Spiritual Warfare (SW-15)
Ephesians 6:18-19
Praying in the Spirit
Have you ever stopped and ask yourself why you pray? Or why you no longer pray even though you know you ought to pray?
Do you pray in order to change the mind of an unchangeable God?
Or do you pray thinking that prayer is a trade off for divine favor - the more to you pray the more credits you get - like taking your teacher a box of chocolates.
Or do you pray out of desperation - simply because that’s all you have left.
Or do you pray out of obedience even though you are not sure why and do not understand the issue of prayer.
This morning I want to give you the good news about one of the most amazing and powerful pieces of armor you will read about in the New Testament.
Please open your Bibles with me to the book of Ephesians . . . Eph 6:18-19
Read - Pray
1. Your Praying Must Be Spontaneous
With all prayer and petitions
All
Not just your morning prayer - or your family prayer or your corporate prayer - all different types of prayer
Petitions are bold requests drawn by our confidence in the character of God - it means to bind or settle a thing by coming in agreement with God about it.
2. Your Praying Must Be Continuous
Pray at all times
1 Thessalonians 5:17 "pray without ceasing;"
Col 4:2 Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;"
3. Your Praying Must Be Supernatural
In the Spirit
Jude 20-21 "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit."
4. Your Praying Must be Submissive
This is where one of the greatest misunderstandings exist when it comes to prayer - prayer is not about getting God to do wheat I want Him to do - it is about getting me to do what He wants me to do. It is not the manipulative technique for getting our wants and desires met, it is about submissions.
Jesus prayer - not my will but thine.
The Lord’s prayer - thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven
Romans 8:26-27 "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."
Psalm 145v18-19, "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. "He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him; He also will hear their cry, and will save them."
Prayer is about supernaturally realigning a fallen world with the truth - the perfect will of God.
Why is the important - because the power of prayer in not that I desire it but that God has purposed it.
When I understand that - prayer will make the difference between victory and defeat.
Now understand the power of Paul’s teaching here -
He is saying, Christian - when you get up in the morning and put on the full armor of God . . .
When you have put on the belt of truth knowing its power and authority . . .
When you have out on the breastplate of righteousness knowing its protection and its integrity . . .
When you have your shoes of victory that comes from calvary . . .
When you have the shield of faith that extinguishes the attack of the enemy . . .
When you have the helmet of salvation and are thinking with your salvation thinking on . . .
When you have the sword - the Spirit who is the rhema of God on your lips . . .
They pray for the church, pray for the saints and pray for me . . . .
Eph. 6:18b-18 "and with this in view be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints and pray on my behalf that utterance may be given me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel."
Why - because when you pray in that manner - satan will be defeated, the sad old world will realign with God’s purpose, God children will be delivered and the glory of God will fill this place. Oh Christian - will you pray like this?
Prayer is powerfully petitioning God to supernaturally realign a fallen world with His perfect will, and has supernatural power when the petitioner is himself or herself in submission to that will.
Luke 5:16 "But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray."
Putting on the whole armor of God is not fighting in spiritual warfare; it is only preparation for the battle. The battle is prayer.
- Exodus 17: 8–16; Daniel 10:10–15
Preaching is not the battle
Witnessing is not the battle
I would suggest to you this morning that prayer os the battle ground and praying is where the victory is gained. Preaching and witnessing simply collect the spoils of war won in the battles of prayer.
Spiritual warfare requires continual, faithful, and disciplined praying.
Spiritual warfare requires varied and appropriate praying.
Spiritual warfare requires Spirit-led praying.
Spiritual warfare requires watchful praying.
Spiritual warfare requires persevering praying.
Spiritual warfare requires bold, intercessory praying.
The Armor of God
My Daily Confession
"Heavenly Father, I praise and worship you because you are God. I am honored to be your servant and I take my stand today against the devil and his schemes against me, my family and my ministry. Father, as I take up each piece of the armor, please secure it in place on me.
I gird my loins with the belt of truth. Your Word, O God, is truth. Father, sanctify me according to Your Word and remind me through the Holy Spirit of the truth that destroys the lies of Satan, sin and sickness.
I put on the breastplate of righteousness, which covers my body with the righteousness of God. In Christ, every foothold of evil has been cleansed and I am clothed in righteousness!
I shod my feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. I have peace with God through the blood of Jesus. I have favor with God and with man. I walk in my inheritance as an adopted son of God and have authority over evil in Jesus’ name.
I take up the shield of faith and extend it over myself. It extinguishes all the fiery darts of the evil one.
I put on the helmet of salvation, which protects my mind from the enemy’s attacks. I have the mind of Christ - and think with my ‘salvation’ thinking.
I will use the Sword of the Spirit who is the rhema of God as it applies to whatever situation I may face today. Father, please remind me of your Word through Your Rhema Spirit.
I will continue to pray in the Spirit throughout the day, and intercede for all Christians as the Holy Spirit prompts me. I believe that the Holy Spirit is interceding on my behalf according to Your Word prayers.
Thank you, Father, for the whole armor of God. Thank You for surrounding me with your hedge of protection as I move forward on the spiritual battlefield today. I praise and worship you now and forever, Amen."
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