All Dressed Up: Part 5
Message Summary:
In Sunday’s message, Pastor John Carter continued to teach us that the moment we enter the kingdom of light, we become the target of the enemy. We enter into a war and we need to get dressed up for battle. That is why we need to learn how to suit up in the armor God has given to his children to fight their battles. That is why Ephesians 6 commands us to stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might by putting on the full armor of God – the belt of truth (John 17:17), the breastplate of righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21), shoes of the gospel of peace (Romans 16:20), the shield of faith (1 Cor. 16:13), the helmet of salvation (1 Thess. 5:8), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Heb. 4:12).
But don’t forget the last command to God’s army. Put on your armor and don’t forget to keep “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end…” (Eph. 6:18). This is our last piece of weaponry – the spear, our long-distance weapon. It was used strategically at the beginning of the battle. We need to know the different kinds of prayer we can employ:
Different Types of Prayer:
Prayer of Petition – prayer request, usually for yourself and for your own needs.
Prayer of Praise and Proclamation – prayers formed and rooted in the power of scriptures.
Prayer of Agreement (Binding and Loosening) – when two or three gather together in prayer, and enter into agreement to lose the power of God into the situation.
Prayer of Consecration and Dedication – prayer of surrender to God, and fresh dedication to God (ex. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane).
Prayer of Thanksgiving (Phil. 4) – prayer of appreciation to God for specific works of wonder (past, present and future) He has done in your life.
Prayer of Intercession – prayer for someone else, employing prayer for someone else’s needs.
Our spear is our weapon of prayer. Prayer fights for us from afar, offensively and defensively, and invites God into the fight with us (Phil. 4:6-7). It is important that we are watchful and aware that we are at war, and we cannot just sit by and let our enemy win. We have been given divine authority to push back the devil, and we must learn to effectively use our prayers to fight back. We need to remember to “pray always.” God is with you all the time through the Holy Spirit, and you need to connect with Him all the time. Prayer should be like breathing for the believer. Prayer, together with the promises of God’s word (sword of the Spirit), is a powerful weapon against the enemy!
Scriptures:
[Ephesians 6:17-18 NKJV] 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…
[Ephesians 6:18 NIV] 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.
[Matthew 7:7-8, 11 NKJV] 7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ... 11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
[John 15:7-8 NKJV] 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. 8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
Discussion Questions:
Why do you think we need to start praying at the beginning of the battle, rather than waiting for more information?
How is prayer our long-distance weapon?
Why do we need to pray about everything, and over every opportunity?
What is the importance of “praying always?”
Why is it so important that we pray the word of God over our life?
Life Application:
Over the next week, as you study the key scriptures, examine your life and ask yourself this question: Prayer is your long-distance weapons you release at the beginning of a battle. Do you pray regularly? Are you using the different styles of prayer? Do you have prayer partners, other believers who know how to pray and you can trust to pray for you? Who are you praying for? We have been given divine authority to push back the devil, and we must learn to effectively use our prayers to fight back. Now is the time to learn how to be a prayer warrior!