Worries into prayers

"In II Timothy 4, Timothy is still with Paul at the very end as a faithful brother and minister, so he would have personal knowledge and personal information and the Ephesians would know he's going to fill them in on all the details, all the latest news," said Preacher Richard Jordan in his message last Sunday.

"In fact, you'll see that when Paul needed Timothy to come from Ephesus to him, he sent Tychicus to take his place and fill in. When he needed Titus to come from Crete to him, he sent Tychicus to fill in for him. See, he's somebody Paul trusted with the ministry.

"I received an email regarding my sermons from the past couple of weeks that asked, 'So what you're saying is we need to turn our worries and concerns into prayer?' After I thought, I answered, 'That's exactly right.' We need to take our concerns, worries, our cares . . .

"Philippians 4 says, [6] Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. [7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

" 'Be careful for nothing' means, 'Don't be overtaken by the cares of life.' When you're looking at the things that you're anxious, worried, cumbered about with, what should you do? The way prayer works is depending on how God's working.

"Prayer in a way is sort of like marriage. There's not a lot in the Bible about marriage; it's pretty cut and dried. But there's an awful lot in the Bible about relationships and marriage is the most intimate relationship you'll ever have with another person.

"So, if you want to know how to function in marriage, look for the Bible instruction about relationships. Well, prayer's that way. Instead of focusing on prayer and what should I say, focus on what God's doing, because the way prayer works is determined by how He's working.

"So, if I know how He's working, I know how to talk to Him. I know how to expect Him to respond.

II Cor. 4: [16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

[17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
[18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

"That's the reality in the things you're concerned about, in your fears. How do you get renewed? In the spirit of your mind. Romans 12 says, [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

"Take that sound doctrine and let it renew the way you're thinking about the things. When it says, 'For our light affliction,' it's still an affliction, but it's a light affliction. The weight is not in the affliction; it's in the glory that's going to come. 

"Romans 8: [18] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

"You see how it's an eternal thing, not temporal? It's a glory that's going to last forever.

"How do you see something you can't see? Hebrews 11:1 [1] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

"That's why he says in II Corinthians 5:7: [7] (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

[8] We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
[9] Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
[10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.