For Whom Did the Apostles Pray?

Part 7 of 8

As we wind down our current discussion, we seek to answer yet another question concerning the prayers of the apostles: Who did the apostles pray for? If you're like me, you just may be surprised at some of the answers concluded. Observe...

- Not for the world - Firstly, let's point out a surprising omission: the apostles, in Scripture, neglected to pray for the world! How curious. Not one time do we find an apostolic prayer recorded for God to save the world, or to pour out His glory upon all people. Personally, at first I was surprised by this fact. But as we ponder it, the case becomes clear.. Didn't Jesus give way for a similar omission? Yes, indeed He did. He said, "I pray for them [disciples]: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given me; for they are Thine" (Jn 17:9). Jesus, by His total omniscience, is able to foresee who will and will not receive His offered salvation. Amazingly, He is able to perform this sovereign insight without treading upon man's freewill. And as such, He prays for those who received Him then, are receiving Him today, and will receive Him tomorrow: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one..." (Jn 17:20-21). Of course we know that He died for the whole world (Jn 3:16), and that He indeed loves the sinner (Rom 5:8), but His throne-side prayers of intercession are reserved for believers. Scripture tells us that Jesus ever liveth to make intercession for those "that come unto God by Him" (Heb 7:25; Rom 8:34; 1 Jn 2:1), not for those who choose to remain in their lost and sinful state. He of course desires men to change, but His prayers are captivated by love for His own. It seems the apostles mimicked this practice; they too prayed primarily for the Christian brethren. Yes, they sought to do good unto all men, but "especially unto them who are of the household of faith" (Gal 6:10; 3 Jn 5).. It is true that the apostles did exhort their readers to pray "for all [classes of] men; for kings, and for all that are in authority" (1 Tim 2:1-2; 1 Thess 3:12; etc). However, they prayed not for specifics, but for simple corporate harmony, "that [God's people] may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (1 Tim 2:2b). It seems they left the spiritual wants of the world in the hands of almighty, sovereign God, for "No man can come to [Jesus], except the Father which hath sent [Him] draw him..." (Jn 6:44). Friends, we can learn a lot from the prayers of the apostles!

- Not for themselves - A second observation to be made is the fact that the apostles very rarely prayed directly for themselves. In only one instance do we find Paul beseeching the Lord for his own needs. Instead, his general custom was to pray for the whole household of faith, and in mimicking the Lord's prayer, most of the prayers dictated are plural: "give us", "forgive us", and so on. Accordingly, we find the apostle exhorting his readers to make "supplication for all saints" (Eph 6:18). He asked that the church at Ephesus might "be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (3:18-19). He mentioned "all that be in Rome" before the throne of grace (Rom 1:7). Even the subject of Paul's thanksgiving was "for you all" (Rom 1:8). He besought the Lord for "all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 1:2). Oh reader, what a needful corrective for our common plague of humanism and self-centeredness! May we cling to the counsel of Scripture and "...In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves" (Phil 2:3). And what's to worry? For, if I'm praying for "all saints", I am including myself. Of course there is nothing wrong with praying for our own needs, for the Bible admonishes us to do so (Phil 4:6). However, the principle exists nonetheless.. Jesus and the apostles directed their primary attention to the needs of others, and thus so should we. A man who is steadily and properly decreasing (Jn 3:30) will be a man whose prayers are rightly aligned with those of our Lord, and selflessly lifted off of himself.. "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" (Rom 12:9-10). May God give us grace!

This may be difficult to comprehend for the natural man who is so overly wrapped up in self.. How can the apostle Paul pray and be thankful for those whom he'd often never met? Some were not even the fruits of his own labors, yet he prayed for them, rejoiced over them, and was grateful for their Godly increase! Wow! How could this be? It's so dramatically different than our present day paradigm of man-made sects, kings and kingdoms. But friends, Paul knew a great truth: no matter the planter, no matter the waterer, God is the source; the fruit that is birthed are the trees of His planting, the products of His husbandry (1 Cor 3:9). May we likewise take heed to such wisdom and counsel, and pray as the apostles prayed.

To be continued...