One morning just as church was starting, my good friend’s wife; had been in labor throughout the night. The baby was breached and she was told that they would have to take the baby by Caesarean. At church, the pastor led 500 people in an intercessory prayer for God to intervene and help the baby be born naturally. At that immediate moment of our prayers, the baby turned and was delivered naturally. Today as many people were engrossed in family celebrations of Thanksgiving dinners, countless prayers went out to pray for the father of our pastor, who broke his neck in a 4 wheeler accident. Less than four hours later, the man’s broken neck was healed. Praise the Lord!
To make a supplication means; to make a humble entreaty; especially to pray to God. When we pray in the Spirit, we are praying in one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost; to pray with an anointing, just as we rejoiced upon receiving the Holy Ghost the very first time, we should pray in the power of God, allowing Him to pray through us. Praying in tongues glorifies God and anoints us.
When we offer up a prayer for another person and we carry someone else’s burden to the Lord, God must smile and say, “YES!” Intercessory prayer is the application of God’s command of; “love one another.” As Christians, we are to be growing in our relationship with God and with each other. When we love another, we love God. They can be a stranger or they can be a friend; but when we care for others, we care for God.
When the same petition is offered up by many; that prayer is magnified in the power of the Holy Ghost. When my life hung in the balance after a medical mishap and death was eminent; countless hundreds of people received an emergency call to pray for me. Those prayers were magnified. God intervened and saved my life.
When we continue to petition God, He hears and answers. Jesus told the following story to illustrate how God is moved when we have persistent faith, especially when we are asking for someone else; when we ask for salvation, healing or a blessing for another person!
"There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. 3) A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!' 4) "He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. 5) But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black and blue by her pounding.' " 6)Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? 7) So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? 8) I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"
Luke 18:2-8 MESSAGE
Jesus continues in Luke to tell of two men, a publican and a Pharisee; a man despised by the community and the other, a man of high standing in the community. The lowly publican exhibited a humble and broken spirit; the Pharisee was haughty. God accepts the offerings of a humble person. David stated that the sacrifices acceptable to God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.
Luke 18:10-14 KJV “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. (11) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. (12) I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (13) And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (14) I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Psalms 51:17 KJV “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
There is yet even another lesson to learn from Jesus in the 18th chapter of Luke. We are to have an innocent and very trusting attitude like a little child. Apply these lessons to our prayers and do it out of love and we will withstand the world of temptation and truly become an overcommer!
Luke 18:15-17 ESV “Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. (16) But Jesus called them to him, saying, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. (17) Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."
True Christians live by prayer; living in a state of prayer where they do all things prayerfully before the Lord. This makes them instant in prayer and praying without ceasing.
Romans 12:12 KJV Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV “Pray without ceasing.”
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit as part of the armor of God involves:
1. Praying in the Holy Ghost (praying in tongues)
2. Praying with persistence;
3. Praying intercessory prayers for others
4. Praying humbly and earnestly
5. Praying with a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart
6. Praying with a childlike attitude of innocence and absolute trust
7. Praying without ceasing; living in a state of prayer; instant in prayer
Putting the power of prayer into our lives completes the armor of God. There are seven pieces of this very special armor; that we have covered in these eight lessons.
- TRUTH – To gird our loins with a belt of truth
- RIGHTEOUSNESS – To cover our hearts
- GOSPEL – Shoes of peace, work of the church to spread the Good News of Jesus
- FAITH – To shield attacks of evil
- SALVATION – A helmet to protect our minds from the world of temptation
- WORD – Sword of the Spirit; the WORD of God; the Holy Bible
- PRAYER – Instant and without ceasing; in the Holy Ghost
We have choices to make continuously. Everyday is filled with options. The basis of every decision and every choice should be to choose God and His Kingdom over the Devil and this world. One leads to an eternity with Jesus; the other, eternal separation from God. We are in a war that will have eternal rewards or eternal consequences. God gives us the tools, the armor to have the victory!
Prayer: Father in Heaven, I know that I am not alone in this battle. You have provided me with a complete armor, but I must put it on daily. You will never let me fall in battle if I trust in you. Father send your army of angels to fight for me and withy me. Give me the battle through prayer in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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