“The prayers of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16)…
The Bible teaches us to keep those lines of communication open with God 24/7 365 (1 Thes 5:17).
Paul also instructs us to…
“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere”
— Ephesians 6:18
Prayer is not mentioned as a part of the armor; but we would not be overrating its importance if we say that it is the atmosphere in which the soldier must live and breathe.
It is the spirit in which he must don the armor and face the foe.
Prayer should be continual, not sporadic; a habit, not an isolated act.
Then too the soldier should use all kinds of prayer: public and private; deliberate and spontaneous; supplication and intercession; confession and humiliation; praise and thanksgiving.
And prayer should be in the Spirit, that is, inspired and led by Him, including the daily use of our spiritual prayer language, which the Bible tells us will edify us and build up our most holy faith (read Rom 8:26-27, 1 Cor 14:2-5 and Jude 1:20).
Formal prayers recited merely by rote (without giving thought to their meaning)—of what value are they in combat against the hosts of hell?
We are to WATCH and PRAY… remaining vigilant in our prayers, as we are watchful, meaning (like Gideon’s 300 – Judges 7), being aware of the enemy’s devices, movements and strategies.
When we pray for others, we are essentially asking God to bless them and help them.
We can pray for anyone we know- our friends, family members, co-workers, or even strangers.
Prayer is one of the most powerful things we can do to connect with God and His will for our lives.
When we pray for others, we are asking God to intervene on their behalf. We are bringing their needs before the throne of grace and asking for His help.
Praying for others is not only a selfless act, but it is also one that can have a profound impact on our own lives.
As we pray for the needs of others, we open our hearts to God’s love and compassion.
We become more aware of the needs of those around us, and we are better able to connect with them on a deeper level.
When we pray for others, it also allows us to experience the joy that comes from seeing someone else receive God’s blessings.
It is a wonderful feeling to know that we have played a part in someone else’s healing or salvation.
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Max Lucado’s Life Lessons…
Ephesians 5:21—6:24
To fight effectively in their spiritual battle, the Ephesians must know Christ, obey His standards, and be prepared to fight.
Each Christian has a responsibility to love, honor, and respect.
If faithful to these duties, Christians will find themselves united against the spiritual power of evil.
We are urged to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).
Well we should, for they are organized.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Jesus spoke of the “gates of hell” (Matthew 16:18 KJV), a phrase that suggests the “council of hell.”
Our enemy has a complex and conniving spiritual army.
Dismiss any image of a red-suited Satan with pitchfork and pointy tail.
The devil is a strong devil. . . . For a toothless ol’ varmint, Satan sure has some bite!
He spooks our work, disrupts our activities, and leaves us thinking twice about where we step.
Which we need to do.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
Alertness is needed. Panic is not.
The serpent still wiggles and intimidates, but he has no poison.
He is defeated, and he knows it! “He knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12).
“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Believe it. Trust the work of your Savior.
“Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
In the meantime, the best he can do is squirm.
(From Next Door Savior by Max Lucado)
Suffice it to say, we are in a spiritual battle against the powers of the evil world.
Read about each piece of God’s armor as recorded in Ephesians 6, then mentally “put on” each piece of armor.
Then think about how that piece will help you in your battle.
When we pray we’re entering a spiritual zone. Our prayers penetrate a spiritual zone. We are communicating through the air over hostile territory.
The Bible teaches us the Rules of Engagement in spiritual warfare, and how we are to conduct such warfare, and it most definitely is NOT through our carnal minds, nor through our flesh.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
New King James Version
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
It’s through our time alone with God and through our daily devotional prayers and communion with Him that we are actually putting on the mind of Christ and are getting our battle instructions.
When we pray we’re setting ourselves in direct opposition to the demonic activity in this world.
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Wednesday, Sept 28
Faithit Devotionals
“I’M PRAYING FOR YOU”
by Kelsey Straeter
It’s one of the most common phrases Christians blurt out in response to a friend or family member’s hardships—but how often do we actually follow through?
“I’m praying for you” has almost become a colloquial cliché as commonplace as the “How are you?” we say to passing colleagues in the hallway and the “I’m sorry for your loss” we offer to hurting friends at a funeral.
The difference, however, is that the latter two phrases do not require action, whereas “I’m praying for you” does.
So often, I believe we fail to follow up on this promise to pray because we are not equipped with the knowledge of how we are supposed to pray.
As believers who desire to live with intention and purpose, it’s important that we learn how to pray well, both for our own personal good and on behalf of our fellow brothers and sisters.
So who better to look to as an example than our own Lord and Savior Jesus, who set the gold standard for praying to God boldly, believingly, and fervently in the face of a wide array of afflictions.
Here are 11 Bible verses that reflect on how our Savior prayed and teach us how God commanded us to pray both in our daily walks and in response to hardship:
1.) Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”
2.) Mark 1:35
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
3.) Philippians 4:3-7
“Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all, for the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
4.) Romans 12:12
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
5.) Luke 22:42
“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ’Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me: yet not my will, but yours be done.’”
6.) 1 John 5:14
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
7.) James 1:6
“Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who ‘worry their prayers’ are like wind-whipped waves.”
8.) 2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
9.) Ephesians 6:18
“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 Lord’s people.”
10.) Mark 11:24
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
11.) Matthew 6:7
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”
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