Rejecting Self-Righeousness

Rejecting Self-Righteousness

(Philippians 3: 4-8)

Paul was undoubtedly one of the most outstanding believers to have ever lived in the history of Christianity. Even before he accepted Christ, he had so many earthly privileges that he could have boasted of it endlessly in self-righteousness. However, after coming to know Christ, he considered all these earthly privileges "rubbish" compared to surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ. In this way Paul demonstrated how to reject self-righteousness and glory only in Jesus Christ.

Lets look at who Paul really was before he came to know Christ. It makes an outstanding reading, probably unparalleled by anyone of his times. He listed these in order to make others aware (particularly Judaizers) that if they had any right to put confidence in their earthly privileges, he had even more! Let us look at them one by one.

Paul's Privileges by Birth

• Circumcised on the Eighth Day

This is an institution practiced by all Jews in accordance to the law of Moses (Lev 12:3 ). Through this every child was formally declared to be a Jew by his parents. Through this symbol, a Jew demonstrated his faith in the God of his fathers, his promises, and his adherence to the law, which he boasted of.

Through this title, Paul stresses that he had the privilege of having Jewish Parents. He had the right Parenthood.

• Of The People of Israel

He was an Israelite. By the term "Israel", a Jew stressed his special relationship with God, by being part of the nation, Israel, whom God brought out of Egypt. Moreover, Israel was the only nation in the world at that time which claimed its God to be a universal God who had power over all the earth. All the other nations did not boast of such claims about their own gods. Their gods were confined to their own national territories.

Through this title, Paul stresses that he had the privilege of being part of a nation chosen by God. He had the right nationhood.

• Of the Tribe Of Benjamin.

Paul also had the privilege of not only being part of Israel, but also being part of a well known tribe of Israel, which was Benjamin. Benjamin boasted of great warriors (Jdg 20:16, 1 Ch 8:40, 1Ch 12:2) and also the first king of Israel was from their tribe, Saul, after whom Paul himself was named. Benjamin, unlike Ephraim and other northern tribes was more faithful to the Lord along with Judah.

Paul here stresses that he could even boast of his tribal identity in addition to his national identity.

Paul's Privileges/Achievements Through his Own Efforts

• A Hebrew of Hebrews

Not a "Jew of Jews". This term has significance. The word “Hebrew" mainly denotes the language spoken by Jews , although at many times it was used to imply the Jewish customs and traditions also, in addition to just the language. After the post-exilic period the Jews had been scattered the many different nations and had thus lost the practice of their language (to Greek) and customs. However, Paul was one of the few who zealously did not give up all these and followed the language and customs of his forefathers, even in a Greek speaking , alien, Roman World. (Ac 22:2–3;).

• A Pharisee

Paul was from the most religious Jewish sect of his time. The Pharisees were the those-days evangelicals (or conservatives) who followed the laws of Moses and their unwritten "Tradition of Elders" strictly. They were theologically far closer to the New Testament than any other Jewish Sect. In fact the very term "Pharisee" means "separatists." Paul was from the most highly regarded sect, even among the Jews.

• A Person of Great Zeal

Paul was so zealous for his religion that he even got permissions from the high priest and went to the extent of persecuting the Church. (Acts 9:1 Gal 1:14)

• Faultless According to Legalistic Righteousness

What Paul means here is that according to the standards of men, he followed the law far more strictly than any of the other Judaizers in the Church ("Legal" here refers to the law). He would be faultless if he were judged by this standard. He however does not mean that he had completely followed the law.

• Additional Qualifications Not Listed here

Paul was a Roman Citizen. Also from a "no ordinary city" like Tarsus (Acts 21:39). He was instructed under Gamaliel, a teacher "honored by all people" (Acts 5:34). Scholars say that he knew as many as 6 languages.

If someone were to put Paul's earthly achievement in modern day terms, it would read something like this: Born in a Christian family, in the country of United States, in the state of California, a person very well versed in English and the Western customs, a scholar from Trinity Bible College (or even Stanford or Harvard for unbelievers, say!), traveling from place to place through out the world, trained under say Billy Graham and being an expert in his field of Theology. A very good reading indeed.

However, Paul considered all this "rubbish" for the surpassing [greatness or worth of the] knowledge of Jesus Christ. He even counted his earthly achievements as a complete loss, because it kept him in dark for a long time about Christ.

(It must be noted that Paul labeled all these achievements as rubbish only in comparison to the knowledge of the Lord. He did not forsake them altogether. He however did use some of these very privileges for the glory of God - like using his Roman Citizenship to appeal to Caesar and in the process proclaiming the Gospel to many; using his scriptural knowledge gained during training under Gamaliel for the glory of God. )

What Paul emphasizes here is that compared to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, no earthly privilege comes even million times less close to it. There is absolutely nothing that is as worthy as possessing a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul's attitude was such because he understood fully well that nothing will help him enter eternity but the knowledge of salvation through Jesus Christ. All the other things which he may have boasted about would have earned him nothing but death. For this very reason Christ is that indescribable gift (2 Cor 9:15). Hallelujah and praise be to Lord who has revealed this to us.

The Cost of Discipleship

The Cost of Discipleship – Seen through the Character of Epaphroditus

(Philippians 2:25-30 )

· Background

Epaphroditus was one of the lay members of the Philippian Church. He was the messenger of the Philippian Church through whom the Church (at Philippi) sent their material offerings to Paul (Php 4:18). Also, he was sent by the Church as a person dedicated to be with him (i.e. Paul) in Rome to help him during his confinement.

Epaphroditus became dangerously ill while his stay in Rome and was almost to the point of death.

· The Cost of Answering God’s Call However Tough it May Seem

Epaphroditus must have been a young man when chosen by the Church to be a helper to Paul. Epaphroditus was very brave to have accepted the call of helping out and be associated with Paul, who was accused of a capital crime (for stirring up trouble among the Jews and allegedly saying things against Caesar since he was proclaiming Christ as King). This reason itself would have been sufficient for most to stay away from Paul. However, Epaphroditus, bravely faced this fact, traveled all the way from Philippi to Rome (distance!) and stayed in Rome to help Paul.

Appn:

Am I willing to answer God’s call if he moves me to associate with people in distant lands like the North East, North India etc.? Would I be willing to come out of my comfort zones?

· The Cost of Fulfilling Your Responsibility

Epaphroditus fell dangerously ill. This may not have been immediate but nevertheless must have come during a prime time of serving God. Even though Epaphroditus became seriously ill, he did not immediately return to Philippi ("he was ill" - verse 27). This could have been a very justifiable pretext for him to leave Paul. But he did not do that. What does this show? This shows that Epaphroditus took his call seriously and willing to shoulder the responsibility that came with it. He did not leave Paul because he knew that God who called him for this responsibility would also give him grace to fulfill it. The cost that Epaphroditus paid here was to suffer a dangerous illness which almost made him die.

Appn:

Do I think about fulfilling my EU EGF responsibilities even when things are not going well in my personal life? Or do I just forget and take a break?

In a personal context, would I be able to think about others even when I am severely ill?

· The Cost of Facing the Test of Faith

Let us look at this incident in one more way to understand another important lesson of discipleship. When illness struck Epaphroditus even after he had taken such a brave decision to serve the Lord along with Paul in Rome, his trust in God's love for him must have been tested. He must have been tempted to think - Is it for this illness that God has called him so far to Rome? I am almost about to die, does God love me? But Epaphroditus passed the test by staying the course in Rome and continuing his work for the Lord. And God graciously healed him.

It shows two things:

a) God can strike us with unexpected things to test our faith.

b) God after testing also heals us and brings us peace and joy. (verse 27, 1 Pet 5:10)

1Pe 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Epaphroditus on his return must have had a blessed time with the home Church after his time of testing.

Appn:

Am I patient during a time of testing?

Can I accept unexpected things that happen to me as God's will?

· The Cost of Facing Persecutions for the Lord

In order to understand this, let us look at the titles given to Epaphroditus by Paul.

My Brother: Epaphroditus was a true brother, who loved Paul more than his life

My Fellow Worker: Epaphroditus was not just an attendant of Paul. But he also worked like Paul to spread the Gospel during his tenure in Rome(Paul was confined in the Prison, but Epaproditus must have gone out on Paul’s behalf to meet people). His stay with Paul gave him valuable experience on how to spread the Gospel. In the context of Discipleship we can also learn from Paul that he did not resist from delegating responsibilities to Church laymen just because he was an Apostle and the others were not. Paul was not haughty. In fact he built them up to such an extent that they could work the same way as he did. Paul was a great leader who brought out the best in people. (KJV mentions "fellow-worker" as a "Companion in Labor") . That is the way to disciple.

My Fellow Soldier: It assumes great significance that Paul should call Epaphroditus a fellow soldier. This is because a soldier is one who is on duty under constant danger. This term seeks to emphasize that Epaphroditus worked with Paul, shoulder-to-shoulder, in carrying out the work of the Lord and was ready to face the dangers that came with it. (Remember The Way ran contrary to the Roman culture and hence the situation for any Christian worker would have been hostile). So Epaphroditus must have been in danger of being imprisoned himself while working in Rome.

Appn:

These 3 titles may be looked as 3 stages to which God calls us during our discipleship.

Am I willing to be also a soldier and not just a brother or a fellow worker? Am I willing to work for the Lord in places where I may be insulted and persecuted mentally, physically? Is say, serving the Lord in places like, Morocco, Afghanistan, unthinkable for me?

Epaphroditus possessed all the qualities of an ideal disciple even though he was not one of the prominent figures of the early Church. Let us learn from him and be faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Safeguarding Christian Walk

Safeguarding our Christian Walk

(Philippians 3:1-3 )

Paul starts the final section of the letter from this passage onwards. In this section Paul gives some concluding instructions on how to safeguard our Christian walk. He gives warnings about false teachers and about putting any confidence in the flesh. Let us look at them one by one, as to how we can safeguard our Christian walk.

• Rejoice in the Lord
  

Notice that Paul has stressed this already in this letter in 2:17 and 2:18. And again he stresses in Phil 4:4

^{Phil 4:4} Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Rejoicing in the Lord is the best way to safeguard our Christian walk.

What does rejoicing in the Lord mean?

It means to be joyful in the Lord at all times. We can be joyful in the Lord by thanking him for so many things

- By being in our life and giving us the gift of salvation

- By giving us the fellowship of his people

- By giving us that hope for the future

- By meeting all our material needs

And the list can go on and on.

Rejoicing in the Lord is best way to fight trials, temptations and discouragements in our Christian walk.

^{Ps 31:7} I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction ^l and knew the anguish ^m of my soul.

^{Hab 3:17} Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, ^a though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, ^b

^{Hab 3:18} yet I will rejoice in the LORD, ^c I will be joyful in God my Savior. ^d

Appn:

Do we rejoice in the Lord at all times?

Do we overcome weak phased through rejoicing in the Lord?

• Watch out for False Teachers
  

The Philippian Church had three kinds of teachers. One who preached Christ with pure and sincere motives like Paul and Timothy. Second were those who preached Christ, but with wrong motives. However, their teaching was not wrong even though their motives were. Php 2:17 and 18 mention about them.

However, there was a third category called Judaizers who mixed the OT requirements with the NT ones and were confusing the people and leading them astray from the sound doctrine of the Gospel. They insisted on being circumcised ( verse 3) and taught that in addition to believing in Jesus, the OT law also has to be followed.

Paul uses a harsh word for them - "dogs" - who mutilate the flesh. He used this term in order to liken them to the stray dogs who are scavengers and very vicious. These dogs can cause a lot of danger and harm. The false teachers are like that. They are not teachers who are teaching false things out of ignorance (like Appollos; Acts 18:24), but they do it deliberately for their own purposes. When they are challenged they hit back at you viciously often causing strife and commotion.

We have to beware of such teachers to preserve our Christian walk.

Appn:

Are we aware of the false teachers in the Church in this era? Like JV, Mormons, ICOC ?

Do we know the Bible very well in order to confront them and bring them out of error?

• By Learning to Discern between Spiritual and Carnal

The words chosen by Paul here have a lot if significance. Each of them refer to the NT parallel of the Old Testament.

The Jews had certain institutions in the OT:

a) Circumcision- Every Jew had to be circumcised on the eighth day. (Lev 12:3)

b) The institution of worship was mainly following the written law- which included keeping the sabbath, offering sacrifices and observing days etc.

c) They gloried/delighted/boasted in the law. Psalm1:2, Psalm 119:70, 119:92, Rom 2:23

Paul draws a parallel to all these institutions in the New covenant

a) The New Covenant circumcision is not an outward circumcision but an inward circumcision, done not by the hands of men but by the Spirit.

^{Ro 2:28} A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, ^u nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. ^v

^{Ro 2:29} No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, ^w by the Spirit, ^x not by the written code. ^y Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God. ^z

^{Dt 30:6} The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, ^k so that you may love ^l him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

So, in this context he affirms that it is the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who are truly circumcised and not those who are just outwardly circumcised as claimed by the Judaizers.

b) The New Covenant worship is a worship in the Spirit and not just a worship by keeping the law, which is a written code.

^{Jn 4:24} God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

^{2Co 3:6} He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant ^j —not of the letter ^k but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

c) The New Covenant delight or boast is in Jesus Christ not in the law.

The word 'boast' used in Romans 2:23 and the word 'rejoice' used in Php 3:3 are the same Greek word - ('kauchaomai')

Paul, then sums up the entire thing by saying that we do not put any confidence in the flesh - referring to the OT law, which was confined the fleshly or the carnal realm. It has been rendered obsolete and has been superseded by the New covenant which is spiritual in nature. (Heb10 :1)

Appn:

It is possible to be in New covenant and still be lost in carnal things of the world and make a mess of our Christian lives

Do we learn to discern between Spiritual and Carnal things in the New Covenant?

Is my mind just set in making money, building my career or is it on extending the kingdom of God.

Do we give importance fleshly things like caste, status etc. while marrying?

• Conclusion

Let us guard our Christian walk by rejoicing in the Lord, by watching out for false teachings and teachers and learning to discern between spiritual and carnal, and concentrating on the spiritual things.

The Character of Epaphroditus

The Character of Epaphroditus

(Philippians 2:25-30)

• Background

Epaphroditus was one of the lay members of the Philippian Church. He was the messenger of the Philippian Church through whom the Church (at Philippi) sent their material offerings to Paul (Php 4:18). Also, he was sent by the Church as a person dedicated to be with him (i.e. Paul) in Rome to help him during his confinement.

Epaphroditus became dangerously ill while his stay in Rome and was almost to the point of death.

• Epaphroditus did not quit Paul citing selfish reasons

Firstly, Epaphroditus was very brave to have accepted the call of helping out Paul, who was accused of a capital crime. This reason itself would have been sufficient for most to stay away from Paul. However, Epaphroditus, bravely faced this fact, travelled all the way from Philippi to Rome (distance!) and stayed in Rome to help Paul.

After this he fell dangerously ill. Even though Epaphroditus became seriously ill, he did not immediately return to Philippi ("he was ill" - verse 27). This could have been a very justifiable pretext to leave Paul. But Epaphroditus did not do that. This shows that Epahroditus took his call seriously and loved his fellow brother, Paul, unto death.

^{Jn 15:13} Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Appn:

1. Do I think about others even when I am seriously ill ?

2. Do I love my brother in a similar way that I can lay down my life for him?

• Three titles given to Epaphroditus by Paul

My Brother: Epaphroditus was a true brother, who loved Paul more than his life

My Fellow Worker: Epaphroditus was not just an attendant of Paul. But he also worked like Paul to spread the Gospel during his tenure in Rome. His stay with Paul gave him valuable experience on how to spread the Gospel. It also shows that Paul did not resist from delegating responsibilities to Church laymen just because he was an Apostle. In fact he built them up to such an extent that they could work the same way as he did. Paul was a great leader who brought out the best in people. (KJV mentions "fellow-worker" as a "Companion in Labor")

My Fellow Soldier: It assumes great significance that Paul should call Epaphroditus a fellow soldier. This is because a soldier is one who is on duty under constant danger. This term seeks to emphasize that Epaphroditus worked with Paul, shoulder-to-shoulder, in carrying out the work of the Lord and was ready to face the dangers that came with it. (Remember The Way ran contrary to the Roman culture and hence the situation for any Christian worker would have been hostile.)

Appn:

Am I willing to be a soldier and not just a brother or a fellow worker? Am I willing to go to places, if the Lord calls me, where there may be hostility to the preaching of the Gospel? Like Morocco, Afghanistan or Central Asian countries.

• Epaphroditus loved his Church Passionately

Epaphroditus loved his Church passionately. The word "long" ( verse 26 ) brings out his immense love for his Church.

His love for the Church was not out of sentiment or one driven by nostalgia. He did not want to abandon everything at Rome and wanted to leave for Philippi. His illness at Rome further underscores the point. He was very responsible to his work for the Lord.

But he loved his Church with a sense of deep affection and a desire to fellowship. It is easy to forget about the very people who brought us to the Lord or played an important part in our life, while carrying out for work of the Lord. But Epaphroditus did not not.

Epaphroditus' love for his Church was very balanced. He did not sentiments overrule his responsibility. Neither did he let duty (or work) overrule love.

Appn:

Do I remember people who have played an important part in my life the same way as Epaphroditus did?

Am I just attached to one kind of people group (or place)when the Lord may be calling to serve some other people group ( some other place) ?

• Epaphroditus, above all, loved and trusted God very much.

When illness struck him even after Epaphroditus has taken such a brave decision to serve along with Paul in Rome, Epaphroditus' trust in God's love for him must have been tested. But Epaphroditus passed the test by staying the course in Rome and continuing his work for the Lord.

It shows two things:

1. God can strike us with unexpected things to test our faith.

2. God after testing also heals us and brings us peace and joy. (verse 27, 1 Pet 5:10)

^{1Pe 5:10} And the God of all grace, who called you ^y to his eternal glory ^z in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, ^a will himself restore you and make you strong, ^b firm and steadfast.

Epaphroditus on his return must have had a blessed time with the home Church after his time of testing.

Appn:

Am I patient during a time of testing?

Can I accept unexpected things that happen to me as God's will?

Epaphroditus possessed all the qualities of an ideal behaviour even though he was not one of the prominent figures of the early Church.

The Character of Timothy

Timothy - A true son in faith to Paul

(Philippians 2:19-24)

• Timothy's Background

Timothy came from a mixed background - his father was a Greek and his mother was Jewish believer. His grandmother was also a believer. His father was not a believer.

^{Ac 16:1} He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, ^p where a disciple named Timothy ^q lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, ^r but whose father was a Greek.

^{2Ti 1:5} I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Paul circumcised him because of this mixed background so that he could preach to the Jewish Christians with authority. Otherwise they would not have listened to a man one who is uncircumcised and also one who was very young.

• Timothy willingly served under the shadow of Paul - in the second place. He was Paul's son in faith.

^{Phil 2:22} But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father ^f he has served with me in the work of the gospel.

Timothy travelled on behalf of Paul many times to strengthen the Churches

Timothy was sent by Paul in this occasion to travel a long distance (from Italy to modern day Bulgaria). Timothy did that most obediently.

1 Th 3:2,1 Co 4:17

Taught as Paul's deputy in Churches like Ephesus, Philippi and Thesselonica. He took up leadership in Churches whenever it was required.1 Ti 1:3, 1 Th 3:2

He also came and reported the progress to Paul. 1 Th 3:6

This shows that Timothy did not become conceited as he progressed in his spiritual life but willingly served as Paul's deputy through out his life. In this way he not only supported Paul in his ministry but also strengthened Paul. (2 Ti 1:4)

Appn:

Are we willing to take up second position?

Are we willing to work under someone else's shadow?

Are we willing to be content with God's call for us and not become of jealous of others

• Timothy was concerned about other's welfare.

Paul here commends Timothy's genuine interest in others. Timothy's character is exactly the same as Paul's as seen in verse 19 ( "cheered by news of you")

Also we see that being concerned for others is being concerned about the interests of Jesus Christ.

This teaches us that if I claim to be concerned about the interests of Jesus Christ, it must show up in my concern for others. There cannot be a dichotomy. (1 Jn 4:20)

Appn:

Do I claim to be concerned about the interests of Jesus Christ? Does it show up in my interest in others? Does it show up in my love for others?

• Timothy was willing to suffer for the Lord

Timothy like Paul, his spiritual father was willing to suffer for the Lord.

Timothy followed Paul despite Paul's constant persecution. This shows that he himself did not fear persecutions and run away from Paul, unlike Demas and others.

^{2Ti 3:11} persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, ^z Iconium ^a and Lystra, ^b the persecutions I endured. ^c Yet the Lord rescued ^d me from all of them. ^e

He went to prison like Paul for the Lord's sake.

^{Heb 13:23} I want you to know that our brother Timothy ^f has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

Appn:

Are we willing to suffer for the Lord as Timothy did, and as Paul did?

Timothy thus proved himself to be faithful to the Lord and followed all the examples set to him by Paul. May all of us follow Timothy's example.

Approach To Prayer

Approach to Prayer

(Group Prayer Context)

• Prayer is essential

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word (Act 6:4)

Here we see that Apostles give prime importance to prayer as much as they give to ministry of the word. One cannot go without the other. Ministry of the word is very important. But equally important is prayer, which will drive it.

therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Mat 9:38)

The Lord also instructs us to pray to him first for the sending out of laborers. Prayer needs to be made before every step of carrying out a mission.

• Prayer has to be regular

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Act 2:42)

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, (Act 2:46)

From these two verses it is clear that the believers met everyday for prayer. They were certainly not hermits. They must have had their daily responsibilites and would have needed to earn their livelihood. But still they met and prayed.

Result : God added to their numbers

• Functions of prayer: The things prayer accomplishes

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (Act 4:31)

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. (Act 4:32)

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Act 4:33)

• Prayer fills us with the with the Spirit of God

God filled the believers with the Holy Spirit as a response to their prayer

(Being filled with Holy Spirit means that our spirit is completely under the control of the Holy Spirit. And the words that we speak are his and carry his power.)

Being filled with the Spirit is essential to carry out effective ministry

Eg.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; (Isa 61:1)

Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. (Act 6:3)

Being filled with the Holy Spirit gives us boldness

Boldness here means - confidence, fearlessness, freedom of speech to preach the word of God.

Do we need boldness for carrying out the EU ministry?

- We need boldness to enter into new colleges without fearing the authorities.

- We need boldness to share the Gospel plainly with students.

- We need boldness to face problems which may crop up as a result of witnessing.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit makes our testimony very powerful

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Act 4:33)

But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. (Act 6:10)

We have to be filled with the Holy Spirit before carrying out any work for God. And we will be filled with the Holy Spirit only if we ask for this in prayer

• Prayer aids in Fellowship

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. (Act 4:32)

It helps in making believers of one heart and one soul. We need to be united in Christ to carry on his ministry more effectively. If we are not united our testimony will fall as Jesus himself has said.

All this is made possible through prayer and also by just meeting together in a common place for prayer.

• Prayer increases our earnestness (burden)

Our prayers need to be characterized by earnestness. It has to be heartfelt and reflect my passion for the Lord.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. (Act 12:5)

therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Mat 9:38) (earnest phrase also comes in Luke)

As we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith? (1Th 3:10)

I believe prayer increases my earnestness. As I pray more about a particular thing regularly, God increases my burden and zeal for it. It is not the other way round.

So when we meet together and pray regularly for the Student Ministry, this will increase our earnestness (burden) for the Student Ministry. And we will be praying more out of earnestness than out of obligation and out of duty.

• Summary and Conclusion:

Let us understand that prayer is essential and needs to be regular. Prayer alone equips us for ministry. Let us not give up meeting together (Heb10:25) for prayer.