Suit up.
Last week we touched on the importance of using the power of prayer for the edification of others, but in order to even begin thinking about pouring the Spirit onto to someone else we have to make sure we are spending time in the Word, letting the Lord fill us first. We know that many of the trials we face in this world of not physical trials, rather spiritual battles. We are seeing more of a demonic presence each day, but I also believe that we are seeing intense revival as well. With that, comes the temptation to jump right into mission because of all the excitement that is knowing Christ. This is especially evident on social media where anyone and everyone can express their opinion and label it as truth all in and for the name of Jesus (coming from a girl with a blog). But it’s important to make the distinction of where our hope is found. If you come to Christ just because your favorite influencer came to Christ (first of all, praise God, because you’ve been introduced to Christ), and if you fall away from the church because your favorite influencer fell away from the church, then your hope was never in Christ, but in man. I think this young generation is very passionate about Christ, but we do not yet deserve the title of zealous because of the lack of dependency and knowledge of the Lord. Passion is a beautiful, emotionally driven response to something that can potentially change, such as a person or object. Our “passions” are often externally motivated: music, art, learning. Zeal, however, is an unwavering enthusiasm and determination for truth, whether that be an ideology or religion. You can think of zeal as the discipline that directs the passion. Without it, the passion is unsustainable and fleeting. So how can we be sure that amidst all the passion we see in ourselves and maybe even in the big names on social media who are coming to Christ we can have a discerning heart for true zeal? Well, pray, obviously. (Matthew 7:16 “You will know them by their fruits.”) But how can we make sure we are getting the most out our prayer so that it bears the most fruit that it can? I want to look at three separate bible passages that can help set up our prayer for abundance.
Let’s visit the Gospel of Matthew. Here, Jesus literally teaches us how to pray! In chapter 6, Jesus piously recites a heartfelt prayer, that we will come to call “The Lord’s Prayer”. I am sure you are familiar, but if you are not, here it is below:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us;
lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil.
With this, the Lord in His wisdom gave us a prayer that we can recite word for word when our own hearts fail to find their own words. Jesus also gives us a guide on how to construct our own prayers to the Father. Let’s look at the Lords Prayer one more time, but let’s break it down into 5 points we can follow in our own contemplative prayer:
PRAISE: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” Jesus begins to pray by offering the Father His due praise.
SURRENDER: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus places His heart in the posture of surrender asking for the Father’s will to be done rather than His own. This is so that we can practice this surrender as creatures whose will is not already perfectly aligned to the Father’s.
PETITION: “Give us this day our daily bread;” Here Jesus asks for God to provide. This is where we can place our petitions in prayer whether that be for a job, a spouse, healing, etc.
REPENTANCE: “and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;” When we recite this part we are asking the Lord to forgive us only to the extent that we forgive others. This is the perfect opportunity to repent from any habitual sins before the Lord and lay down any un-forgiveness in our own hearts.
PROTECTION: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” This is the part of prayer where you have the opportunity to actively fight against the enemy. This is where you can really take your prayer to the next level.
Building off of the 5th point from the Lord’s Prayer we’ll hop to Ephesians 6 from last week. If you haven’t read this passage yet, go ahead and take your Bible out when you have a moment because it’s not too long. I will be quoting and writing out some of it here, but the point of this blog is encourage you to open yours Bibles on your own too. Ephesians 6 reveals three things about what our prayer could and should look like. I think it’s particularly relevant when you get to the point of warfare in the spiritual realm; that takes a certain type of covering and protection of the spirit over yourself so that you are not going in unequipped.
DISPOSITION: V12 says “for our struggles is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.” This verse reveals to us the mindset and disposition we need to have when entering this type of prayer. It is not a playground, it’s a battlefield. Demonic forces are powerful, but our God even more so. When praying for myself, I almost always try to go in without an agenda or plan to “get something out of it”. I go in with the hope that no matter what I ask for, I come out with a changed heart more like Jesus’. In contrast, when I enter into battle, I absolutely go into it with an agenda. The agenda is to completely banish all unclean and demonic spirits that are tampering with my life and the people I care about to ultimately lead to our deaths.
PREPARATION: V13 directly follows with “therefore, put on the armor of God…” Like I said, this is a battlefield. These are not just some scary halloween costumes, but actually living demons we’re taking about. With that said there is a balance. I DO NOT encourage an unhealthy obsession or interest in the demonic realm, even if it stems from the desire to defeat it. Demons do not need your permission to enter you life and plant seeds of death, but they do need your participation. When the situation arises that you need to be the one to pray for protection and the banishment of evil over your house or your child, step up and take it. God will be with you, but also what I am saying is don’t try and go deep into prayer against these forces just for the literal hell of it. Don’t play with fire if you don’t want to get burned. The more you push them back, the harder they will want to attack. (Luke 10:17-20)
MISSION: V18 expresses how we can approach the reality of V12 “With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the spirit.” Everything we do should be be an expression of prayer, no matter if it manifests as praise or cries.
We can be truly equipped for all circumstances through the outpouring of the Spirit in prayer. If you are anywhere near I was a few years ago, no knowing how to fruitfully pray. Try approaching it using the 5 points we discussed today. I also find that the more you are aware and mindful of scripture the easier it will be I to transform your mundane life into a life of prayer.
While Matthew 6:7-8 warns against the repetition of words as prayer, many instances and verses in the Bible demonstrate the value of structure and repetition. (Psalm 136, Matthew 26:44, Matthew 6). I think scripture memorization and repetition will be your greatest piece of armor (Matthew 4). Plug in a few verses throughout your day and watch how your day and heart transforms from the words that flow from it (Proverbs 4:23).
Here is one of the very first verses that I started to incorporate into memorization and turn into prayer:
Romans 12: 1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Pray:
Lord, today I offer my body and works as a living sacrifice. Make me aware of your presence that I may be capable of making decisions that are pleasing to you. Align my heart and mind to your perfect will through the suffering of Christ Jesus. Amen.
Thank you for reading! I hope this weeks blog was encouraging and convicting. Please pray for me as I continue to pray for you.
With Heart, Ellie