Notes of Faith March 13, 2026
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit
July 15, 2001
“TRUE PRAYER”
. . . devoted to prayer.
Romans 12:12c
I have written to many of you over the past month. In my notes I’ve stated that I’m praying for you. The question is, what have I been praying? I’ve also asked for requests. Thank you for giving me something specific to pray for.
However, the most effective prayer I could ever pray for you is the type of petition Paul made for the Ephesians. This is found in Ephesians 3:16 ff:
. . . that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith . . .
Isn’t that where the battle is really raging? In the inner man? That is where I fight my severest battles - right down deep in my heart. Battles in the form of doubt, fear, resentment, and a million other things.
I feel weak in the inner man sometimes. That is where we most often faint. Let me encourage you to pray that prayer in Ephesians for your fellow believers, for Pastor Dale, for Pastor Randy, and for me. We surely appreciate it.
Specific prayer is essential regarding certain things, but you will never miss if you concentrate on the strengthening of the inner man. Let’s make this a priority.
If you don’t know how to pray in this way, ask God to show you. Go through other prayers of the Apostle Paul to learn his style. You’ll find similar prayers in Philippians 1 and Colossians 3. These three chapters have been of great help to me in my personal prayer life. I’m sure they will help you. God bless.
Love to you all,
Pastor Charles Covington
1 Thess 5:17-18
17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Col 1:9-14
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
2 Thess 1:11-12
We constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 8:26
We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
God prompts us to pray and responds to our prayers. Let us fervently lift up one another daily as you are prompted and know of one another’s needs. We always have need to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Pastor Dale