"Our Awesome Weapon - Prayer!"
"Knowing Our Enemy" series - Part 7 of 7
Text: Eph. 6:18-20 & Selected
Cross Creek Community Church
August 13, 2000
God’s Word is Powerful, Relevant, and Up to Date!
Ephes. 6:18-20
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."
Today we will be looking at our awesome weapon - PRAYER - last part of our series "Knowing our Enemy"
The Tavern
A tale is told about a small town that had historically been "dry," but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that "no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not."
Why Christians Sin, J. K. Johnston, Discovery House, 1992, p. 129
* What do you think about prayer? Do you receive answers to your prayers?
* A Christian enters the conflict fully dressed in armor -- yet there is something else which is essential -- prayer.
* Prayer holds our armor together, prayer puts the enemy to flight!
Matthew 21:13 "It is written," he said to them, "’My house will be called a house of prayer,’..
1. Pray in the SPIRIT. V18"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
What does it mean to "Pray in the Spirit"?
John 4:24 "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
* Praying in the Spirit always begins with worship, having a proper focus on God and who he is.
* Walking clean, with our sin confessed - holy Holy Spirit filled lives.
* Our enemy cannot stand worship and praising God in the Spirit as we pray.
* This is praying with fervency (hot), expectancy and anticipation, knowing we are in God’s presence.
* We are saved by faith, we also pray in faith -- knowing who our God is! Faith gives birth to prayer.
* Lord, increased our faith -- Lord teach us how to pray: faith and prayer must be exercised to grow.
* As we walk by faith and learn to pray it nourishes our soul as we go through trials and tribulations.
* Do we really believe that God really rewards those who diligently seek Him? YES by faith!
* An earthbound, carnal, worldly satisfied spirit cannot pray -- we need to see the eternal, the invisible.
Mau Mau Uprising
During the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya in 1960, missionaries Matt and Lora Higgens were returning one night to Nairobi through the heart of Mau Mau territory, where Kenyans and missionaries alike had been killed and dismembered. Seventeen miles outside of Nairobi their Land Rover stopped. Higgens tried to repair the car in the dark, but could not restart it. They spent the night in the car, but claimed Psalm 4:8: "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." In the morning they were able to repair the car.
A few weeks later the Higgenses returned to America on furlough. They reported that the night before they left Nairobi, a local pastor had visited them. He told how a member of the Mau Mau had confessed that he and three others had crept up to the car to kill the Higgenses, but when they saw sixteen men surrounding the car, the Mau Mau had left in fear. "Sixteen men?" Higgens responded. "I don’t know what you mean!" While they were on furlough a friend, Clay Brent, asked the Higgenses if they had been in any danger recently. Higgens asked, "Why?" Then Clay said that on March 23, God had placed a heavy prayer burden on his heart. He called the men of the church, and sixteen of them met together and prayed until the burden lifted. Did God send sixteen angels to represent those men and enforce their prayers?
Touch the World Through Prayer, W. Duewel, OMS, pp. 85-6
The power of PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT!
* By being honest and truthful. PRAY IN THE SPIRIT
* Be yourself, don’t try to put on a show -- God knows.
* Don’t try to impress God - you can’t, get alone, be quiet remove your distractions.
* Talk to God, tell Him what is really on your heart - approach God with the right attitude - in the Spirit.
PRAY IN THE SPIRIT...
2. Pray CONTINUALLY. V18"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
God says ALL OCCASIONS.
2 Thes. 1:11 "With this in mind, 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."
* Pray without ceasing, always, constant unbroken consciousness of God’s presence and care.
* In the midst of discouragement, doubt, fear, and even in the midst of good times (often the hardest time).
* We often only pray during the crisis of our lives -- we need daily strength, guidance, and protection.
* We need to be totally devoted to our Lord and prayer -- if not - our prayers are vain and unheard.
* Can we pray without praying? Has our prayers lost its wings? We have not because we ask not.
* We can be busy in activity "for the Lord", and yet not be praying. God desires a "willing" heart.
* Our external life must have a deep internal groundwork of prayer -- or else your life will be feeble and weak and fruitless. Example of a tree and its unseen, essential, tremendous root system.
* Are our actions and words matching our heart? Are we praying continually? Having an attitude of prayer.
PRAY IN THE SPIRIT, PRAY CONTINUALLY...
3. Pray with DIVERSITY. V18"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Matthew 6:7 "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." KJV
John 14:14 "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
* This is all kinds of prayers, every form of prayer that is appropriate, Spirit led.
* Publicly, privately, loud cries, soft whispers, silently, deliberately and planned, spontaneously, while sitting, standing, kneeling, or even lying down, in our homes, in our church, while working, while traveling, with your hands folded, with your hands raised, with your eyes open, or closed, with your head bowed, or your head looking up.
* We are not to use vain repetitions, same prayer said over and over and over again God says don’t do it - That is the way the heathen, the unsaved pagans pray.
* We should pray for needs not our wants, forgiveness of sins, spiritual protection and for other people.
* Prayers of praise and thanksgiving, prayers of confession, prayers for Mercy and help in time of need.
* We often get into a spiritual rut of praying the same thing over and over.
* Prayer is like a muscle - it needs to be exercised.
* A prayer journal is very helpful. Pray for laborers to go into the harvest field -- for lost souls.
* We need to be praying in the Spirit, praying continually, and praying with diversity.
PRAY IN THE SPIRIT, PRAY CONTINUALLY, PRAY WITH DIVERSITY...
4. Pray PERSISTENTLY. V18"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
1 Peter 4:7 "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."
Mt. 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
* We need to always be alert to our spiritual enemy, always watching, being persistent.
* Our Lord said, "men ought always to pray and not to faint". God’s children will be prayerful.
* We need to cultivate a consistent, habitual prayer life, understanding our timing IS NOT God’s timing.
* Can we be called a Christian if we do not pray? We need a sweet communion with God -- persistent.
* Daniel prayed for 21 days before the answer arrived - persistence develops our trust & faith in our Lord.
* The Christian soldier, if he fights to win, must pray much.
* We are in a warfare, an intense conflict, a lifelong contest against OUR enemy the devil.
* Be alert, for our struggle is great against malignant forces of evil - Our enemy is invisible, supernatural, defeated only by our Lord, with our armor and prayer.
* We must pray with an intensity, a fervency -- our victories depend upon our praying.
* Our spiritual armor is energized by prayer - the ’oil’ in the engine, absolutely essential - BE PERSISTENT.
Men of Prayer
God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men...What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use-men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men-men of prayer.
Preacher and Prayer, E. M. Bounds, 1907, pp. 5,7
PRAY IN THE SPIRIT, PRAY CONTINUALLY, PRAY WITH DIVERSITY, PERSISTENCE....
5. Pray SPECIFICALLY. V 18-19"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
Romans 15:30 "I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me."
* The Bible primarily calls us to pray about spiritual needs rather than physical needs.
* God primarily calls us to pray for others rather than ourselves -- the greatest thing we can do for other believers or that they can do for us is to pray.
* Praying causes the body Christ to grow spiritually. Praying produces "burdens" for others, our love grows.
* A spiritually healthy Christian is devoted to the welfare of others - be involved with others.
* The root of spiritual sickness is the preoccupation with self. -- destructive self-centeredness.
* Pray for others generally, our government, United States, our military, the body of Christ around the world.
* But also pray specifically for Friends of Israel and Roger Bogosky in particular.
Cattle on a Thousand Hills
In its early days, Dallas Theological Seminary was in critical need of $10,000 to keep the work going. During a prayer meeting, renowned Bible teacher Harry Ironside, a lecturer at the school, prayed, "Lord, you own the cattle on a thousand hills. Please sell some of those cattle to help us meet this need." Shortly after the prayer meeting, a check for $10,000 arrived at the school, sent days earlier by a friend who had no idea of the urgent need or of Ironside’s prayer. The man simply said the money came from the sale of some of his cattle!
Today in the Word, MBI, January, 1990, p. 36
* Pray for every single, specific things in other peoples lives. -- jobs, health, salvation, relationships, housing, vehicles, spouses, children, finances, vacations, churches, Sunday school classes, types of ministry I should be involved in, spiritual growth, even help in praying.
* You have not because you ask not. Paul says, to pray for the Saints and also pray for him.
* Matthew 26: 31 says, "strike the shepherd, scatter the sheep". -- Church leaders are Satan’s special targets.
* The more faithful and fruitful a Pastor is, the more his people need to pray for his strength and protection.
* Satan will use every situation to try to weaken, distract, or discredit God’s leaders and God’s people.
PRAY IN THE SPIRIT, PRAY CONTINUALLY, PRAY WITH DIVERSITY, PRAY WITH PERSISTENCE, PRAY SPECIFICALLY
Power of Prayer in Salvation
Some years ago a young girl was very sick and not expected to recover. Because of her love for Jesus, she was troubled that she had not been able to do more for Him in her short life. Her pastor suggested that she make a list of people in their little town who needed Christ and pray that they might put their faith in Him. She took his advice, made a list, and prayed often for each person.
Some time later God began to stir a revival in the village. The girl heard of the people who were coming to Christ and prayed even more. As she heard reports, she checked off the names of those who had been led to the Lord.
After the girl died, a prayer list with the names of 56 people was found under her pillow. All had put their faith in Christ-the last one on the night before her death.
Such is the power of definite, specific, fervent prayer. Do you have a prayer list?
Henry G. Bosch, Our Daily Bread, March-May, 1996, p. for April 3
John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
Walk in the JOY of YOUR Christian life - LEARN TO PRAY!
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