Chapter 10

WELCOME!

Please find a seat in the middle section

Schedule:

- 7:00-7:30 Lesson (Joe)

- 7:30-7:50 Small Group Discussion

- 7:50-8:10 Small Group HEAR Journal

- 8:10-8:25 Small Group Prayer

YOU PROBABLY NOTICED THE CHAIRS ARE DIFFERENT TODAY…

I WILL EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THIS LATER,

BUT RATHER THAN DOING LARGE GROUP FIRST,

WE WILL BE GOING STRAIGHT INTO SMALL GROUPS AFTER THE LESSON.

We have been going through a book called…

Victory over the Enemy

Defeating the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

There are still copies of the book available for $15.

We began with Part 1…

Part 1: Recognizing Our Enemy

Resist the Devil

Do Not Love the World

Crucify the Flesh

Then we went through…

Part 2: Knowing God’s Provisions

4. Victory in Temptation

5. The Power of Prayer

6. The Presence of the Holy Spirit

7. The Armor of God

Last week we began…

Part 3: Disciplining Our Lives for Victory

8. Living in Victory through Disciplined Living

9. Living in Victory through Bible Reading and Scripture Memorization

10. Living in Victory through Prayer and Fasting

11. Helping Others Live in Victory

Next week I will not be here.

Phil Hamm, a Lay Pastor and Deacon here at LEMC will be leading.

If you’ve missed a week,

the notes for previous weeks are up here for you to grab.

This evening we will be going over chapter 10:

Living in Victory through Prayer and Fasting

Chuck Lawless was preaching at a conference in a country often marked with strife.

The day before heading back home,

a local man in that country

wounded an American soldier outside a military base.

The US military base went into high alert,

and warned Americans in the country to be cautious.

Chuck was sharing with a local believer that he was afraid,

and she asked, “Have you prayed about it?”

This question challenged Chuck more than his original fears.

He had prayed, but more out of obligation,

than child-like faith that trusted in God.

Transition

I’m sure we have all realized after the fact,

that we failed to remember to pray in the midst of a difficult circumstance.

I’m sure we have all also had times when we did pray,

and experienced the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.

It is through prayer that we experience this peace,

and have victory over the enemy!

Let’s take a look at…

1. The Power and Prominence of Prayer in the Scriptures

Prayer fills the Bible,

from the beginning all the way till the end!

Joe Carter, from The Gospel Coalition, say:

There are 650 prayers in the Bible.

It began with Adam and Eve talking to God in the garden...

and ends with John’s prayer at the end of Revelation…

“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

Throughout the Bible we read of:

we read of personal prayers of people who trusted God…

we read of prayers from kings for the whole nation…

we read of different kinds of prayers, (faith, confession, intercession, etc)…

we read of different postures of prayer (kneeling, sitting, on their face, etc)…

the Bible records Jesus praying 25 times…

Paul mentions prayer/praying 41 times in his letters...

we read that prayer was important in the early church

(they devoted themselves to it)…

Speaking on prayer, William Hendrickson says…

“Prayer is the most important expression of the new life. As such it is the means of obtaining for ourselves and for others the satisfaction of needs, both physical and spiritual.

It is also a divinely appointed weapon against the sinister attack of the devil and his angels, the vehicle for confession of sin, and the instrument whereby the grateful soul pours out its spontaneous adoration before the throne of God on high. Accordingly, perseverance in prayer is urged.” — William Hendrickson

Since there is so much to be gained by prayer…

WE SHOULD PRAY… A LOT!!!

Let’s look at...

2. The Significance of Prayer in Spiritual Warfare

We can see that prayer is all through the Bible,

but how does it help us have victory over the enemy?

First…

a. Prayer turns our attention to God and away from the enemy who attacks us

The reason prayer is significant in spiritual warfare,

is because it focuses our attention on God.

Our tendency is to focus our attention on the enemy,

trying to find out more about where he is/what he is doing,

but in doing this we give the devil more ground in our lives.

But Lawless says…

“(genuine prayer) is about seeking God, trusting him, and finding our strength in him as we know him more and more.” — Chuck Lawless

A great example of this is…

King Jehoshaphat

In 2 Chronicles 20,

three armies had come against Israel.

King Jehoshaphat was terrified,

and turned to God in prayer and fasting.

2 Chronicles 20:12 (ESV)

12 We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

They thought they did not know what to do, BUT…

they actually did…

The right thing is to…

TURN YOUR EYES TO GOD AS YOUR RESCUER!!!

Rather than focussing on their enemies,

they focused on their God who was GREATER than their enemies.

He is still greater than our enemies today!

Summary

Prayer is significant because:

it turns our attention to God and away from the enemy who attacks us.

The next reason prayer is significant in spiritual warfare is:

b. Prayer is a confession of dependence on God

When we pray,

we recognize that we cannot have victory apart from Christ.

In the gospel according to Mark,

he tells of the father who brought his son,

who was possessed by a demon,

to the disciples.

They were not able to cast the demon out,

and we learn that it’s because they didn’t pray.

Maybe they failed to pray because they had already experienced success,

and assumed it would naturally come again.

It’s possible they thought they had God’s power at their own disposal…

and they were relying on their own ability.

Prayer reminds us that we are dependant on God,

and His strength and power.

Paul Miller defines prayer as…

Prayer is, “bringing your helplessness to Jesus.” — Paul Miller, A Praying Life

Summary

Prayer is significant because…

it is a confession of our dependence on God.

The last reason prayer is significant is…

c. Intercessory prayer is effective in helping each other win spiritual battles

God never meant for us to walk through life alone.

We have brothers and sisters in Christ who are there to support us in prayer.

In the Lord’s Prayer,

Jesus instructed his disciples to pray,

not personally, but corporately.

One of those prayers was…

“And lead US not into temptation, but deliver US from evil.”

We are to pray for one another to stand strong in the midst of temptation!

Jesus assumed we would pray together,

and for one another.

One example of intercessory prayer is:

Abraham

We remember when Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah…

and God rescued his nephew Lot as a result.

Summary

Prayer is significant because:

It turns our attention to God;

It confesses our dependence on God; and

Praying for others helps them have victory

What a blessing it is for us to have others praying for us!

Transition

If we want to live in victory through prayer,

then we need to learn to pray,

and set aside time to pray!

Lawless gives us…

3. Fifteen Practical Ways to Pray

This is a long list!

The hope is that you will find some of these to be meaningful disciplines to integrate into your regular routine.

Establish a focus for each day’s prayer

Family today, neighbours tomorrow, church the next day… etc

Don’t wonder what you’re going to pray for… plan for it.

Set aside ten minutes to pray, three times a day

We can all find 10 minute slots throughout the day.

Plan for them and use them to pray.

Do “Family Drive-By Praying”

Make opportunities to pray for the people/places you pass.

Schools, churches, playgrounds.

Teaching your children to look for opportunities to pray.

Pray as you read the Word

If it points out sin, confess it.

If you don’t understand, ask for wisdom/insight.

Praise God!

Pray the ACTS pattern

Adoration

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication

Plan spouse and parent/child prayer times

Husbands and wives should pray together every day.

Pray for your children every day.

It won’t happen unless you plan for it.

Spend at least one day a week praying for nonbelievers

You may be the only one praying for them!

Pray for their eyes to be opened.

Schedule a prayer walk at least once a month

Pray for your community, church, family, etc…

Tell others so they can pray for you as you do that.

Pray morning, noon, and night

Begin the day in prayer, end the day in prayer, and set aside one other time.

You might even kneel for these prayers.

Listen closely to hear possible prayer concerns throughout the day, and then pray

Listen for opportunities to pray for coworkers.

Pray for things you hear/find throughout your day.

Talk to God about everything you do throughout the day

God’s Spirit lives in you… carry on a conversation throughout the day about anything and everything.

Pray through your small group or church membership list

Everyone needs prayer!

As pastors we pray through the church directory. Not perfect, but we try to be consistent.

Send a prayer text or email each day to someone

Let at least one person know you are praying for them.

This has lasting impact, and could inspire them to pray and do the same for someone else.

Pray as you walk through your church facility each week

Pay attention to people who show up, classes that are going on, people that are serving…

pray for them!

Use a prayer globe or prayer map in your home

Pray as a family for different countries.

Joshua project website.

Prayerfully go over this list and see which of these you’d like to incorporate throughout your daily routine.

Summary

Through prayer we:

we place our trust in God as we turn our attention to Him.

This is how we live in victory!

Next, we turn our attention to…

4. The Role of Fasting in a Believer’s Life

We all have all probably been to someone’s house, or a gathering,

where there was tonnes of food…

different kinds… and

definitely more than anyone could eat!

We’ve all overeaten on many occasions…

but how many of us have intentionally fasted?

Don Whitney defines fasting as…

fasting: “a Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.” — Don Whitney

We have great examples of fasting in Scripture:

Moses, through whom God gave the Law…

David, the king…

Elijah the prophet…

Esther the queen…

Daniel the seer…

Anna the prophetess…

Paul the apostle…

Jesus Christ the incarnate Son.

Richard Foster says…

“Fasting reminds us that we are sustained ‘by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’ (Matt. 4:4). Food does not sustain us; God sustains us.” — Richard Foster

In the OT there were specific days of fasting,

as well as times of fasting during crisis or renewal.

The early church fasted before major decisions,

like commissioning missionaries and elders.

In the sermon on the mount,

Jesus gave many instructions to his disciples,

one of them was to fast…

Matthew 6:16–17 ESV

16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

Jesus assumed his followers WOULD fast!

But his disciples were not fasting while he was on on earth.

The reason he gave for this was…

Matthew 9:15 (ESV)

15 “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

“That fasting would be a heartfelt pining for the Lord; in that day, they would so long for Christ to return that little else mattered—including food.” — Chuck Lawless

Summary

Fasting is a reminder that we are longing for Christ to return,

so that we can eat at His table, in His presence!

In light of that, Lawless gives…

a. Reasons to Fast

Fasting requires us to focus on God’s kingdom

Fasting reminds us that we are waiting for a kingdom that is yet to come.

Helps us turn away from building our own kingdoms on this earth.

Fasting leads us to slow down and reflect

There is always work that needs to be done in church/ministry.

This slows us down for personal devotion/reflection.

Fasting calls us to consider our deepest longings

We fast not to get something, but to draw near to God.

A willingness to surrender bodily needs to draw near to God shows our heart.

Fasting reveals who we really are

Fasting can make us grumpy, irritable, or anxious… revealing our true self.

Fasting then becomes an opportunity to confess these thoughts/emotions when we see them.

Fasting should increase our praying

Charles Spurgeon said.

“There is a mighty effectiveness in these two gospel ordinances of prayer and fasting. The first links us to heaven; the second separates us from earth. Prayer takes us to the banqueting table of God; fasting overturns the indulgent tables of earth. Prayer allows us to feed on the Bread of Heaven, and fasting delivers our spirits from being encumbered with the fullness of bread that perishes.” — Charles Spurgeon

Fasting is a reminder we are not as strong as we think we are

It is easy for us to think we’re tough and resilient.

Fasting exposes our weakness!

Fasting is about denying self—the opposite of the enemy’s desire that we magnify self

Helps us learn to resist the pull of the world, flesh, and devil in our lives.

We can use fasting as a discipline for other things as well, like: social media, tv, internet, sports, money, etc.

Lawless says that he tries to fast for a day once a month,

and it typically centers on something some need he is praying for.

Ex. fast and pray for a non-believing family member.

“I want them to be saved more than I want to eat.”

How to Start

If you want to start, start small.

Begin by giving up a meal.

Use the time you would have eaten to focus on God through Bible study and prayer.

Don’t seek attention, but do ask someone to pray for you for accountability.

If you fail, prayerfully seek God, and try it again.

Don’t let the enemy discourage you.

Conclusion

Our world tells us to live only for ourselves, and for the here and now.

We can see this in food commercials!

But as followers of Christ,

we are living for a better kingdom that is yet to come.

Through prayer and fasting,

we draw our attention to the return of Christ,

as we await that better world!