthew 26:40, 41 - to watch and pray

* Tue - Mark 4:14-20 - the Word to be sown

* Wed - Luke 11:9-10 - to Ask, Seek, Knock

Will you join me in praying these verses, and ask one person to join you?

Until Thursday, grace and peace

We have prayed now 30 times in the PrayerPodcastfor our nations government, leaders and those in authority who serve we the people. We pray finally from Psalm 67-

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us.

Let us bow and remind the Lord of our petitions from brief prayers and ask the Lord to bless us and keep us, to make His face shine upon us and be gracious to us, the Lord lift up His countenance to us and give us peace (Numbers 6:24-26)

Prayer and God's Word

God’s church is called “a house of prayer”, which ought to show us the significance of praying as a church; and so then the Word of God — the Bible, could rightly be called the Book of Prayers. This is the great theme and message content to the people of God.

The Scriptures are the basis and the directory of our prayers of faith. As such, it should dwell in us richly, and as it does, it issues forth in praying. As Jesus says: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you will, and it will be done for you.”

The Word of God is the fulcrum upon which the lever of prayer is placed and by which things are mightily moved. (E.M. Bounds)

His Word is the basis, foundation, the inspiration, and guide for all our asking. From it we ask for His promises - from the Promiser, that is God Himself. So we ask in faith from the Word of God, in submission to the God of the Word.

For us to pray God’s will in prayer, we must be filled with God’s Word. We will continue this study later, but for now Bounds reminds us of Epaphras, how he prayed that the Colossians might stand “perfect and complete in all the will of God.” This is proof positive that, not only may we know the will of God, but that we may know all the will of God. And not only that, but we may do all the will of God, not sometimes or by impulse, but with a settled habit of conduct. Still further it shows us that we may do it not only externally, but from the heart, doing it cheerfully and without reluctance, nor drawing or holding back from the intimate presence of the Lord.

When we pray, let us use the Scriptures as our Guide and Manual

Pray For The People Of God From The Word Of God

Here are four passages we are praying from this week:

* Thu - Colossians 1:9

* Fri - James 1:5

* Sat - James 3:17

* Sun - Matthew 7:8

Will you join me in praying these verses, and ask one person to join you?

Until Monday, grace and peace

From our nations founding, we the people have offered prayers for her and for those in government. It is also true that our founding fathers offered prayers.

It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible. Thomas Jefferson

Today in our PrayerPodcast we continue to pray for our government, that it may be good and godly, and recite several prayers from our earliest days. Note the prominence of thanksgiving.

Prayer Insights … from E.M. Bounds and the Puritans

“Thanksgiving is oral, positive, active. It is the giving out of something to God. Thanksgiving comes out into the open. Gratitude is secret, silent, negative, passive, not showing its being till expressed in praise and thanksgiving. Gratitude is felt in the heart. Thanksgiving is the expression of that inward feeling.”― E.M. Bounds, The Complete Collection of E. M. Bounds on Prayer

The necessity of our giving thanks cannot be overemphasized. We ought express gratitude with others when some act of blessing has been performed, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. When we have received a favor, we owe a debt. How much favor have we received from our Lord!

Are we properly expressing our appreciation for these? Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one returned to him with thanksgiving. How many others can we find in the Gospels who were so blessed with healing and forgiveness that failed to express gratitude? Prayers of thanksgiving to God should be daily, even throughout the day.

Wherever there is true prayer, there thanksgiving and gratitude stand hard by ready to respond to the answer when it comes. E.M. Bounds

The Apostle Paul was thankful… I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 1Co 1:4 NKJV

When we pray with thanksgiving, Philippians 4:6-7 teaches us that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ. Focus on God first and what he has done for us.

And the Lord has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3-14). He has sent his only Son who took our place that we might repent and believe in him. He has given us his Word, his Holy Spirit, He has saved us, and made us His own, and will return for us.

(For additional insights on gratitude, see our earlier post)

A Prayer of Thanksgiving and Praise

O My God,Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,my heart admires, adores, loves thee,for my little vessel is as full as it can be,and I would pour out all that fullness before theein ceaseless flow.When I think upon and converse with theeten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,crowding into every moment of happiness.I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,for adorning it, sanctifying it,though it is fixed in barren soil;for the body thou has given me,for preserving its strength and vigor,for providing sense to enjoy delights,for the ease and freedom of my limbs,for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,for a full table and overflowing cup,for appetite, taste, sweetness,for social joys of relatives and friends,for ability to serve others,for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,for a mind to care for my fellow-men,for opportunities of spreading happiness around,for loved ones in the joys of heaven,for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.I love thee above the powers of language to express,for what thou art to thy creatures.Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

We are thankful for you and may the Lord bless you this Thanksgiving Day

Pray For The People Of God From The Word Of God

Here are four passages we are praying from this week:

* Thu - Psalm 50:14

* Fri - Psalm 69:30

* Sat - Psalm 95:2

* Sun - Psalm 100

Will you join me in praying these verses, and ask one person to join you?

Until Monday, grace and peace