Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Prayer ~ A Part of the Armor of God That is Often Overlooked

Prayer comes from the heart, and is as if it were to a friend. You can be saying the same words, but it would not really be prayer.
Why is it when we talk about the armor of God, we usually stop before the part of Prayer? I believe prayer is overlooked as part of the spiritual armory because Satan realizes that is where the practical power is for the rest of the armor.
Prayer is only possible by having faith in a power that is stronger than yourself that you believe will answer life’s questions/problem for you! (without Faith it is impossible to please God!). Faith is what initiates the armor and is often played out in prayer.
Prayer is such an integral part of the Armor of God. Communication with God through the avenue of prayer is a means of connecting your spirit with The Spirit of God who then will carry your message to the throne of the Father in the Name of Jesus.
Praying to the Father does something to help us to recognize our dependence on Him. If God is an impersonal God, then Prayer has no value, on the other hand if God cares about you personally; then prayer is beneficial.
God has cared about us personally, which is why He came to you with the message of Salvation. Prayer is really one way of telling God that you are recognizing that He cares for you.

Ephesians 6:18-20
There is no value in the Armor of God unless it is accompanied by prayer. Prayer is the means by which we take up the armor and personally apply it. Prayer is also the means by which we intercede for the spiritual well-being of others. Prayer is the means for communication with God. God, as our commander-in-chief is giving us orders which we will only receive if we have an open line of communication with Him. I am not trying to set up prayer as the only way God speaks, but it is a notable way if you pray in the Spirit. When your spirit connects with the Spirit of God, the communication line is open and you can then converse with God much in the same way Adam did before the fall into sin, or Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, or any of the patriarchs.
Our Faith is realized in Prayer, and it is through prayer our shield of Faith is capable of stopping the fiery darts of Satan.
We tend to limit the voice of God to His Word and though it is one way He speaks, God wants a personal relationship with you and wants to speak to you personally. The Word of God and the voice of God that you hear will always agree with each other.
There has been a lot of talk about what prayer is, and many people have come up with varying conclusions. The first discussion I want to address is, What is the right method of Prayer?
We hear a lot of specifics, like it needs to be an hour long process.
-God is not so concerned about a regimented time of prayer, but wants it to be from the heart. He wants you to enjoy being with Him and talking with Him. God is a personal God.
We hear that wording matters.
-The wording of your prayers do matter in some ways, but in other ways the words you pray can be simple yet sincere and meaningful. A prayer that is focused on one’s self is not a prayer at all. It is just one’s selfish rant, unless you are recognizing your need. Luke 18:13 Prayer does not always have to include words; so when your heart is heavy, The Holy Spirit can interpret your silence or groans that are there because words fail you.
So, does wording matter? Yes, but it’s not what you think. This prayer model that Jesus taught to his disciples can be broken down something like this:
Recognize who God is. He is Holy!
Recognize what His Kingdom is. Salvation/Righteousness
Recognize that you need help even supplying life’s basic needs
Recognize that your forgiveness depends on how you forgive.
Recognize His power over the Devil!

The publican said, “God be merciful to me a sinner”. His prayer was short, to the point, yet sincere. He went to his house justified.

We hear position matters.
-Kneeling, Standing, or Flat out on the floor are various positions in prayer, and each have their place in prayer. God does love for you to approach Him as a son or daughter so any position of prayer that allows you to connect with Him is appropriate. What really matters is whether your heart is bowed in adoration to God.
Should we pray out loud or silently?
-There is nothing wrong with a silent prayer and in some cases may be appropriate, but praying out loud gives us a power that enables us to have victory. Satan cannot read thoughts, he merely puts them there; so praying out loud will give him a heads up that you are serious about obtaining victory from the Lord. This actually may increase the fight, but by fastening your grip onto the power of God through prayer, Satan’s grip will shrink back. No battle against Satan should be fought without prayer.

What is Supplication/Intercession?
-There are many needs in this world that belong to many people other than yourself. Supplication or intercession is taking the needs of others before the only one who can meet those needs. When we truly believe that life is more than just ourselves, we will intercede on behalf of other people. Interceding can take on several dimensions. It can be for the spiritual welfare of others or for the basic needs of others. God wants us to take the initiative and fight for those around us on our “Knees”. True intercession is standing in between the person you are praying for and the devil.
What is praying in the Spirit?
-Praying in the Spirit is nothing more or less than praying in a manner that allows your spirit to connect with the Spirit of God, much in the same way that two buddies connect, but on a spiritual level. Praying in the Spirit can move your emotions, because you have just connected with the God of the Universe.
A house of Prayer or Den of Thieves?
Your soul is meant to be a place of communion with God (otherwise known as a house/place of prayer). We often find ourselves hosting barbaric characteristics in our soul, due to being human with a bent toward evil. Have you ever wondered why life seems so hard sometimes. Wonder no further! While God does not bring hard times (every good gift is from above), He allows them to come for our eternal good. That may mean He is bringing us to a place of prayer in our soul, so our spirit can commune with Him.
Prayer is not for selfish reasons
Praying for selfish reasons is, well, selfish. If we are trying to twist God’s arm by our prayers, that is paramount to placing ourselves and our desires above what God wants. Satan got kicked out of heaven, and Adam and Eve got kicked out of the Garden of Eden for that. God does want to hear your needs, but not as in do this for me! We need to remember, this is more about who he is than who we are.
Coming to prayer on your terms rather than God’s
Striking a bargain with God will never work. God will never be on the same level you are, which is what is necessary for a true bargain. People who bargain have to recognize the equality in each other before they will even want to bargain. Again, God wants to hear your needs, but your needs must be left with Him.
What is Prayer all about?
Prayer truly is about recognizing who God is (Holy, Righteous, Powerful…), and who we are (sinners, weak, insignificant...). When we really recognize who God is; we will revere Him, He will be our Lord, and we will Love Him!

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