The Church of Eleven22 – "Prayer" (1 Timothy Series, Week 4)

Date: January 26, 2025
Host/Preacher: Pastor Joby Martin

Overview

This episode continues the "A Field Guide for the Family of God" series, focusing on Paul's first letter to Timothy—specifically on prayer as both foundational and powerful for the church and believer. Pastor Joby urges listeners to see prayer not as a last resort or a religious formality, but as spiritual warfare and the key to unlocking God’s power in every area of life. The episode culminates in a call to communal, faith-filled, and persistent prayer, in line with biblical instruction.

Main Themes and Discussion Points

1. The Miraculous Power of Prayer (00:02–05:30)

• Opening Charge:
  • Pastor Joby sets the stage by inviting those in need of a miracle—physical, financial, relational, or spiritual—to recognize that "if the tomb is empty, anything is possible."
• Prayer and Healing Service:
  • Announces intention to follow scripture plainly, including anointing with oil for those in need.
  • Quote: “I’m not a faith healer. I’m just a Bible believer." (04:00)
• Openness to the Holy Spirit:
  • Welcomes the Spirit and positions the congregation to expect God to move.

2. Discipleship and Spiritual Warfare (05:30–19:30)

• Paul’s Relationship with Timothy:
  • The personal nature of Paul's mentorship and encouragement, especially regarding Timothy’s insecurities and challenges.
  • Quote: "God has given you everything you need to accomplish everything that God has called you to accomplish." (09:45)
• Speaking Prophetic Truth:
  • Joby recounts people speaking destiny over his own life and encourages listeners to speak God’s truth over each other rather than criticism or cynicism.
  • Quote: “Because in the power of our words, we have life or we have death.” (13:45)
• Waging Good Warfare:
  • Christian life is framed as spiritual warfare.
  • “The birthmark of the Christian is a bullseye.” (16:20)
  • Talks about the enemy’s desire to "steal, kill, and destroy" and the need to fight prepared.

3. The Weapons of Our Warfare: Worship, Doctrine, Action, and PRAYER (19:30–35:00)

• Worship and Doctrine as War:
  • Worship and sound doctrine are seen as frontline offenses against darkness.
• Paul’s Instruction to Pray:
  • 1 Timothy 2:1 stresses supplication, prayer, intercession, and thanksgiving for all people—summarized as "SPIT."
  • Question: "Is prayer for you a first response or a last resort?" (30:50)

4. Diagnosing Our Prayer Lives (35:00–51:00)

• Confessions about Weak Prayers:
  • Joby admits struggling to prioritize prayer, resonates with many in the congregation.
    • Quote: “What was fundamental in the early church has become supplemental in today’s church.” (38:20)
• Contrast with Early Church:
  • Shares how the early church always responded to crisis with prayer, sometimes praying for boldness rather than circumstantial change.
• Prayer as Power Source:
  • Uses the analogy of a phone and a charger to illustrate that prayer connects us to God’s infinite power.
    • Quote: “Prayer is the cord we have access to, to an infinite almighty God.” (43:30)
• Challenging Questions:
  • If God answered every prayer you prayed last week, how would the world look different?
  • If the Spirit left your life, family, business, or church, would you notice?

5. Desperate and Persistent Prayer (51:00–1:13:00)

• Desperate Dependence:
  • Discusses how we often only pray desperately in crisis; challenges church to pray like "a deer panting for water" (Psalm 42).
    • Quote: “What if we could be a people, that it didn’t require God to put us in a desperate situation for us to desperately cry out for him.” (01:01:30)
• God’s Desire and Invitation:
  • God longs for us to come to him persistently, as children to a loving Father.
• Praying for All People, Especially Leaders:
  • 1 Timothy 2:2 instructs prayer for “kings and all who are in high positions” so believers may live peaceful lives and so “all people may be saved.”
    • Quote: "Grace to a wolf is hate to a sheep. The only way for the sheep to have peace is to go to war against those trying to kill the sheep." (22:22)
• Jesus as Mediator:
  • No need for any intermediary but Christ to access the Father.

6. Praying Boldly—Access through Christ (1:13:00–1:24:00)

• Curtain Torn, Access Granted:
  • Jesus’ sacrifice grants believers direct access to God. Uses the image of a child having unlimited access to the father’s chamber.
• Persistence in Prayer:
  • Most of Jesus’ parables on prayer are about not giving up—knocking, nagging, persistence.
    • Quote: "He really wants you, not just your prayer requests." (1:23:20)

7. Prayer as Relationship, Not Rote (1:24:00–1:44:00)

• The Lord’s Prayer – Its Heart and Misuse:
  • Model prayer is about alignment—God as Father, submission to His will, provision, forgiveness, and deliverance.
  • Warns against mechanical recitation (“It was more like a charm…”).
• Forgiveness as Spiritual Weapon:
  • Nothing smells more like heaven than forgiveness—an act that powerfully retells the gospel.
• Jesus’s Disciples Asked to Be Taught to Pray:
  • Not how to do miracles or preach, but to pray.
  • Quote: "Maybe it was because they realized that prayer was the power source." (1:33:40)

8. Practical Instructions for Prayer (James 5:13–20) (1:44:00–end)

• When to Pray:
  • When suffering: Pray.
  • When cheerful: Sing praises.
  • When sick: Call for the elders, be anointed, and receive prayer.
• Who Needs Prayer:
  • The suffering, the sick, the sinner—everyone.
  • The oil is symbolic, not magical—a sign of God’s Spirit and obedience to His word.
• Confession and Power:
  • Healing and restoration come through confession, intercession, and faith.
    • Quote: “Because of the blood of Jesus… we have been made the righteousness of Christ simply because we believe in him.” (1:50:40)

9. A Call to Prayer and Leadership

• Men’s Leadership:
  • Men are called to be leaders in prayer, confession, repentance—in the home and church.
• Final Invitation:
  • All are invited to approach God boldly, for anything that matters to them.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Miracles & Faith: “If the tomb is empty, anything is possible.” (02:30)
• On Speaking Life: “We need a lot more… men and women speaking truth over some generations coming up under us and saying, ‘Here’s what I see in you.’” (13:40)
• On Warfare: “Christian, the birthmark of the Christian is a bullseye.” (16:20)
• On Prayer’s Centrality: “What was fundamental in the early church has become supplemental in today’s church.” (38:20)
• Analogy: “Prayer is the cord we have access to, to an infinite almighty God.” (43:30)
• On Bold Prayers: “If your prayers are not absolutely intimidating to you, they may be insulting to God.” (48:55)
• On Persistent Access: “The king of glory… is just waiting on the edge of his throne to answer your prayer if you would just ask and ask and keep on asking.” (1:19:40)
• On Teaching Disciples: “The one thing they asked to be taught was to pray.” (1:32:00)
• On Forgiveness: “Nothing smells more like heaven than forgiveness.” (1:37:30)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:02–05:30 – Opening invitation, importance of prayer, Holy Spirit’s welcome
• 05:30–19:30 – Paul mentoring Timothy, insecurity, prophecy, spiritual warfare
• 19:30–35:00 – Weapons of spiritual warfare: worship, doctrine, action, prayer
• 35:00–51:00 – Diagnosing our own prayer lives, comparison to the early church
• 51:00–1:13:00 – Desperation in prayer, persistence, invitation for all people
• 1:13:00–1:24:00 – Our access to God through Christ, persistence, praying for leaders
• 1:24:00–1:44:00 – Lord’s Prayer, heart of prayer, forgiveness, disciples’ request to learn prayer
• 1:44:00–end – James 5 practical steps, who should get prayer, invitation to respond

Final Exhortation

Pastor Joby ends by inviting everyone to respond in prayer, especially those who are suffering, sick, or tangled in sin, and emphasizes that prayer is not supplemental but fundamental to Christian life and victory in spiritual warfare. The service moves into a time of both individual and collective prayer, with an opportunity for anointing and intercession.

“Our weapons of war are not like the weapons of this world. And Paul says, first things first, to wage this good warfare, we pray.” (1:59:50)

For Reflection

• Is prayer your first response or your last resort?
• What “mountains” are you asking God to move?
• How could your life, family, and church change if prayer became foundational, not just supplemental?