Prayer as the Second Weapon

Reminder from Pastor Paul

During Monday nights prayer night Pastor Paul talk about rethinking repoistioning our posture while in prayer. this idea of praying for the Spirit of Holiness and stand to against pride, or whatever issue that we are praying on. In in my head I pictured us being in this position of Attack. And there has been two images I couldnt get out of my head. That was the Armor God and a less Biblical image, The Karate Kid. Stay with me here. Im a huge a 80s movie fan and also love coming of age style movies, combine that with the childhood years spent in Martial Arts its easy to see why the Orginal Karate Kid is one of favorite movies of all time. I love watching Daniel Larouso gain confidnce throughout the movie, and with the menrtoring of Mr. Miyagi able to stand against the Cobra Kai and their Leader Johnny Lawrence in the All Valley Karate Tournament. throughour the torunmanwent we see Daniel taking on one cobra kai after another using the skills he learned from Mr. Miyagi. The pinnacle of his journey is the championship match, where he faces Johnny in an intense showdown. After a couple of cheap shots from Johnny, They are tied 2-2 and then Daniel gets into attack position using his Secret Weapon, the one that according to Mr Miyagi "if do right, no can defense” its the famous Crane Technique (DEMONSTRATE THE TECHNIGUE) Its an intense scene where you imgaine Daniel is running through his head all is training and Daniel is full attack mode just waiting for enemy to come to and with full confince he stirkes knocking Johnny right on his back end. And whats awesome that a lot of people miss is that Daniel gets back in fight stance after that, he doesnt jump around in victory right aaway, he stands ready for the next attack and ready to strike again until the ref calls out Point Daniel, Win!

I have read Epeshians multiple times, in fact Epeshians 6 10-17 is one of favorite passage in the scripture. The armor of God represents the defense we must take in our spiritual lives. The Bible tells us that we are fighting a war against Satan, who seeks to destroy us. Therefore, we must take action and put on God's armor. As Christians, it is important for us to understand the severity of this battle and whenever I feel anxiety building, I remember the Six Parts of the Armor of God.

The Belt of Truth

Breastplate of Righteuosness

Shoes of the Gospel of peace

Shield of Faith

Helmet of Salvation

Sword of the Spirit

But truthfully in that moment I did not connect the Armor of God to prayer and certianly not why Daniel Son’s famous Crane kick image was haunting me. It wasnt until the next day when I spent some time in the passage that it became clear what God was moving me towards. I relaized that Prayer is actually the seventh piece to the Armor, call it the Secret Weapon. It comes to us in verse 18-20:

“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Prayer is the seventh piece, Paul litterly talks about about prayer right after putting on our Armor. The reason I think I didnt consider this last item to be part of the spiritual armor is because Paul doesn’t have a parallel piece of armor from the soldier’s armor to compare this weapon with.

See I think God was reminding me in that moment to not take lightly what we are doing here this week. This is spirtual warefare, this is a battle. Wer are told to Pray at all times, This doesn’t mean that we should always be on our knees praying, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It means rather, that we should always be maintaining an attitude of prayer. We are then told to pray in the Spirit Remembering its not our power that doesnt anthyhng but God that moves mountains. If you are praying in the Spirit, according to the Word of God, according to the will of God, then you can be certain that every single thing you pray for will be given to you. then we are told keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. To be ready to continue to pray to God for His will to be done. For us to be specific in our requests to him and do this for all the saints. Every day we have been alos praying for spefcic items Our Country, Leadership, State, City, Schools, Families and today is for the church. This is Paul is talking about here, making supplication for all the Saints.”

So we in just a moment we are going to take a few minutes to do just that to pray for brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world and to pray for Crosstowne. Then I will close that prayer and then you come up a take a card or two back to your seat

Pray

Pray for global church

Pray for Crosstowne

Pray for volunteers

Pray Luke 10:1-2

Luke 10:1–2 ESV

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

Pray for Paul

Pray the below.

If have been feeling more tired this week, more irriatble, if you have seond guess coming, if you find your mind racing and not focused on the prayer request coming from you. dont be surpirsed cause we are in engaged in spiritual warefare. So as we get ready to prayer over these cards, remind yourslef that Children of God we have the Gods Armor on us then get into attack position like Daniel did and use the second weapon God has given us to knock the enemy on his back. Then dont, let your guard down, take the next card and do it again.