Pray Before Battle

Does the world around you seem all too dark and hopeless? Are you worried about your future? Everywhere we turn it seems we are bombarded by images of grief, violence, and corruption. It can be so easy to be bogged down by the darkness in this world. It is easy to look around and feel hopeless and defeated. At first glance it appears that we are alone. It may seem like God is no where to be found. It may seem like the attack is coming from every angle and there is no way out.  Don't lose hope, there is much more to what is going on then we can see on the surface. We have a hope offered to us that can conquer all. The truth we are about to delve into is so exciting. Hold on! It just might change you life! I know it is changing mine! Praise the Lord.

Are you ready? Let's embark on a journey into life changing truth. This is nothing new. It is simply the Word of God that is active and sharper than any sword. Let it cut deeply. Let it strip away false thinking and skewed perspectives. Let the Lord work on your heart and draw you close! There is change on the way. That is something to get excited about.

Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace, and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints. Pray for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speak – that I may confidently make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Read this passage every day for a week and see what the Lord will do with the truth found here. It is amazing! I have been so encouraged by my studies in Ephesians. I have learned some things about God and myself that change how I view the struggles in this life. I am no longer fearful of the enemy, and I know that the possibility of living a victorious life is very real. I know there is hope in the Lord and the place I have in Him. 

I first want to go all the way to the end of this passage and focus on something very important. Do you notice a word that is repeated? Pray. Prayer must be important! Paul repeats the command three times. I think it would be best to note this in our minds. First we are told to pray at all times in the Spirit. My prayers should always be prayed in light of God's will and in the Spirit. So my thoughts should be those that are in unity with God and the Holy Spirit. I am still working this out in my own life. Application is the hard part! I am so thankful that the Spirit is able to intercede on my behalf when I don't have words to say (Romans 6:26). 

How often should we pray? Paul tells us to pray at all times. This reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 where we are told to pray without ceasing. It is great to have set times to pray. Some of us need those times set so that we stay diligent and consistent, but God desires so much more. He wants our hearts and minds fixed on Him at all times. He wants constant communication with us. I love knowing that the God of the universe desires to speak with me all the time. Amazing! There are no words to express what this means to me. I have tried and end up speechless and tears every time.

So we are to pray in the Spirit all the time, but what are we to pray about? We are to make requests of God on behalf of other believers. Notice that we are also to be alert and persevere. It is obvious that we can be taken off guard and fail to do what is being asked. And apparently other believers need prayer too! This should not be a surprise. Unfortunately, I have believed the lie that everyone else has it together but me. This verse is an encouragement to those of us who struggle because we realize that we all struggle! Just read James 5:13-18. Apparently prayer is needed and is given by God as a gift to be exercised. Paul was a man who was always praying for the saints. Just read a few of his letters and you will see for yourself. His heart was in prayer.  Read I Thessalonians 3: 9-10; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5, 1:11-12; Colossians 1:9-1; and 2 Corinthians 13:9. Why was he always praying for the believers? Paul knew we would struggle. He knew life as a believer was not going to be perfect or free from hardship. In fact there are times when we are told the exact opposite. Read 1 Peter 1:6-8 and 4:12-19. There are many other places where we are told that there will be trials and struggles in our life as a christian.
We are not guaranteed a life free from struggle. In fact it is in the struggle that we grow. Romans 5:3-5 says that we should rejoice in our sufferings. They are what bring endurance, build character, and build our hope. All one must do to see that we will face difficulties is to do a word search for suffer in the Bible. There is much written on the topic. What I have found so encouraging is not that we will struggle, but that the struggles don't have to beat us. God has provided a way to overcome. He will not give us more than we can handle. Hallelujah! Keep that in mind always. 

Check out the last few verses of the Ephesians passage. What is Paul asking? Why did he say he needed them to pray? One thing that I am learning to appreciate about the Apostle Paul is that he was a man. He was human just like me. He struggled with the same things we face. He was humble and weak in his own flesh. Read through 2 Corinthians and see just how weak he admits to being. He knew that it was in his weakness that the Lord could be strong. It was in his struggles that the Lord's power would be seen. Ooh, so good! Read Colossians 4:3-4; Hebrews 13:18; Ephesians 6:19-20;  and Romans 15:31. These are just a few of the many places that prayer was requested from other believers. Notice the reasons why they were asked to pray.  Even Paul needed prayer to stay strong in his ministry. Why then would we ever think that we are exempt from needing prayer? How much more should we see that all believers need to have requests made known to God on their behalf? 

We are in a heated battle and prayer is a powerful tool. Take a look at what Jesus said about prayer. 

"And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.” Matthew 21:22

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask 

whatever you want, 

and it will be done for you." 

1 John 15:7

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may 

be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."

John 14:13-14

"For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, 

and it will be yours. Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone,

 forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins.”

 Mark 11:24-25

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."

John 15:16

“I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven,

 and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven. Again, I tell 

you the truth, if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven

 will do it for you. For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:18-20

Precious, precious words from our Savior. Read them, meditate on them, rest in them, and then believe them! Be in prayer and get ready to put on the Armor of God. It is going to be good! Are you ready to be equipped to handle the struggles of life and the enemies attacks? Spend some time praying. Ask the Lord to prepare your heart and mind. Ask him to show you where you have not been trusting Him. It is crucial to be in prayer about these things. I know too well. Prayer is our number one defense. It is what keeps us in communication with our leader. We are able to get our orders and battle plan from the General. As we gear up with the Armor of God, we should be looking to Him for our commands. Be blessed by the simple truth that you can enter into that place of communication with God! He is there at any moment ready to hear us. Go dear one. Speak to your heavenly Father. Enjoy your ability to come into His presence.