Good day
In Part 8 we looked at the sword of the Spirit and in today's message I'd like to focus on how we can take a stand through prayer.
Ephesians 6:14-17
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
When it comes to prayer, we must understand that we didn't come up with the idea to pray, God did. He established prayer and therefore invites us to pray.
Please see below scriptures:
🔵 Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
🔵 Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
🔵 Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
🔵 Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
🔵 James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
🔵 Mark 11:24
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
🔵 John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
🔵 John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
🔵 1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.
Based on the above we can see that prayer is by God's design.
That it's His intention - He said to ask and He will answer, we didn't come up with the idea - He set the truth of prayer in motion.
He therefore established prayer and invites us to pray ...
Knowing this, we are therefore encouraged to come to God, believing and trusting in Him, standing in faith and declaring the promise that we're believing Him for.
Now whilst this knowledge is great for us in our own personal capacity (knowing that we can pray to God about our private matters), it also comes with a responsibility.
Please see below scriptures highlighting some of the other things God expects us to be praying for:
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.
1 Timothy 2: 1-4
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Ephesians 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 Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Philippians 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Colossians 1:9-12
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:15-19
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Colossians 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Luke 10:2
Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
We can see from the above scriptures that there's an expectation from God that we pray for more than just ourselves. This is why I said earlier that whilst this knowledge (that God invites us to pray and desires to answer our prayers) is great for us in our own personal capacity, that it also comes with a responsibility.
The great thing about this though is that, based on what we've already covered above (How prayer is by God's design, that it's His intention, that He set the truth of prayer in motion, has established prayer and invites us to pray, etc.) Is that He wouldn't ask, or expect us, to pray for the things mentioned in these scriptures if He wasn't prepared to answer or come good on those requests. Meaning that these scriptures also reveal to us God's desires - that He wants to heal our land, that He wants us to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, that He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, that He wants to us to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that our walk may be worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in us, that He wants us to stand perfect and complete in all of His will, and that He wants us to be labourers, bringing in His harvest ...
Our responsibility however, is that He expects us to pray for it.
In conclusion, I want to encourage us all to do some personal reflection on our time in prayer, asking ourselves, when it comes to the time, effort, commitment, faithfulness and diligence we put into praying and trusting God for a car, house, a financial increase, a promotion at work, a job/new job, and then maybe for our children, family, our personal well-being, wisdom on how to deal with a personal matter, etc. do we apply that same amount of time, effort, commitment, faithfulness and diligence in praying and trusting God for those other areas mentioned in the above scriptures?
In addition, to reflect and ask ourselves: As diligent as I can be in praying, standing in faith, seeking and trusting God for my personal wants, desires and circumstances, do I apply that same amount of diligence in praying, standing in faith, seeking and Him on what He wants me to do to reach my neighbours or community with the gospel of Jesus Christ, who He wants me to reach out to in my work place, if there's an area He wants me to serve in at my church or a ministry to get involved in, if there's any projects He'd like me to support financially, that if there's someone who may be in need of a word of encouragement today or has a need today, that He can ask me to share it, etc.
To be clear, God is not against us asking Him about our personal matters or to meet personal needs, but my encouragement is this: Let us also consider - that if faith works, and it does... If prayer works, and it does... If declaring God's word works, and it does... then on the one hand, yes this is encouraging because it means I can pray to God about my personal needs and circumstances, but then on the other hand, let me also realise - that because prayer works - that I also take up the responsibility to pray for others, for the things mentioned in the above paragraph, for the things mentioned in the above scriptures, for the things God desires and that bring Him glory, for the things that bring eternal rewards and eternal fruit.
So let's all take a stand, by taking up the responsibility of prayer.
Amen
In Part 8 we looked at the sword of the Spirit and in today's message I'd like to focus on how we can take a stand through prayer.
Ephesians 6:14-17
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
When it comes to prayer, we must understand that we didn't come up with the idea to pray, God did. He established prayer and therefore invites us to pray.
Please see below scriptures:
🔵 Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
🔵 Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
🔵 Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
🔵 Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
🔵 James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
🔵 Mark 11:24
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
🔵 John 15:7
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
🔵 John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
🔵 1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.
Based on the above we can see that prayer is by God's design.
That it's His intention - He said to ask and He will answer, we didn't come up with the idea - He set the truth of prayer in motion.
He therefore established prayer and invites us to pray ...
Knowing this, we are therefore encouraged to come to God, believing and trusting in Him, standing in faith and declaring the promise that we're believing Him for.
Now whilst this knowledge is great for us in our own personal capacity (knowing that we can pray to God about our private matters), it also comes with a responsibility.
Please see below scriptures highlighting some of the other things God expects us to be praying for:
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.
1 Timothy 2: 1-4
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Ephesians 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 Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Philippians 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Colossians 1:9-12
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:15-19
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Colossians 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Luke 10:2
Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
We can see from the above scriptures that there's an expectation from God that we pray for more than just ourselves. This is why I said earlier that whilst this knowledge (that God invites us to pray and desires to answer our prayers) is great for us in our own personal capacity, that it also comes with a responsibility.
The great thing about this though is that, based on what we've already covered above (How prayer is by God's design, that it's His intention, that He set the truth of prayer in motion, has established prayer and invites us to pray, etc.) Is that He wouldn't ask, or expect us, to pray for the things mentioned in these scriptures if He wasn't prepared to answer or come good on those requests. Meaning that these scriptures also reveal to us God's desires - that He wants to heal our land, that He wants us to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, that He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, that He wants to us to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that our walk may be worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in us, that He wants us to stand perfect and complete in all of His will, and that He wants us to be labourers, bringing in His harvest ...
Our responsibility however, is that He expects us to pray for it.
In conclusion, I want to encourage us all to do some personal reflection on our time in prayer, asking ourselves, when it comes to the time, effort, commitment, faithfulness and diligence we put into praying and trusting God for a car, house, a financial increase, a promotion at work, a job/new job, and then maybe for our children, family, our personal well-being, wisdom on how to deal with a personal matter, etc. do we apply that same amount of time, effort, commitment, faithfulness and diligence in praying and trusting God for those other areas mentioned in the above scriptures?
In addition, to reflect and ask ourselves: As diligent as I can be in praying, standing in faith, seeking and trusting God for my personal wants, desires and circumstances, do I apply that same amount of diligence in praying, standing in faith, seeking and Him on what He wants me to do to reach my neighbours or community with the gospel of Jesus Christ, who He wants me to reach out to in my work place, if there's an area He wants me to serve in at my church or a ministry to get involved in, if there's any projects He'd like me to support financially, that if there's someone who may be in need of a word of encouragement today or has a need today, that He can ask me to share it, etc.
To be clear, God is not against us asking Him about our personal matters or to meet personal needs, but my encouragement is this: Let us also consider - that if faith works, and it does... If prayer works, and it does... If declaring God's word works, and it does... then on the one hand, yes this is encouraging because it means I can pray to God about my personal needs and circumstances, but then on the other hand, let me also realise - that because prayer works - that I also take up the responsibility to pray for others, for the things mentioned in the above paragraph, for the things mentioned in the above scriptures, for the things God desires and that bring Him glory, for the things that bring eternal rewards and eternal fruit.
So let's all take a stand, by taking up the responsibility of prayer.
Amen