Prayer is a weapon God has gifted and entrusted you with to achieve His ends.
You are a co-laborer with Him. Prayer is weapon for good, eternal good. Prayer is a fight. Paul labored in his prayers as did Epaphras.- {Col 4:12.} At times prayer is not easy for us. There are so many thoughts that compete, excuses that come to the mind when we pray. It seems things can be “fine,” until we seek to pray! And then all Hell seems to break lose to keep us from praying! We are in a battle and we need to…
Know Your Enemies; Three enemies we need to be aware of so we can discern not to fall prey to them, when we seek to endure and persevere in praying for the Lord’s rule and reign to come in matters. satan and his demons. A battle Against spiritual powers of darkness. The world’s system that lives as though God does not exist and if He does He is irrelevant and tempts to mislead you with worldly seductions, and ways of distractions, exalting it’s ways and values above God and His ways and values, and thirdly, Self. That manifests itself in self-reliance. I call it, the “traitor” within. The desire to seek to control rather then the privilege of submission and dependence upon God and reliance and faith in Him! The enemies from without, satan, the world’s system and the enemy within, self! Know your enemies!
Know Your Enemies WAYS; The battle often begins with a “thought” and if not taken captive to the obedience of Christ will seek to either tempt you to doubt the character of God and lead you to the place of a downward spiral into despair or “puff ” you up, with pride, to tempt you to self-sufficiency and pride where you are tempted to believe you do not need God, and act independently and that you alone are sufficient and not in need of Him! It is to play “god!” This temptation when yielded to leads to a spiritual fall, for pride goes before a fall! Pride is the devils sin! The enemy uses a ‘thought’ injected to seek to tempt us away from Christ. He also uses people as in Nehemiah’s day to seek to inject fear for our safety,{Read Nehemiah 6:9-15}. People are used by him, Ephesians 2 says they are controlled by him and indeed Paul wrote to Timothy that there were people who were “held captive by satan to do his will”-{2 Timothy 2:26.} No one ever likes to think they are a “slave,” but the Scripture says they are. Indeed we are either spiritual “slaves” to sin or righteousness,” But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. “- {Rom 6:17-18.}.
Through thoughts, other people, are some ways the evil one uses as his ways seeking to divert you from devotion to the Lord Jesus and from praying. When the serpent tempted Adam and Eve in the garden it was with a word to seek to tempt them to doubt what God said, and His goodness. Satan seeks to tempt with “doubts” about what God says in His Word. Does He mean what He says, surely not. God had said if they partook of the tree they would die, and the serpent says, “surly not!” -{Read Genesis 3:4}. The ways of the enemy is to attack through unholy thoughts, people, and on the Word of God ultimately to attack the character of God to you! Prayer is at times a consciousness you are in a fight against “thoughts” that are demonic in origin. “Thoughts” that seek to tempt your mind to wander. “Thoughts” of doubts that attack the character and Word of God. “Thoughts” that seek to influence your emotions and your will. Prayer is ultimately a battle for…your faith in Him, and who or what you will believe, rely on! It can be a raging battle, you find yourself in! This is normal! Don’t panic!
“BUT GOD…” He has won the victory over the powers of darkness. “…And having disarmed the powers and authorities, HE made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” ( Col 2:15).
Know Your Position; You pray from a place of victory “in Christ” and because of Christ you have permanent access to His Throne of Grace to come confidently, boldly, reverently to receive mercy, grace to help in time of need. You are a child of the King, “…the beloved of God… accepted in the beloved… justified… standing in grace, …chosen, holy, beloved.” These are some of the titles he has robed you in and the standing you have before Him by His doing through the LORD Jesus Christ. -{Read Romans 1:7; Eph 1:6; Rom 5;1-2, Col 3:12}. You are not a spiritual pauper before Him but a child whom He loves, and that eternally so! So know YOUR POSITION! And Come pray… Come looking to the King upon His Throne. Come knowing you are welcome. Come knowing you will “receive” from Him, mercy and grace to help in time of need! -(Read Heb 4:15). Know and rest in His Word, His Spirit your means of power.” In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”-{Romans 8:26, also Read Phil 2:13; Matt 4:1-10; 2 Peter 1:3-4).
Come and Pray …Keep praying… “In my desperation I prayed and the LORD LISTENED…” -(Ps 34:6- NLT,) He is ALWAYS listening TO YOU!! He listens with a heart of love that is eternally fixed upon you! -{Read 1 Peter 3:12}. “But why doesn’t He do something?” the cry of the heart can arise, when things are difficult and seemingly no answer or movement is on the way! It is time to think on truth and think right about God, and trust Him, (and not respond to ever changing feelings as though they are the ultimate authority).He has not only the power to act but also the wisdom to know what He desires to accomplice, and you are learning to rest and rely upon Him is not passive but active trust in His goodness, His character, and FUEL FOR YOUR FAITH to persevere in prayer … At times it is a tenacious battle of faith, believing God, to be who He is, accomplishing what He purposes and fulfilling His promises, to His end in the situation, for His Glory ultimately! I love what Nehemiah said,” Remember the word which You commanded…”-( Neh 1:8). In the midst of conflict He looks to the LORD and His Word…he was walking by faith and not by sight! We can learn from Nehemiah …He knew what God said and what He promised. He was familiar with His Word, and God Himself, knowing He was faithful and true to His Word!
Keep praying. What you often experience is “normal,” there is nothing “wrong ” with you, even that “thought ” is a temptation to turn you inward and away from looking to Him! And even to condemn you as though that “thought” is yours and then comes the accusation such as, “How could you think that, how could you even be a Christian?”
Pray… Continue Praying …Confidently to the Conquering King!
You are not alone when you pray. He is present with you, and for you. He does hear your prayers and He is working all things together for good, and His glory ! -{Read Matt 6:6; Rom 8:28-29,31}
The temptation to “quit” is not from Him! Pray on… with hope in Him, His Word,…You never walk alone. You never pray alone, for He is always present!
Now, what is it you need to talk to Him about?
Tell Him, keep talking to Him… Pray on with confidence in Him!