Father, Help us to know our main reason and purpose for being here upon this earth. We are so excited by lesson 16 in which we found our kinetic power from you able to defeat the enemy of our souls that we cannot contain ourselves. We realize that we must work the works of the Kingdom, yet keep in mind the ruler of our spirits… the Lord Jesus. Help us to always, in the forefront of our hearts, be mindful of where the power really is, and exalt you in everything we do and say.

"Satan trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees."

Key Word - "utterance"

Freedom is a strong motivation to live and die for or suffer in prison with the expectation of obtaining release. Paul the Apostle, bound by chains, and in prison for improper reasons writes his most dynamic epistle to his beloved friends in the Body of Christ. He speaks well of his brother in the family of Jesus, Tychicus. He sends his regards and seeks to eliminate the worry of his brethren concerning his safety. How he loved the brethren in the family of God! His lesson on prayer is punctuated by his fervor on their behalf. Small creatures which squeak and make noise in the night are his constant companions; we suppose, he constantly asks protection from their assault. Only Jesus can provide him with the comfort needed to write the letter of love that constrains him to live daily and petition the Father for favorable treatment from the guards. In this final lesson, Paul challenges us to think and pray about the future of the Kingdom of God!

There are various kinds of prayer, petition, formal, silent, vocal, secret, and public. The armor or panoply of God must always be worn in connection with believing prayer (cf. 1 Thess 5:17; Col 4:2). Prayer is used for prayer in general and supplication is the word used for petition. The same Holy Spirit who swings the sword of the Word must also be active in our praying. In every great spiritual warrior that we have ever read about was a distinct prayer warrior attitude - first. Usually their greatest enemy was their impure hearts that could not get silent before their God to be in the right frame of mind to interact with their Father in heaven. Prayer is hard work! We cannot see God, and so by faith we almost assume that we are conversing with Him. Praying to an invisible God, believing that He exists, is definitely a matter of faith.

Even in prison Paul was not thinking primarily of his own welfare but of his testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in Acts 28:30-31 that Paul spoke to all who came to him while he was a prisoner in his own hired house in Rome. Paul here is asking for their prayers on his behalf that he might have an out-spoken clarity, i.e. frankness, bluntness, publicity for the Gospel. Paul had a one track mind!

Paul is an elder; or a senior, he is a representative in fetters and wants to have the opportunities to speak boldly to be frank in utterance, or confident in spirit and demeanor:

One of the few personal references in this epistle. Tychicus. Evidently the bearer of the letter (cf. Col 4:7). As in writing to the Philippians, Paul wants them to know how it is with him, and he wants to know about them.

The churches where Paul had preached, were concerned about his welfare. He was a prisoner in Rome. Obviously, in this situation, he felt it proper to dispatch a special messenger to give information about his condition; to relay information about what was happening in Rome. He coveted their prayers; and to administer wisdom to them in their various difficulties.

The Epistle is closed with the usual salutations. Peace, the quiet kind of peace which exists on a cool desert night. Love united with faith or persuasion, [i.e. credence; moral conviction;] not only desiring that they might have faith, but the faith which is worked by love. The Father and the Son are regarded as equally the author of peace and love.

With a pure heart; without dissembling; without hypocrisy. There could not be a more appropriate close of the Epistle than such a wish; there will be nothing more needful for us when we come to the close of life than the memory that we love the Lord Jesus Christ.