INTRO: So many changes in our culture, our society even within our own lives. I remember when I was in Jr. High, how I thought I knew most things, when reached H.S. I knew almost everything. Especially when it came to knowing more than my parents on issues dealing with my life. Today I realize what little I do know. (not insecure) I’ve come to realize the more we learn and understand the note we realize how little we know.
ex. Being in a hole (learning everything) cavern (learn everything) world (learn everything), universe (etc.)
- That’s why it’s important young people to listen to advice of parents because they have been there. Likewise, we need to listen to our Father because He know hest for our lives.
Conclude our series "Dress for success"
TEXT: Ephesians Chapter 6
I. Review - 4 steps to success
* v10 Depend on His power
* v11 Take our stand 3x to stand
* v14-17 Dress in His armor
1)Belt of Truth - Word of God
2)Breastplate of Righteousness - JC righteousness
3)Gospel Shoes of Peace - We’re peacemakers, not trouble makers
4)Shield of Faith - faith God will act on promises, word
5)Helmet of Salvation - knowing that we are truly saved
6)Sword of Spirit - scriptures and promises God quickens to our mind
*This sermon is 4th step to success
Satan does not get scared when we are getting dressed, it is when we go into battle (on our knees). "The devil trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees".
- Reason why so many christians are defeated is because they don’t know where the battle is.
II. 4 tips to strengthen your communication with God
A. Pray in the spirit - Eph. 6:18 (read)
1. Phrase in the Spirit - means communion with the Spirit or in the power of the Spirit. Let the Spirit be the atmosphere in which you pray.
- Prayer is not getting man’s will in heaven, but God’s will on earth.
2. Speaking in other tongues - a manifestation of the mind of the Spirit of God employing human speech organs.
B. Basic reasons
1.Aide preaching the Gospel - Acts 2; HS came began speaking in other tongues, each one heard words of his own language. Then Peter began sharing the Gospel.
2Exhorts the body - I Cor. 14; interpretation edifies the body.
3Builds us up when we are weak - Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
C.Pray in Spirit - can be a type of listening prayer.
- Prayers God answers on earth are prayers that begin in heaven.
1. Bible speaks of our relationship with Him as friends.
a.Important characteristic of friend - someone who listens
ex. friend all they do is talk, talk, talk, talk. These type of friends are never very close friends because all they do is talk about themselves, (If we’re not careful, that’s how we are with God, always talking and never listening)
b.Bible speaks of relationship with God Master, servant relationship - Servant listento instructions, anyway a good servant listens to his master. (imagine an employee telling his boss what to do. He wouldn’t be around very long)
*But do we not do this with God?
c. Bible speaks relationship with God as husband and wife relationship.
- We are the bride of Christ, ladies supposed to listen to husbands (all the men say "Amen")
ex...Brother & sister planning dad’s funeral. Brother asks sister what were dad’s last words. Sister replied, there were none. Brother asks why not. Because mom was with him to the very end.
- Healthy relationship listens to one another.
d. Bible speaks our relationship with God the Father - child
-We need to listen because Father knows best
*Attitude speak Lord (He gave I mouth and 2 ears possible to show us we need to listen twice as much as we speak)
- Holy Spirit gives us a direction to pray. Word, verse, thought ex...Confusion Missionary over settlement inheritance
Charles Sprugon - prayer is an art only the Holy Spirit can teach us.
2. Lingering prayer - v18 (read)
a. All occasions - go around in Spirit of prayer (not meaning going around with your head down and your eyes closed all the time)
I Thess. 5:17 "Pray continually" meaning your conscious of His presence, basking in the sunshine (nice it is to feel warmth of sun, same with God’s presence).
- Communicating with God but sadly we don’t spend enough time in prayer.
ex. "I didn’t have time" - Opportunities:
1.Sunday 8:00 - 8:30 a.m.
2.Tuesday 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
3.Wednesday 6:00 - 6:30 p.m.
4.Thursday 6:00 - 6:45 a.m. - Men’s breakfast
b. All types of prayers
1.Accrustic - Acts: (adoration) - praising Him confess – (confess) our sins thanksgiving – (thanks) for blessing (supplication) - request
2..Hand - Praise, thanksgiving, confession, intercession, petition, listen
-Prayer - GK (proseuche) This word is used the most in the NT
Pros (deals with intimacy) John 1:1 "In the beginning was the word and the word was_ with God. Euche - now, pledge
* Both together - speaks of intimate relationship with sacrifice
3. Pray laboring - v18 - Alert and pray for all the Saints
a. Keep on - talks of a perseverance, strength - never let down our spiritual guard
1. Invisible war - God’s forces fighting against the evil forces
ex....Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane, inner circle pray with Him, Peter, 2 sons, Zebedee, He so troubled He went off and prayed alone. Came back, saw the sleeping and says Matt. 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
- The enemy uses our own weakness against ourselves.
I Peter 5:8 "Be self controlled and alert, your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
2. Great victories - counter attack
ex...WWII (Battle bulge), Vietnam tenth offensive
a.Joshua victory Jericho, cruised in defeat at Ai because of Achins sin! - Jesus says Matt. 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
-GK grammar gives us the idea of perseverance
- Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking
b.Hard work to pray - Pastor Cho - largest church in world - talks about members of his church are a praying people.
- Pastor Cho says prayer is the hardest work I know.
- This is where battles are won and lost (Don’t be like lady lost her broach)
4.Loving prayer - keep on praying for all the saints
a.Most prayers deal with blessing me or my family and more needs to be focused on others. ex..story of women praying "Lord I’m not selfish, I’m praying for my mother. Lord I’d pray you make her happy by bringing her a son-in-law."
- Sometimes we try & hide our true feelings to God and He knows everything.
b. Pray for Saints
- The story is told of a long ago couple who said farewell to their home church as they went to the mission field in Africa (known as the white man’s grave). We feel strange Dread going like going down into a pit, we are willing to take the risk and go if you will promise to hold the rope (they did). Less than 2 years passed when the wife and child died of the fever. Soon the husband realized his days were also numbered so he went back home and decided to come back to the church on Wed. night prayer meeting. He sat in back, did not hear my prayers, offered up on their behalf. After over, walk to the front and said "I’m your missionary. My wife and child are buried in Africa and I’ve come home to die. You prayed for everything connected with yourselves and your home circle, but you forgot me. I see now why I am a failure as a missionary. It is because you have failed to hold the rope!"
- Pray for those in spiritual leadership positions.
c. We need to learn how to give in Prayer
Our Father who art in Heaven does not equal My Father who is in Heaven
1.Paul gave when praying for others
We need to realize that when we pray for one another, we are helping each other, building each other up, binding the enemy in each other’s lives.
THOUGHT: v19 (read) Prayed for right words and courage to speak the Gospel.
- Paul didn’t pray for safety (or traveling mercies)
- Paul didn’t pray for comfort in his situation (under house arrest, chained to Roman soldier)
2.This was Paul’s heart - Did God answer? I believe He did. Phil. 1:1-13 (read)
Paul prayed courage to preach the Gospel (The whole palace guard knew why he was is prison)
CONCLUSION: 1991 Desert Storm, air power 1 month ground war was about 100 hours. Saw the pitiful scene of Iraq soldiers surrendering by the tens of thousands, war was almost at an end when ground war began, the air war took the fight out of them.
Prayer is our air war, when we go to battle with air war first, it makes the ground war so much easier. - No one can go into a strong mans house without first tying up the strongman.
