To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, [12] so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a great and wonderful thing to pray for! What a blessing to those for whom we pray! Oh that we all might so lovingly consider our brothers and sisters in Christ!
We all resolve to do good and to do good works for the glory of our heavenly Father so them it is imperative that we pray concerning this for one another? How much more encouraging can we get than to make the good desires of our family's heart a matter for diligent prayer. Oh how we would be co-laborers in the best sense if we all undertook to do such praying but we need to know those things which our brothers and sisters have resolved to be and to do.
Here again, I have to express my concern that in the conservative anti-cultural swing of the pendulum, the church has disallowed any forum for us to be informed by and concerning our brothers and sisters'resolutions. That intimate connection, for ministry is left to chance. In our desire to get the world out of the church, we have severed many opportunities for true and glorious fellowship.
The Puritans held what they called "conferences", which we would call small groups. These conferences were disciplined serious. meetings where the truth was discussed and lives were shared. At these conferences, not only did they discuss theology and doctrine but the shared what I call "Kindom hopes." By that I mean the dearly held intimate and individual asperations of those attending. These were not self-help or therapeutic groups (although they were helpful and therapeutic) but were the venue where true and orderly fellowship took place.
By fellowship, I refer to the strictest definition of the biblical term. This is not socializing but rather the holding and sharing of our common faith as it relates to our individual lives. These gatherings are not rodeos where folks would spill their guts, but rather serious interactions concerning the individual needs, asperations and resolutions of the believers.
How else, where else are we to come into contact with the hearts of our brothers and sisters? Certainly not in the choreographed order of worship. That would not be appropriate or fitting. Worship is a part of everthing we do in His name but that special time on the Lord's day is about Him not us. But we desperately need a venue where we can and may share with one another the glories and struggles of following Him - especially how we can pray for one another as we seek to be about serving Him.
I, and I am sure many of you, desire to pray for our brothers and sisters in an intelligent and informed manner. I find vague and generic prayers very frustrating. I desire to pray for my hopes and dreams in the Lord as well as yours. I know mine, it is yours I long to know. Otherwise my prayers for you seem crippled by ingnorance and hollow in their vagueness. We want our prayers to be intimate and to the point, not general and hollow. No, there is nothing "WRONG" with generalized and vague prayers but I think we miss the best of prayer when we are so limited.
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Do you suffer the same frustrations as I concerning this matter? If so, begin now to be more intentional in asking for and receiving requests for prayer. If someone desires "growth in Christ," ask them in what specific areas. Ask them what their Kingdom hopes and dreams are. Ask....ask....ask and then ask.
As far as fellowship for the purpose of informing our prayers for one another, start with one other person. Pray that the Lord will help you find a kindred spirit in this matter and you two begin to "conference." If it pleases God to do so, your little one on one can grow into a powerful, deep and meaningful (not mention Christ honoring) opportunity.
But I would warn you. Though such fellowship can certainly be therapeutic this is not to be a Christian group therapy sesson. We gather in
conference to do serious work, to gain the information we need to pray wisely and well. Nor is it a social gathering. It has a specific end in sight and will take resolve to keep it from degenerating into a social gathering.
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