II. HIS PROPRIETY IN PRAYER
See how properly He addresses the Lord.
1. Prayer is to be addressed to the Father. He is our Father because He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our redeemer. He is our Father for we have been adopted into His family and are born of His Spirit and are named after Him.
2. Faith in the disposition of God to bless His children. We never may be bolder than when we pray for God’s blessing upon His people. That is His will from all eternity, and that at the cost of His only begotten Son, Phil 1:4-6.
3. God’s elect is one family. Please note that God’s family is found only in heaven or on earth. There is no purgatory.
We return to what Paul commenced saying in verse 1. Having spoken of them being builded in the last verse of chapter 2 and it for an advancing of that process that he is now praying, 3:16.
How important progress is for the Christian. If we are truly alive in Christ, then we will be growing. “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen,” 2 Peter 3:18. We must never be content with what we have, Phil 3:13-14.
Prayer is the key to progress. Isa 40:31; Ps 27:14, 84:7; Lam 3:25; Judges 16:28. Not only should we pray for ourselves but we should pray for others as did Paul.
I. HIS POSTURE IN PRAYER
There is no stipulated posture for prayer for there are many acceptable to God. “And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD,” 1 Kings 8:22. “David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth,” 2 Samuel 12:16. “Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD,” 2 Samuel 7:18. Outward show is offensive to God but the right heart will manifest itself in a proper posture.
1. Reverence. The bowing of the knee shows that. We must honour the glorious person before Whom we attend when we pray. “And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,” Genesis 14:22.
2. Humility. The more we see of God’s glory, the less we will consider ourselves. “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble,” James 4:6.
3. Fervency. This is the position of the earnest pleader, intercessor. “And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,” Ezra 9:5.
III. THE FUNCTION OF THE OFFICE OF A MINISTER
Verses 7-12.
1. The minister is a made man. Verse 7. It is not natural talent that makes a minister but the effectual working of God’s gracious power.
1. It is to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. The word unsearchable means past finding out, Rom 11 33. Little wonder Paul speaks of himself deprecatingly as he speaks of the glories of the gospel.
2. Though unsearchable yet they must be searched. That is our duty. Being unable to dig up all the gold in the world does not stop men digging for gold! Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD, Hosea 6:3.
3. The gospel ministry is an enlightening, enriching ministry. And to make all men see, verse 9. The word translated make see = photizo (fo-tid’-zo) is the one from which we get photograph, a capturing of an image of light. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 2 Timothy 1:10. Hebs 10:32. It is to bring sinners in to the fellowship (sharing) of the gospel’s blessings.
The devil is the enemy of such enlightenment, 2 Cor 4:4.
4. The gospel-enlightened church manifests the wisdom of God to the angels. Angels benefit from the preaching of the gospel, verse 10.
5. The more enlightened about the gospel we are, the less tedious are the afflictions we may encounter for its sake. Verse 11-13. We will not faint under tribulation if we grow in enlightenment and knowledge of the unsearchable riches of Christ.
