You are on page 1of 5

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 saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:18-20

Relevant Living
Spiritual WarfareLesson 5 Believer Boot CampPrayer
This lesson on prayer will complete the cursory overview of the Armor of God. When we have completed the overview, we will go back and look at every aspect of our lives as believers and review again how much we need each piece of the armor. Merely knowing we have it is not enough. Knowing what it is for is not enough. We also need to learn how to use it more effectively. Although prayer is not part of the armor, it is absolutely necessary in our using it. Prayer is spiritual warfare! In fact, we will be ineffective in spiritual warfare if we omit prayer. It is the beginning, the middle, and the end of everything that has to do with our spiritual lives. Prayer is how we actually can be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Days One and TwoTaking on the Enemy


1. Read through your memory verse again. I am hoping that you have memorized all of Ephesians 6:10-20. Continue reviewing this so that it will be permanently cemented to your memory. 2. We are in a fight not only for ourselves but for our families, our marriages, our schools, our churches, our city and even our state and country. Why do we know we can make a difference as we join together for a common cause? Read Deuteronomy 32:30-31 to answer this question.

3. Read Deut 32:31 once again. What does this say about Gods enemies in the heavenlies?

Relevant Living, Spiritual Warfare, Lesson Five Page 2

It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that the world we live in is contaminated by evil. It has infected every continent, nation, city, and even most homes. As followers of Christ what can we do about it? Many wring their hands and do nothing; others do good things in the natural but rarely pray; some retreat into their tiny world and try to hide (avoiding watching the news or reading the paper). How many of us actually take time to pray? Do we pray individually (alone at home, quietly at work, or in our cars as we drive, etc.) as well as corporately (with our families, in Bible study groups, at church with a body of believers, etc)? 4. Read the box above and write below what you do when you see, hear of, or read about evil all around you? Do you truly recognize its true source? What do you believe you personally can do about it? Explain your thoughts.

5. Read Philippians 3:18-21. Explain what this means for believers who live here on earth but know our citizenship is in heaven. .

6. Because we are citizens of heaven are we supposed to sit around and wait to get there (by death or by the Lords return)? Do you know people who do that? Explain your thoughts.

Days Three and FourCommunicating with Our Commander


Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the Church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world. Prayer gives us the significance of frontline forces and gives God the glory of a limitless Provider. From the book, Let the Nations Be Glad, by John Piper.

Relevant Living, Spiritual Warfare, Lesson Five Page 3

1. In Ephesians 6:18-21, Paul places prayer in the context of a battlefield. Carefully read the quote by John Piper (above), and explain what you see prayer to be in most of the life of the Church today. According to your observation, are most Christians carrying out the mission of the Church or are we on a domestic intercom? Discuss this box and what you perceive in one or two paragraphs. Make sure we approach this in a positive light. We must be a part of the solution, not the problem. This outlines the importance of prayer, which is our direct line of communication with our Commander in Chief, Jesus Christ.

2. Read Ephesians 3:14-20. Remember this is the same letter, and this passage on prayer is a strong statement made by Paul before he ever began the teaching on spiritual warfare. Answer the following questions keeping in mind how powerful prayer is: a. Standing was the common posture for prayer in Pauls day. Why do you suppose he chose this other way now? .

b. What did Paul pray first for the Ephesians and what does this have to do with spiritual warfare?

c. What was his reason for praying this first request for the Ephesians?

d. List everything Paul prayed for the Ephesians (3:14-20) and explain why this would be important regarding Pauls last words in Ephesians 6:18-20 regarding prayer.

e. As you look at this, do you see why prayer is so powerful and critical for any attempt at spiritual warfare? Explain your answer.

3. Do you believe there is power in prayer? Have you experienced it? Can you illustrate a personal experience where prayer made all the difference in a seemingly impossible situation?

Relevant Living, Spiritual Warfare, Lesson Five Page 4

4. Where does power come from (v-16)?

5. What can (will) you do to increase the power in your prayers? (Hopefully day five will help you grow in this area.)

Day FivePraying the Lords Prayer


1. Please read Matthew 6:9-15 and write the different ways you can see the Lords Prayer actually being a prayer of spiritual warfare.

2. Challenge: I have been doing something I feel is very good for myself and would challenge you to do something similar. I have gone through the Lords Prayer and used it for a pattern to pray for everything I can think of regarding myself, Stan, the church, other people, my marriage, my family, and my ministry (you). You can see how this prayer and spiritual warfare dovetail. I type these prayers in my computer (I usually do my devotions with my laptop) and every day I read through my last prayer and then write another using the same template. It has become something very important to me and I plan to continue to do this for several weeks. When I change to something else, I will likely find another prayer (possibly one of Pauls) and use it as a template. To help you understand better, I am going to show you a short example of what I am talking about. As I pray (below) I will simply use the Lords Prayer as a template as I do in my devotions. It is both intercessory and personal. My prayers go much deeper than this example, but I wont be that vulnerable. Our Father in heaven hallowed by your name: My Father in heaven, I praise your name. (Then I write and speak out loud words of praise to the Lord). Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven: I pray that your kingdom will come now and reign in my heart, that everything I do will be because I see you doing it. Let me hear your voice and obey your will. Let your light shine through me into the lives of all those I am around. Help me speak into the womens hearts that you have placed in my life. Lord, rule and reign in their homes, their jobs, their neighborhoods, and everywhere they go so that many who watch them will come to know you and follow you. Lord, let the women I lead be a bright light in this darkening world. Let their light dispel darkness around them. Convict them to intercede for their neighbors, their church, their children, and their friends. Show them how to pray for the city, the schools, and the government. Give me and all the women in the study a passion for lost people and a hurting city and nation. Let me live my life on earth as you will one day have me living it in heaven. Let my life and the womens lives be a testimony to those who see and hear us. Let your kingdom rule in our hearts.

Relevant Living, Spiritual Warfare, Lesson Five Page 5

Give (me or us) today our daily bread: I then pray for provision, for the economy, for individuals who are hurting financially, for the churchs finances and for those on staff so that they will always be provided for. Forgive us (me) our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors: This one is very important because is has to do with confession, repentance, and forgiveness. Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil/the evil one. Do not let me stumble because of pride or unforgiveness, Lord. Etc. I go on through the rest of the prayer and end in worship, thanksgiving, and praise. If you will do this, you may never again wonder why your devotions are so dry or fruitless. After a time you may choose to do this with other great prayers in the Bible. This is definitely not the last lesson on the armor of Godit essentially completes a cursory overview of Ephesians 6:10-20. In future lessons we will go back and thoroughly study every aspect of what Paul is addressing.

You might also like