Ephesians 6:19-20 Outline

God’s New Family: An Exposition of Ephesians (LX)
The Full Armor of God (4) Praying for Preachers
Ephesians 6:19-20

Introduction (post-lectio):
1. In this great passage, Paul is particularly interested to ask the Ephesians to pray for him and specifically for them to intercede for him for two things: clarity and boldness in proclamation. But I believe that we can actually detect (explicitly and implicitly, by good and necessary consequence), at least six lessons or directions for our own prayer for ministry in Paul’s prayer request.
2. Ephesians 6:19-20 is attached at the end of a great passage on prayer. In it, Paul provides us guidelines for how we ought to be praying for Gospel ministry, and for how you ought to be praying for one another.

I. Christians are to faithfully intercede for ministers (19a) {The Urgency of Prayer}
[Even Paul wanted prayer for his ministry]
"Pray on my behalf"(NASB) – ‘Pray particularly for me’
Application: (We ought to pray for ministers/ministry with urgency because of the need of preachers/importance of the task)

II. Christians are to pray for their ministers’ earnestness and faithful consistency in proclamation (19c) {The Solemnity of Preaching explains the urgency of prayer support}
[Paul indicates the solemnity of proclamation]
" in the opening of my mouth"

Quotations: "That preaching that comes from the soul most works on the soul." (Thomas Fuller) "I preach as though Christ was crucified yesterday, rose from the dead today, and was coming back tomorrow." (Martin Luther) "It is an easier thing to bring our heads to preach than our hearts to preach." (John Owen)
Application: (We ought to pray for ministers/ministry because of the solemnity of the work)

III. Christians are to pray for their ministers to be given a divine supply of truth (19b) {The goal of preaching explains the need for prayer}
[Paul (!) asks prayer for words, clarity of speech!]
"that . . . utterance would be given to me"

Application: (We ought to pray for ministers for utterance because the goal of preaching is supernatural, only God can do it)

IV. Christians are to pray for holy boldness/Gospel freedom (rooted in the fear of God) in ministers’ preaching (19d) {The aim of preaching is to reach the depths of the heart via the conscience} [Paul wants to speak fearlessly]
"to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel," "that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
Application: (We ought to pray for ministers for freedom, based on the fear of God, holy boldness in the declaration)

V. Christians are to pray for their ministers to make known the Gospel (19e)
{Preaching must lift up Christ crucified}
[Paul asks for Gospel-focus, Gospel-faithfulness in his preaching]
"to make known . . . the mystery of the gospel,"

Application: (We ought to pray for ministers for Gospel focus and faithfulness in their proclamation)

VI. Christians are to pray for their ministers’ endurance under tribulation (20)
{The obligation of preaching obtains "in season and out of season"}
[Paul wants to be faithful, even in chains]
"for which I am an ambassador in chains"
Application: (We ought to pray for ministers in their trials)