And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel. Ephesians 6:19
Today’s text sounds like a rather unusual prayer request coming from a man who is languishing in a Roman prison cell because of his outspoken approach to spreading the Gospel. Even in his early days as a Christian, Saul of Tarsus was noted for speaking up for what he had received on the Damascus road. He was marked by his strident challenging of the Jewish traditions and doctrines that he had once held, by his boldness in preaching the Gospel in Jerusalem, Antioch, and in the many cities to which he had travelled at a missionary. He had fearlessly presented the Gospel to kings and governors, to frenzied mobs of both Jewish and Gentile opponents, to intellectuals, poets, and philosophers, to fellow travellers, and to prison companions and guards. And yet, here he is urging the Christians in Ephesus to pray that he may be given boldness to preach the Gospel. Maybe we would see more souls saved if we had that kind of attitude about the Gospel today!
Here is a man who has a reputation for speaking boldly for his Lord. Maybe he is feeling the restrictions of his prison confinement, maybe he is feeling intimidated by the power of the Roman authorities, maybe he is feeling discouraged by being deprived of his liberty for so long. But he has a track record as an outspoken evangelist that most evangelists today would envy. And he has a love for the Gospel message and for the lost souls who need to hear it. What we need today is more of his attitude today. Because no message is more important to preach than the Gospel, and no need is more urgent meet than that of reaching lost souls for Christ.
If Paul felt the need of prayer for his presentation of the Gospel, those who preach the message today must also feel the need. And if they don’t feel the need, they certainly should. Consider those local brethren who take the platform each Lord’s Day evening; how much time do we devote to praying for them, both before and during the Gospel meeting? Consider the brothers and sisters around us who hand out Gospel tracts, Gospels of John, and other literature; do we carry their important work to the Throne of Grace that they might be helped and be given opportunity. And what of the full-time workers, do we regularly and fervently entreat the Lord for their efforts in visitation and proclamation? The missionary workers are a long ways off; do they escape our minds for the prayer and support that they desperately need? We can, and should, pray for these folks far more than we do.
Paul’s urgent plea for prayer for utterance goes out today; are we heeding his plea? -Jim MacIntosh