Colossians 1:28

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, the human drama of athletic competition. For nearly 40 years, that was the opening narration of ABC's Wide World of Sports. Until the dawn of the 24-hour cable sports network, that was what you heard every single weekend as they opened up. It became a major catchphrase in American culture: the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

When I think of those words, I can't help but remember a sporting event I watched during my freshman year in high school. It was a televised event right around this time of year—the annual Ironman Championship in Oahu, Hawaii, known as the Kona Ironman. They would feature this on TV, and while I don't know if they still do, it could be boring to watch people swim, cycle, or run for eight or nine hours straight. So, they would just show parts of it and highlight athletes who were competing, focusing on the top performers.

In 1995, the top athlete in the women's division was a woman named Paula Newby Frazier. It would be her final Ironman in Hawaii, and people were watching her as the favored winner. At that point, she had already won 21 of the 26 Ironman races she had entered. They followed her closely, featuring her training plan and all the different things she was doing. She looked like she was doing great, leading the race for nine hours straight. Then, with just 400 yards left, she hit the wall.

When she hit the wall, she went down to the ground, disoriented and dehydrated. There she lay for 20 minutes while they tried to bring medical help to her, pouring water on her and giving her water to drink. During that time, she cried out, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die." As she lay there, the woman who had been in second place passed her, and the person who had been in third place passed her as well. Finally, after 20 minutes, she got up and walked the remaining distance barefoot, almost unable to carry herself.

Right within 20 feet of the finish line, the person who would have been in fourth place passed her, leaving her in fourth place. Of all the times she had tasted the thrill of victory over those years competing in Ironman competitions, now, 20 years later, when people hear the name Paula Newby Frazier in that circle, they remember not the thrill of victory, but the agony of defeat. The agony of defeat.

It's such an awesome thing, and we often tune in as spectators to watch people go through the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The word "agony" comes from a Greek root, "agon." The verb "to agonize" is derived from the Greek "agonizomai," which means to enter into a contest, to contend with adversaries, to fight, to struggle, and to strive to obtain something.

To enter into a contest, to strive, to struggle to obtain a crown, a trophy, or your name on a plaque—these are significant pursuits. Sport is a really big deal in modern American culture as we tune in to watch people agonize in these endeavors. However, sometimes, when I'm watching athletes go through what they endure to achieve a win, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to say the agony of victory.

As spectators, we tune in to the final quarter of what has been happening. We watch just the game or the race, but we don't see what they have been going through for the months and years, perhaps a lifetime, before reaching that place of competition.

It's in the Olympics, the Super Bowl, or some other athletic competition that we see the competition. We don't see the agony that the athletes went through to get to that podium or to make it to that place. Yes, there is great agony in defeat, but there is just as much agony in victory. So much that people go through to reach that point, and so much that they will do to their bodies to be at that level.

In the passage before us today, we are given a peek into the Apostle Paul's agonizing struggle in Christ. We have an opportunity to take a look into the Apostle Paul's training routine, if you will, in this race that we call Christianity. As we do, we will find, point number one on your outline, that the Christocentric life demands agonizing determination. A life that is Christ-focused, a life that has Him at the center of the target, is a life that demands and requires agonizing determination.

In the New Testament, Paul and other writers speak of this life as a follower of Jesus in terms of athletics. They refer to it as a race. The author of the book of Hebrews, at the end of the book, says that we need to run with endurance the race that is set before us. If you are a follower of Jesus today, you are entered in this race, and we need to run with patient endurance this long marathon. It's not a sprint; we need to run with endurance the race that is set before us.

The author of the book of Hebrews says, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith." Who is the target? Who is the central focus of the Christian running in this race with endurance? It is Jesus. This Christocentric life, this Christ-focused life, requires and demands an agonizing determination, and we see that in the life of the Apostle Paul.

If you would open your Bibles to the book of Colossians, it's right near the end of your Bible. If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will gladly bring you one. It's about 90% of the way through the Bible.

And we're going to pick up our reading today in Colossians chapter 1, verse 28. So if you would stand with me, Colossians 1:28. The Apostle Paul, speaking of Jesus, says this: "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end, I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

For I want you to know what great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Father, as we look at this passage and consider this agonizumai, this agony of the Apostle Paul, this struggle to walk in and to run in this race focused on You, I pray, God, that You would speak to us. I pray that we would learn through the example that the Apostle Paul was, that we would learn through the Word that You inspired, and that our lives would be transformed. When we go from here, may we be in some measurable way different because of the work of Your Word by Your Spirit. So speak to us, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those that agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

Jesus, we preach. He is our message, says Paul. We do not preach ourselves; we preach Christ crucified, as he said in 1 Corinthians. Him we preach, and in our preaching, we warn every man. What do we warn them of? We warn them of the perils of sin. We warn them of the judgment that will come.

We warn them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, that they might know the truth of Christ and the work that He did on their behalf. So, Jesus is our message. We warn every man, teaching every man in all wisdom.

Why did Paul endeavor to do these things? Why did he travel the world in his day at great cost to himself, both physically, emotionally, and spiritually? Why did he go to these places that often required him to walk some distance or ride on a ship that may not have been the greatest ship available? He faced people who were against him, who even beat him and sought to kill him. On the road between the various cities he visited, he was often stopped and robbed. He speaks of all these things that he experienced in his endeavor to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to warn and teach every man.

Why would he do that? For what purpose? Paul tells us, to this end, there in the middle of verses 28 and 29, we preach Christ for what purpose? That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. That was his goal. That was why he did these things. He wanted to be able to present every individual he had the opportunity to speak to, whether it was in a marketplace in the city of Corinth, on a hilltop in the city of Athens, or in a synagogue in the city of Thessalonica. Wherever Paul was, he wanted to preach the gospel and warn people of the coming judgment so that he might present them perfect or complete in Christ Jesus.

He says, to this end, I also labor, striving. Would you underline that word, striving? It's the Greek word agonizomai, the word from which we get our word agony, agonize. To this end, I agonize, I struggle, I contend, I labor with great agony. According to His working, it is God who is working through me, which works in me mightily.

For I want you to know, in Colossians chapter two, verse one, I want you to know what great conflict. Underline those words, great conflict. It's the Greek word agon. What great agony I have for you and those in Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.

Paul says, "I travel the world of my day. I go from city to city, going through areas that are dangerous, coming in front to be confronted with people who don't like me and have an issue with me. Why do I do this? Why do I agonize? Why do I struggle through these sorts of things so that others might be presented perfect, complete in Christ Jesus?"

It causes me to wonder, what do you agonize for? What do you agonize over? Do you agonize over raising your children? Do you agonize over finishing that class? Do you agonize over getting that promotion or that job? Some of you might be able to relate to this in about six weeks when we start a new year. Do you agonize over losing that holiday weight? What do you agonize over?

I find that when I think about this, about nine times out of ten, the majority of the time, those things that I agonize over in my life are things that affect me personally. They're self-focused endeavors. Most of the things that we agonize over are self-focused endeavors. But look at this: the Apostle Paul agonized over the spread of the gospel and the faith and the faithfulness of Christians. He said, "We preach Him, warning every man, teaching every man in all wisdom so that we might present you complete in Christ Jesus. To this end, I agonize. This is my great conflict. This is my great agony—that you, others, would come to faith in Christ, that you, others, would be rooted and grounded in Him."

That was his agony. Whereas most of our agonizing is over self-focused endeavors, Paul was Christ-focused, and that changed the way that he lived his life. It changed the focus of his effort and his struggle in this life. It was Godward and not self-focused. It was to agonize for the salvation of other people.

"I want you to know," he says, "what great conflict I have for you." These words were penned by the Apostle Paul while he was in prison. He was awaiting a trial and an uncertain future, which, when we look back historically, we know would lead to his death by martyrdom. He would be beheaded for his faith and witness in Christ. He didn't know that at the moment. He hoped and prayed that he would be released from this prison scenario he was in.

In the city of Rome, one might imagine that Paul's agony would relate to his present circumstances. If you or I were in that situation, we would likely be agonizing over what was going to happen. Yet, Paul shares his agony, stating that his great conflict is not about being in prison in Rome, facing an uncertain future. Instead, he expresses that his great conflict is for a group of Christians who lived a thousand miles away, whom he had never met before.

If that is not a work of God in the life of an individual, I don't know what is. Honestly, I don't lose a lot of sleep or agonize over people in Lubbock, Texas, a thousand miles away, that they would be strong in Christ. I'm sorry; I'm not the Apostle Paul. Please don't hold it against me. However, Paul says, "My agony, my struggle, my great conflict is for you," even though he has never met them or seen their faces. He likely never will see their faces in this life. He agonizes over their salvation and their faith and faithfulness in Christ.

The goal of Paul's agonizing practice is outlined in Colossians 1:28, where he expresses the desire to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus, that they would be complete in Him. Paul's struggle, his agony, and the purpose of his focus in running this race was to see other people come to know Christ. It was about their salvation.

In this, I can identify to a certain extent with the Apostle Paul. Maybe not for people a thousand miles away in Wyoming or Texas, but certainly here in this area. As I drive to and from this church to my home, run errands, and take my kids to school in the morning, I am aware that within five miles of this building, there are more than a quarter million people. Think about that. Within five miles of this building right now, there are more than a quarter million people.

A few years ago, the Southern Baptist Organization conducted a research study of San Diego County. They found that of the 3.2 million people living in this county, only 10% are connected to an evangelical gospel-preaching church on a Sunday morning. This means that more than 250,000 people within five miles of this building do not have the opportunity to hear the Gospel.

Gospel. There is a sense when I drive around and I see that there is a struggle in my heart. Lord, how do we reach them? How do we preach to them? How do we share the gospel with them?

There is a part in which you share in this agony as well because every single one of us has family members, coworkers, friends, and neighbors who don't know Christ. As I say that, there is probably a name, a face that comes into your mind—someone that you know, whom you might even see on Thursday as you gather together to partake of turkey. This person has been on your heart for a long time. Maybe you have shared your faith with them before, or perhaps you have invited them to church before, and yet to this point, they have said no. They are not ready for that. They are glad you have that faith, but there they are in your mind, and you agonize to a certain extent about them.

Maybe it is a child, a grown child for whom you have been praying for years, hoping that they would know and walk with the Lord, but they haven't. Perhaps it is a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, or a close friend that you have been thinking about and praying for a long time. There is a certain sense in which you can identify with the Apostle Paul's struggle here. You wish that they would be complete in Christ. You wish that they would be saved.

Paul says that his great conflict is for the thousands upon thousands of people he has never even met before, that they would know Christ and be firmly seated in Him. I want you to know what great conflict I have for you. They all knew his great conflict—that he was in prison in Rome. That is not what he found to be agonizing. What was agonizing to him was the thought that he might die and go to heaven while others would die and not. That caused him to lose sleep at night, apparently, knowing that there would be people who would die without Christ.

I want you to know the struggle. A struggle for what purpose? Well, look at verse two, Colossians chapter two, verse two. My struggle for you in the church at Colossi, he says, and the church of Laodicea, Christians that lived in these two cities, which are in modern-day Turkey. My struggle is for this purpose: that your hearts may be encouraged, that your hearts...

May be encouraged. His prayer for non-believers, non-followers of Jesus, was that they would be in Christ. His prayer for believers, followers of Jesus, was that their hearts would be encouraged.

Now, this word "encouraged" is connected with the person and work of the Holy Spirit of God. What he is praying for here, or what he is endeavoring towards, is that they would know the fullness of the power and presence of God's Spirit in their lives. He says, "I strive, I work, I have this great conflict in my soul, in my heart, in my mind, so that you, followers of Jesus, would know the fullness of the power and presence of God in your life." It is a great thing to be committed to, that you would experience the power and presence of God in your life.

Not only that, he says, "I pray that your hearts may be encouraged and being knit together in love." The second thing that he prays for them is that they would be connected to one another by the love of God. That they would enjoy, as a church in the city of Colossi, in the city of Laodicea, or any other church, the unity of being in the body of Christ within the church.

Now, how many of you know and recognize that unity is not easy? Unity in a church is not easy. But let's bring it down a little bit closer to home: unity in your marriage. How many of you know that unity in your marriage takes work? There’s your spouse. Unity in a marriage takes work, and unity in the church takes work.

This is why the Apostle Paul, in another letter that he wrote to the church at Ephesus, says in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 3, to Christians, "You need to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace." Unity does not just happen. It takes effort, it takes energy, it takes work.

And you know what the core component to unity existing is? Well, Paul says it right there. He says that you would be knit together in what? Love. Love is the binding glue that maintains unity within a marriage and within a church.

Why is love the binding glue that maintains unity within a marriage or church? Because the Scriptures tell us love covers a multitude of sins. And you know what, guys? You need the love that your wife has for you to cover the multitude of your problems.

Wives, you do too, but we won't get there. I can talk to the guys. When you find a marriage that has been broken apart, we here at the pastoral staff deal with marriages that are falling apart all the time. We try to walk with people through the process of bringing them back together, rescuing, and restoring marriages that are struggling.

So many times, you hear people say, "I just don't love them anymore." When that love is gone, there’s a greater difficulty in covering a multitude of sins. He smells bad, he leaves things where he’s not supposed to, and he’s not perfect. You’re never going to make him perfect, ladies. This is not going to happen. Only God makes us perfect, and that won’t even happen until we get to heaven. So, if you’re trying to make your husband perfect, you’re going to be really, really frustrated. You probably already are.

Love covers a multitude of sins, and love is the binding glue that holds united individuals together. The same is true for the church. We must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Paul's work in preaching, teaching, and traveling everywhere he went was so that people would experience the fullness of the power and presence of the Spirit of God and that they would be united together within the body of Christ. It takes unity to maintain the body of Christ, and love is the essential component in that.

So, God, would you increase our love for one another? This is why, constantly in the Scriptures, Jesus tells us that we are to love as He has loved us. We need that love within the church, or else the church fractures and falls apart. Just in the same way that your spouse does things that drive you nuts, there are people in the church who do things that drive you nuts. So much so that you’ve decided, "I’m going to go to the second service because they go to the third service, and I can’t stand that person." I go to all three, so you know it’s a problem.

We need love. God, increase our love. Paul says, "I work and I agonize. I do these things so that you would have the fullness of the power and presence of God in your hearts, that you would be united together in love." Thirdly, he wants you to have a rich and complete understanding of the mystery of God in Christ. What does he mean? That you and I would fully comprehend all that we have from God in Christ. Paul says, "I labor, I work, I commit myself to this agonizing endeavor, this great conflict."

So that you would know the fullness of the power and presence of God in your life, you would be united together as one in love, and you would fully comprehend the full measure of everything that you have from God in Christ.

What sort of things? Well, we studied earlier this year in the book of Ephesians, chapter one. The Apostle Paul gives us a number of spiritual blessings that we have in Christ. These are just some of them. Ephesians 1:3 says that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. Verse 4 states that we are chosen in Him. Verse 5 tells us that we are predestined. Verse 6 says that we have been accepted. Verse 7 mentions that we have been redeemed and forgiven. Verse 9 reveals that we have been given the mystery of God's will. Verse 11 states that we have been given an inheritance. Finally, verse 10 assures us that God will one day gather us together to be with Him for eternity. We have eternal life in Him.

So, we have all these great things: we are chosen, predestined, forgiven, redeemed, given an inheritance, and granted eternal life. Paul says, "I labor so that you would know the fullness of all of these things that you have in Christ Jesus." He spends himself in agonizing endeavor. Paul labored to know himself a Christocentric life, a life that was Christ-focused, but he also agonized that other people would know this as well.

Point number two on your outline teaches us that we must agonize to see others know Christ as we know Him. We must struggle to see others know Christ, even if it requires laborious agony on our part. Why should we labor for others to know Him as we know Him? Paul says that in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Christ Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

If you came upon a mine of riches that was undepletable, you would want other people to also have those same riches. Here in Christ, if you are a follower of Jesus, you have found a mine of wealth. All wisdom, all knowledge, and all the fullness—everything that we have need of—is found in Christ Jesus.

And Paul says, "I agonize so that other people might know Him, so that they would know the fullness of this wisdom and knowledge and all the riches that we have in Christ."

Now, in thinking about this, as I was pouring over this passage of Scripture this last week, I found myself wondering about all that we see here. Paul says, "I agonize to see others know Him. I agonize so that those who do know Him would grow in Him, be united together, and have the fullness of everything that they can have in Him." I have great conflict towards this end.

I started to wonder, how could Paul be doing this for a group of people who lived a thousand miles away that he would never see? It really begs the question: what agonizing thing could Paul be doing on behalf of a group of people who lived far, far away that he'd never, ever meet? The more I thought about it and the more I considered that question, the more I started to realize that the agonizing thing that Paul was doing, or could do, was praying.

I think there is a hint towards this being the agonizing thing that Paul was doing. In the very end of this book, Colossians chapter four, just turn a couple pages over. Colossians chapter four, look at verse 12.

Colossians four, verse 12: "Epaphras," Paul says, "who was a bondservant of Christ, that is, a fellow laborer, a pastor, if you will, Epaphras, who is one of you, he was from the city of Colossae, a servant of Christ, he greets you." He was with Paul. Notice this: he is always laboring fervently for you in prayers.

Epaphras is always laboring fervently for you in prayers. How do you suppose those words, "laboring fervently," are translated? They are "agonizumai." He is always agonizing for you in prayers. Why? That you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

So, follow the logical progression of what is going on here. What was Paul laboring fervently to do? Well, he previously told us: to present every individual complete, perfect in Christ. What was Epaphras laboring fervently to do? To see the Colossians come to a place where they stood complete in Christ.

They're both laboring fervently toward the same end. We read that Epaphras was laboring by prayer. What do you suppose that Paul was laboring fervently by for the Colossian church a thousand miles away? I would suggest it was by prayer.

This leads us to another question: Is prayer agonizing labor? Is it really agonizing labor? I would suggest that one of the most agonizing things that Jesus ever did was pray in a garden called Gethsemane. On the night that He would be betrayed, He was with eleven of His disciples after they had a meal together. They were walking to the place where they stayed outside of Jerusalem and stopped in what is called the Valley of Kidron, between the Mount of Olives and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. There was a garden there called the Garden of the Olive Press, Gethsemane. Jesus would often go there.

So, He went there with His disciples and said, "Would you please pray with me? For I am troubled." We read in Luke 22:44, "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly," so much so that sweat came down from His face like great drops of blood falling to the ground. I would suggest that one of the greatest agonizing things Jesus did in His ministry prior to His crucifixion was to pray in that garden. His disciples, however, were not up to the agonizing task. It is recorded in Matthew 26:40 that Jesus came back to find His disciples sleeping and said to them, "What, could you not pray with me one hour?"

Have you ever tried to pray for an hour? A solid, continuous, intentional hour of prayer? It's agony. His disciples were not up to the task, which makes me very happy because Peter, James, and John—the top-notch guys, the ones you always hear about in the Scriptures—fell asleep. I have to be honest with you. Years ago, for four years, we gathered together with a small group of people on Wednesday mornings to pray at six in the morning. We would rotate, and different pastors and elders would lead it.

I confess there were a couple of mornings when I was there praying that I pulled a Peter. I won't go there any further. Alistair Begg says the greatest struggle in all of ministry is the struggle in personal, private, devotional prayer. Beyond that is praying with others, and then beyond that is praying corporately.

Point number three on your outline: prayer is an agonizing struggle. If you've ever endeavored to pray, you know that this is true. Why is prayer an agonizing struggle? I can think of three reasons. Maybe there are more, but I think of three immediate reasons why prayer is an agonizing struggle.

Number one, we don't like to pray. I know someone is going to object. Someone will come up to me afterward or send me an email and say, "No, I love to pray." I don't believe you. We don't like to pray in our flesh. Spiritually, we desire to connect with God through prayer, so there is a spiritual desire. However, as it relates to our natural, everyday tendency, we don't like to pray. Why? Because it's hard work.

It's very similar to this: you wake up in the morning, and you know you need to work out. You know you're going to roll out of bed, lace up your shoes, and go for a run. I try to run a few times a week, three to four miles a day. I don't like to do it when I'm lacing up my shoes. I don't want to do it the entire way to the gym or while I'm running on the treadmill. The entire way, I'm trying to talk myself out of it. I don't want to do this. Can anybody relate to this? Am I the only one? Come on, just be honest. When I'm done, it's great. I love running when I'm finished. Prayer is not so dissimilar.

Why is prayer an agonizing struggle or labor? Because we don't like to pray.

Number two, prayer feels powerless. Now, it's not. Throughout the Scriptures, we find evidence to the contrary. In our own lives, we've experienced evidence to the contrary that prayer is powerful. E.M. Bounds wrote, "Where prayer is focused, power falls." It's true, but it feels powerless. That is why many times, when someone tells us about the hard thing they're going through—whether it's a coworker or a family member sharing a struggle they're facing—we often feel at a loss.

And we say to them, "Gosh, I really wish I could help you, but I guess the best I could do is pray for you." We just feel powerless. Is this really going to work? Is this really going to help?

About 15 years ago, I was house sitting for someone in the church. I went up to their house after a Wednesday night service and fed their dogs in the backyard. They had two German Shepherds, former police dogs, and a Rottweiler. There I was, feeding their dogs. When I came into their house, like I do too many times, I emptied my pockets on their table. I then went outside, closed the door, and fed the dogs. When I turned around, the door was locked. The guy's house I was taking care of was an Escondido police officer, a SWAT team officer. His next-door neighbor was also a SWAT team officer. Here I was, far away on vacation, needing to break into their house with two German Shepherds and a Rottweiler inside.

I had this passing thought: "You need to pray." I dismissed it, thinking that was just stupid. I tried every door and every window, and I could see my keys on the table inside. I was beating myself up, wondering how I could take my stuff out of my pockets and what I was thinking. The thought kept coming back: "Pray." I thought, "That's stupid. That's not going to help." Finally, after about 20 minutes of this back-and-forth internal monologue, I relented and said, "Okay, fine, Lord, please open the door." I grabbed the door, and it opened. True story.

Why is prayer an agonizing struggle? We don't like to pray. Secondly, we feel powerless in prayer. Third, the devil fights to keep us from prayer. Please understand, prayer is a spiritual endeavor, and the Bible reveals that we have a spiritual enemy who wants to keep us from prayer. He does not speak to you or me and say, "Don't pray." He's far more subtle than that. If he said, "Don't pray," we would instantly recognize that as the enemy. Instead, he says, "Don't pray now." All of us have experienced that. You feel the need to pray for something, but you think, "My mind is too crazy right now; I'll pray later." We say, "I want to become more of a person of prayer, so I'm going to..."

December 31st is coming, and I'm going to make a New Year's resolution. I’m going to be more of a prayer warrior in 2015. Yes! Then January 4th comes, and I think, I’m going to put that one off to 2016. The enemy comes and says, "Don't pray now; pray later." And later never comes.

In all of this, we come to this concluding truth: there is nothing more Christ-centric and Christ-like than agonizing in prayer. If you want to be Christ-focused and desire to be Christ-like, prayer is the most Christ-focused and Christ-like endeavor that you or I can undertake.

We saw in point two that we must agonize or struggle to see others come to know Christ. This is the greatest part of our agonizing struggle, and it takes place in prayer. You don’t have to raise your hand, but would you like to victoriously see that person you were thinking about earlier come to faith in Christ? That person you work with, that child you’ve been praying for, that brother or sister you’ve shared your faith with—would you like to see them come to faith in Christ? Might I encourage you to begin with the agony of prayer?

Point number five on your outline is that prayer is the first agonizing step in evangelism. If you look in the seat back in front of you, you will see a prayer card just like the one you had in your bulletin a little while ago. Please take one of these out and hold it up. There are also pens there; if you don’t have a pen with you, I’m going to ask you to do something a bit out of the ordinary. Look at the back of the card where it says "prayer request," and let me ask you a question: Do you know anyone that you wish would come to faith in Christ? Write their name down—just one. Write their name down.

And what I'm going to ask you to do might feel uncomfortable because it's agonizing. Right now, just bow your head, and we're going to take one minute of silent prayer to pray for that person.

Let's pray. Father, in the hearts and minds of so many of us, there is this thought that we have tried so many times. We have shared our faith with them, and they don't listen. They have said no every time we have invited them to come to church. This won't help. There is that thought that this is just a powerless, hopeless endeavor.

Lord, your Word reveals time and time again that where prayer is focused, power falls. The enemy would have us not pray now, but pray later. Lord, we just stop right now, and we lift these people up to your throne room. At this very moment, probably 200 names are written down and prayed for, maybe some more than once.

God, we pray for these individuals—family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors—people who need to know You. Father, there are 250,000 people within five miles of this building who need to know You. We pray, God, that You would show us as a church how we can reach them, how we can share the Gospel with them, and how they can come to know You as we know You.

And Lord, help us to never share our faith before we've prayed.

We bring these people to You now, and we ask God that You would move in their lives. If there are addictions that need to be broken, if there are family relationships that need to be mended, if there are sorries that need to be said, and if there is forgiveness that needs to be granted before we have the opportunity to share our faith with them, Lord, would You give us the ability to do that?

We pray for these people, many of whom we might see on Thursday sitting across the dinner table from us as we give thanks. We pray, God, that we would give thanks by the end of that day for their salvation. Lord, would You draw people to Yourself? We know that no one comes to You except by Your Spirit drawing them. So God, do the work of drawing them so that they also would know the completeness of being in You.

We ask this in Jesus' name, and everyone that agreed said, Amen.