Ephesians 6:10-18 New International Version
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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 Lord’s people.
Prayer is our lifeblood
Ephesians 6:18 New International Version
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 Lord’s people.
Pray in the Spirit
Romans 8:26-27 New Living Translation
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
Pray on all occasions
Philippians 4:6-7 New International Version
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 New Living Translation
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Pray with all kinds of prayers
Worship
Adoration
Thanksgiving
Repentance
Supplication
Intercession
Lament – Psalm 6
Complaint – Psalm 13
Pray for all the Lord’s people
Some instruction about prayer
1) Prayer does not impose our will upon God
The model prayer is not about us, but about recognizing who God is
Matthew 6:9-13 New International Version
“This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
2) Prayer is not a performance
Luke 18:10-13 New American Standard Bible
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
“In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” – John Bunyan
3) Prayer is the battleground
Praying together
For the nation & the election
For Northpointe
For the needs that you have
Sermon Based Questions
- What was encouraging, difficult, or confusing about the talk on Sunday?
- Who are you able to talk to most easily? Who are the most difficult people for you to talk to? Why?
- Have you ever been in a setting where the person praying seemed to be talking to other people (or themselves) rather than to God? What was that like?
- Rick talked about a lot of different kind of prayer (worship, adoration, thanksgiving, repentance, supplication, intercession, lament, complaint). Were any of them new ideas for you? Which type of prayer do you pray most often? Least? What will it take for you to initiate new kinds of conversation with God?
- If spiritual warfare is real, and prayer is the battleground, how does that change what you think about prayer? How does that change your prayer life?