Sermons

The Letter to the Hebrews Pray For Us Hebrews 13:18-19 Imagine that you have been away from home on business for a few months, and now you are scheduling your flight home. You are excited about seeing your wife and children and friends. You are hoping to fly home in the next day or two, but when you go online the soonest flight available is 10 days away. What would you do? You could check with other airlines. You could see if you could fly standby. But in addition to steps like that -- would you pray and ask God to provide an earlier flight? And not only that – would you ask others to pray and ask God for an earlier flight? This morning I believe God wants to stir us up so we ask others to pray for us. I would guess that many of us don’t do this. Maybe we don’t believe God answers prayer. Maybe we don’t think our concerns are important enough. Maybe we don’t want to be a bother. But this morning I believe God wants to stir our hearts with the importance of asking others to pray for us – because that’s what our next verses in the book of Hebrews talk about. Let’s turn to Hebrews 13:18-19. If you need a Bible go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring a Bible to you. Hebrews 13:18 is on page 1010 in the Bibles we are passing out. In the first part of chapter 13 the author covered specific areas in which his readers need help. In v.1 he urges them to stir up affection for each other. In v.2 he encourages them to show hospitality to each other. In v.3 he calls them to visit each other when in prison. In v.4 he urges them to walk in sexual purity. And in vv.5-6 he calls them to not love money. In vv.7-16 he tells them what to do when their hearts grow weak. In v.17 he talks about how to relate to church leaders. But now, starting with v.18, he moves into some closing, more personal, remarks. So look at what he says in vv.18-19 -- 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. So what is he asking them to do? It’s right there in the first three words of v.18 – “pray for us.” So the apostle who wrote this letter is asking his readers to pray for him and those who are with him. But what exactly is prayer? Prayer is not directing positive thoughts towards people or situations. Prayer is not emptying your mind of thoughts. Prayer is not repeating spiritual words and hoping they do something. No. Prayer means talking to God. God is there – and prayer means talking to him. But as soon as we think about talking to God, deep down inside we know there’s a problem. We’ve sinned against God. We’ve ignored God. So how can I talk to him? Many of you already know the answer to that. But some of you may not. And this is the best news in the world. The reason is because 2,000 years ago God sent Jesus, his only Son, who was fully God, to become a man. And Jesus died on the Cross to pay the punishment we deserve for our sins. And so the moment we turn from whatever else we’ve been trusting to satisfy us, and trust Jesus Christ to forgive us, change us, direct us, and satisfy us – at that moment all our sins are forgiven past, present, and future. And when we pray to God the Father, relying on Jesus’ death to forgive us, the Father loves to hear us. So that’s what it means to pray. And when you kneel down by your bed, or sit at your kitchen table, and talk to God the Father, through Jesus the Son – God hears you. He’s smiling. He’s glad you are talking to him. He’s leaning forward to listens to every word. And here the author of Hebrews is asking his readers to pray for him. He’s asking them to take time to talk to God the Father, in Jesus’ name – and to pray for him. But that’s not all he says in v.18. He also gives them a reason to pray for him. So what reason does he give for why they should pray for him? To see that, read v.18 again – 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. So the reason the readers should pray for the author and those with him, is because the author and those with him have a clear conscience and desire to act honorably in all things. That does not mean they were perfect. But it does mean that in the light of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit – they were not stubbornly holding on to any sin. They were not perfect, but they were fighting their sin, and when they stumbled they were confessing their sin. And it means their longing was to please Christ and honor him. So he says – pray for us – because we have a clear conscience and desire to honor the Lord in everything. But how is that a reason for why his readers should pray for them? I thought about this a long time. I read a bunch of commentators. And I’m not sure of the answer. But some commentators pointed out how, in v.18, he says he wants to be restored to them. That shows that he had left them and been away, probably on some missionary journey. And now he’s planning on coming back. • So maybe some were questioning why he had been away so long – and he wants to assure them that he has missed them and longs to return. • Maybe some were bringing other criticisms against him – and he wants to assure them that there are no grounds for criticism. • Maybe he’s just saying that because they are earnestly following Christ, his readers should want to pray for them. I’m not sure. If any of you have any other thoughts, let me know. But let’s move on to the next question, which is -- What exactly is he asking them to pray for? You can see that in v.19, but read vv.18 and 19 together – 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. So he wants them to pray that he can be restored to them sooner. Like I said, that word “restored” probably shows that he is away temporarily, and longs to return to them. He’s away from home. His home is with them. And he wants to come home and be restored to them. But notice that he does not just want to be restored. He wants to be restored to them sooner. So something is in the way of him returning sooner. Maybe he’s been church planting, but has no money to return yet, and has to work to save money for the return trip. We don’t know the details. But something is in the way of him returning sooner. So he wants them to pray that he can get home sooner. And notice that he’s not just asking them to do this. He’s earnestly asking them to do this. Read v.19 again -- 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. So he’s not just saying – Pray for me to return sooner. He’s saying this earnestly – Please, please, I’m earnestly asking you, pray for me to return sooner! But why does he earnestly ask them to pray for a sooner return? He’s an apostle. He’s writing Scripture. Why couldn’t he himself just pray and ask God to have him return sooner? Why ask his readers to pray and ask God to have him return sooner? To see the reason, read v.19 again -- 19 I urge you the more earnestly to do this [here’s why] in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. So the reason he asks them to pray is because he knows that if they pray, that could possibly move God’s heart to grant him a sooner return than if he just prayed on his own. Here’s how this works. When you pray for something in Jesus’ name – God’s heart is stirred. He loves having you ask him to do things. And his8heart is stirred to do either exactly what you are asking for – or something even better – which you probably would not have had had you not asked. But God has chosen to have his heart be even more stirred when more people pray about something. Maybe when you pray by yourself – that brings a hundred megaton stirring of God’s heart. But when you ask others to pray and they also pray – that brings it up to 115 megatons. And there’s lots of reasons God has chosen to have his heart be even more stirred when more pray. One reason is because it builds loving relationships – which strengthens us and gives him glory. Another reason is because it encourages us – because we see God working in powerful ways. For example, imagine that you were one of the readers of this letter, and after receiving it, and hearing that the author was earnestly asking you to pray for a speedy return, you started praying for his speedy return. You devoted time to praying for this, you joined others in praying for this, you labored in prayer for this. And then imagine how you would feel when, a month later, the author of this letter returns. And he says – listen to what God did. The reason I could not return sooner was because I had to work to get the money for the travel expenses. And that was going to take another six months. But after I sent the letter, and you started praying, someone donated all the money I needed – so here I am! Think of how encouraged you would feel – knowing that you have been praying – and God had answered. So – when you pray for something by yourself – God’s heart is powerfully stirred – maybe a hundred megaton’s worth. And when you ask others to join you in prayer – that brings it up to 115 megatons. That’s why Paul so regularly asks people to pray for him. Listen to these verses – ESV Colossians 4:3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word … ESV Ephesians 6:19 and also [pray] for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel … ESV Romans 15:30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ESV Philippians 1:19 … for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance … ESV 2 Corinthians 1:11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. The reason Paul asked people to pray for him, was because as much as God’s heart was stirred when Paul himself prayed, he knew that God’s heart was even more stirred when others joined him and prayed. That’s why the author asks others to pray for him, and why we should ask others to pray for us. Questions? So what does this mean for us? I believe that this morning God is urging us to ask others to pray for us. Do you ask others to pray for you? If you would like to get home from your business trip sooner, would you ask your home group to pray? If you are struggling to enjoy God’s Word, would you ask your husband to pray for you? If you are watching too much TV, would you ask your brothers to pray for you? If you are in danger of losing an account at work, would you ask your wife to pray for you? And think about the prayer we offer at the end of every service. Every Sunday we have people from a different home group who come up front and are ready to pray with and for you. So – have you ever come up and asked for prayer? You should! It would be so encouraging for them, it would build such love and community, and it will move God’s heart even more to work. Let’s learn from Martin Luther. He was in a castle all by himself, struggling spiritually. And look at what he wrote to his good friend Philip Melanchthon -- “I sit here at ease, hardened and unfeeling — alas! praying little, grieving little for the Church of God, burning rather in the fierce fires of my untamed flesh. “It comes to this: I should be afire in the spirit; in reality I am afire in the flesh, with lust, laziness, idleness, sleepiness. “It is perhaps because you have all ceased praying for me that God has turned away from me … “For the past eight days I have written nothing, nor prayed nor studied, partly from self-indulgence, partly from another vexatious handicap … “I really cannot stand it any longer … Pray for me, I beg you, for in my seclusion here I am submerged in sins.” So – be like Martin Luther. Ask others to pray for you. Be like Paul – ask others to pray for you. Be like the author of Hebrews -- ask others to pray for you. Because as much as God’s heart is stirred when you pray, his heart is even more stirred when others join you and pray.