Put
on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation
of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked. 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, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:11-18
No
matter what situation you face in life the truth remains that prayer
changes things. Many of Gods people are discouraged and defeated, not
because the enemy is so strong but because we often fail to use one
of the greatest weapons we have in our arsenal; prayer.
A
non existent prayer life demonstrates a lack of trust in God and His
Word. Conversely a consistent and effective prayer life demonstrates
our belief that God is faithful to His Word and will manifest His
promises in our lives. Our means of “plugging into” God's power
while defeating Satan and his army, prayer allows us to see God at
work while reminding us we are powerless to overcome the works of the
enemy on our own.
It's
clear from Paul's writings that prayer is vital for the believer to
be successful in spiritual warfare. When used only as an
afterthought, we can't expect to fight effectively against the powers
of darkness. It's through faith we appropriate our armor and
spiritual weapons but prayer is the primary means by which the
faithful can arm their spiritual weapons against the enemy. Prayer
puts our faith into action.
The
misinformed belief that prayer is a last resort to use when all else
fails or that it's merely a way for us to get needs met is the reason
many Christians find themselves living lives far below God's
promises. It's only when we understand the armor of God and its
purpose that prayer can become a weapon in itself.
Many
of the issues we face at the hand of the enemy could be avoided if we
just took the time to pray and pray effectively. Accepting the armor
of God as a necessary part of our daily lives yet neglecting to enter
into communion with Him through prayer leaves us open for defeat.
Paul tells us that as we take the shield of faith and the sword of
the spirit it's to be done with an attitude of prayer. A heart and
mind not properly prepared through prayer leaves us ill equipped to
use the sword of the spirit because it's the fellowship with the
spirit through prayer that aligns us with the will of God. However,
having a lifestyle of prayer qualifies us to wield the sword of the
spirit with conviction and results as we fight against the evil that
exists all around us.
The
sword in the hand of a prayerless man or woman can be a means of mass
destruction. But the sword of the spirit in the hands of a praying
man or woman, can break satanic bondage, open the eyes of the blind,
bring healing to sick, open doors that have been closed, close
demonic doors that have been opened, shake nations and set up the
kingdom of God in the earth.
An
active prayer life keeps us spiritually alert. Furthermore the enemy
can't gain advantage over us because our invocation of God's presence
has awakened us from our spiritual sleep. Moreover intercession
allows us to fight for our brothers and sisters until they regain
their strength. We should pray for all saints everywhere that they
would receive a revelation of all that God has provided for them
through Christ.
Humility,
faith, obedience, righteousness, and a contrite heart make prayer a
mighty weapon in the believers life.
Powerful
yet impotent it's the believers use or non-use of prayer that changes
things. Therefore, may God find us often in His presence, praying
effectively and fervently because we have His promise that the
fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much. May God glorify
His name in our lives as we believe in Him enough to come to Him
often in prayer.
Send Prayer Requests here. Or contact us at 832-525-0651.
Praying God's Word Releasing God's Power is a new resource available from Cheryl Donovan and Worth More than Rubies Ministries. The Bundle includes Book, CD, DVD, and Prayer Journal. Pre-order your bundle today by clicking here.
1 comment:
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