ARMOR UP 6

Ephesians 6:10-18 (GW)

Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength. Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil’s strategies. This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground. So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God’s approval as your breastplate. Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace. In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Also take salvation as your helmet and the word of God as the sword that the Spirit supplies. PRAY in the Spirit in every situation. Use EVERY KIND OF PRAYER and request there is. For the same reason be alert. Use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God’s people.

THIS IS IT -- “putting On” the Armor Of God in order to “STAND” and having done everything right “STAND SOME MORE”

SO -- God provided us with some weapons for the Battle -- His Armor !!!

[1] REFINED MIND

• Helmet of Salvation - all about right thinking, right feeling & right choices

[2] CONDEMNATION STATION

• Breastplate of Righteousness - all about rejecting shame, guilt & condemnation

[3] FEAR FACTOR

• Girdle of Truth - pulls everything back into the proper perspective

[4] STRESSED UNREST

· Shoes Of The Gospel Of Peace --You Destroy Stress & Unrest

[5] WIELD THE SHIELD

· Shield Of Faith -- is connecting belief with trustful obedience. I believe therefore I behave as God directs me.

[6] SWING BLADE

· Sword of the Spirit -- When we “CONTINUE IN THE WORD OF GOD” -- the Word causes us to Stop Looking At Where You Have Been & Gets You To Start Looking At Where You Can Be!!

Two-Edged Sword -- 1st GOD spoke His Word OUTLOUD and speaks it to me & THEN -- I say it back to GOD and THEN it is powerful to destroy the works of satan!

[7] POWER PRAYING

There was a pastor who had a parrot. All the parrot would say was, “Let’s pray, let’s pray.” He learned that one of his deacons had a parrot that would only say, “Let’s kiss. Let’s kiss.” So the pastor invited the deacon and his parrot over to his house. When the deacon arrived they put the parrots into the same cage to see what would happen. The deacon’s parrot said, “Let’s kiss, let’s kiss.” The pastor’s parrot said, “Thank you, Lord. My prayers have been answered.”

There’s Great Power In Prayer.

EPHESIANS 6:18

Pray at ALL TIMES in the Spirit, using every kind of prayer. Be alert and keep at it continually as you pray for all the holy people

I Chron.16:11

“Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face CONTINUALLY.”

Luke 18:1

“And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought ALWAYS TO PRAY, and not to faint;”

I Thess.5:17

“Pray without CEASING.”

Pray in the Spirit -- Pray the Word CONTINUALLY

WHEN WE DO THIS -- it releases God’s Power & Authority into people & situations & IT builds us up “In Christ” at the same time

Philippians 4:6 (MSG)

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.

There are all kinds of prayer -- there is a prayer to fit each particular situation or condition.

There is ....

· Public Prayer -- Private Prayer -- Individual Prayer -- Corporate Prayer -- Family Prayers

· Laying On Your Face Prayers -- While You Walk Prayers

· The Prayer Of Faith -- The Prayer Of Petition -- The Prayer Of Intercession

The believer hasn’t even begun to fight -- A SUCCESSFUL SPIRITUAL BATTLE until he learns to PRAY

Our Spiritual Armor is NOT WORTH MUCH WITHOUT PRAYER

It is through faith that we appropriate our armor -- but it IS through prayer that they are PUT INTO ACTION.

· For Many Christians Prayer Is Their Last Resort -- When All Else Fails Pray

· For Others It Is Only A Way Of Getting Things From God -- Getting Their Needs Met

E.M. Bounds says:

Prayer is the great, universal force to advance God’s cause; Not to pray is a denial of God, a denial of his existence, a denial of his nature and a denial of his purposes toward mankind.

He further says:

The Holy Spirit never descends upon prayerless men. He never fills them, he never empowers them. There is nothing whatever in common between the Spirit of God and men who do not pray. The Spirit dwells only in a prayer atmosphere.

· It Was When Jesus Came Up Out Of The Water Praying That The Holy Spirit Came Upon Him.

It Was In A Prayer Meeting That The Church Was BIRTHED

Acts 1:14

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

It Was Through Prayer The Gospel Was SPREAD

Acts 6:4

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

It Was Through Prayer That The Gentile Outcasts Were Brought Into The FELLOWSHIP

Acts 10:2 (GW)

He and everyone in his home were devout and respected God. Cornelius gave many gifts to poor Jewish people and always prayed to God.

THEN

Acts 10:9 (GW)

Around noon the next day, while Cornelius’ men were on their way and coming close to Joppa, Peter went on the roof to pray.

· Cornelius was praying in his house and an angel appeared to him & told him to send for Peter.

· Peter was praying and saw a vision, At the same time the men Cornelius sent for him were knocking at the gate, The Spirit said go with them nothing doubting for I have sent them.

ALL Because Cornelius prayed and Because Peter PRAYED

Jesus Went From PLACE OF PRAYER TO PLACE OF PRAYER And In Between He Cast Out Devils, Healed The Sick And Raised The Dead.

IF Jesus’ life was saturated with prayer -- WHAT SHOULD OUR LIFE OF PRAYER LOOK LIKE

· A Believer Who Has Accepted The Armor Of God But Does Not PRAY -- Is Just A Person Who Is All Dressed Up With No Place To Go.

James 5:16-18 (MOFF)

So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed; the prayers of the righteous have a powerful effect. Elijah was a man with a nature just like our own; but he offered prayer that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain; then he prayed again, and the sky yielded rain, the earth brought forth its fruit.

CONFESSION OF OFFENSES/FAULTS = is used to combat discouragement & downfall & bring healing to the Soul (mind, will & emotions)

NATURE LIKE US = a man of like feeling, of similar sufferings, he knew human frailties -- BUT -- IN PRAYER HE PRAYED

IN OTHER WORDS -- Even Within Our Seemingly Imperfections -- Because of your position of Righteousness In Christ -- YOU CAN RELEASE SOME REAL POWER!

Elijah was a man who knew how to pray and how to prevail in his prayers.

We Saw Elijah On Mt. Carmel As He Called Down Fire From The Sky, And The Heavens Opened And Gave Rain, But Did We Forget That Elijah On Carmel Was The Product Of Elijah In The Closet.

LISTEN – Your Public Victories Will Come Out Of Your Private Times With God -- PRAYING

THE BIBLE SAYS ELIJAH PRAYED FERVENTLY.

He used that particular Hebrew idiom - “praying he prayed” -- In other words WHEN HE PRAYED HE GOT DOWN TO BUSINESS.

SO GOES THAT SAYING,

No Prayer - No Power; Little Prayer - Little Power; Much Prayer - Much Power!

THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN IS OF GREAT INFLUENCE WHEN HE THROWS HIS WHOLE ENERGY INTO IT.

When it comes to prayer we must throw our mind into it which involves our soul since the Soul is the part of man which houses Man’s mind, will and emotions.

THIS IS WHY THE ARMOR IS MENTIONED BEFORE PRAYER -- The Armor protects our mind, will & emotions --

· It Keeps Everything Pulled Into The Right Perspective

· It Keeps Us Surrounded In God’s Peace

· It Keeps Us Standing In Our Righteous Position

· The Shield Protects Us From Attacks

· The Sword Gives Us The Power Words To Use

-- WHY -- So we can Do Business In Prayer Effectively & Release That Dynamite Power & Anointed Word To Make A Difference!!

LISTEN CHURCH -- A PRAYING MAN OR WOMAN

· Can Break Satanic Bondage

· Open The Eyes Of The Blind

· Bring Healing To Sick Bodies

· Open Doors That Have Been Closed

· Close Demonic Doors That Have Been Opened

· Shake Nations And Set Up The Kingdom Of God In The Earth.

THE DEVIL IS SCARED OF YOU WHEN YOU REALLY DO BUSINESS IN PRAYER!!

If you’ve ever bought ice cream for a group of youngsters, you know they will request as many varieties as there are children. “I want raspberry!” “Make mine vanilla!” “I like mint chocolate chip!”

When We Pray -- We Often Fail To Be That Specific. We say, “Lord, bless my friends. Help the missionaries.”

ILLUSTRATION

We should be like the 3-year-old boy (that Paul Harvey told about) who went to the grocery store with his mother. Before they entered the grocery store she said to him, “Now you’re not going to get any chocolate chip cookies, so don’t even ask.”

She put him up in the cart & he sat in the little child’s seat while she wheeled down the aisles. He was doing just fine until they came to the cookie section. He saw the chocolate chip cookies & he stood up in the seat & said, “Mom, can I have some chocolate chip cookies?”

She said, “I told you not even to ask. You’re not going to get any at all.” So he sat back down.

They continued down the aisles, but in their search for certain items they ended up back in the cookie aisle. “Mom, can I please have some chocolate chip cookies?”

She said, “I told you that you can’t have any. Now sit down & be quiet.”

Finally, they were approaching the checkout lane. The little boy sensed that this may be his last chance. So just before they got to the line, he stood up on the seat of the cart & shouted in his loudest voice, “In the name of Jesus, may I have some chocolate chip cookies?”

And everybody round about just laughed. Some even applauded. And, due to the generosity of the other shoppers, the little boy & his mother left with 23 boxes of chocolate chip cookies

Yet God’s Word tells us to ask specifically

Matthew 7:9-11 (GW)

“If your child asks you for bread, would any of you give him a stone? Or if your child asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? Even though you’re evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

SEE --

· The Lord had explicitly told Elijah to seek out King Ahab because He was about to send rain on the earth.

· He did not, however, send this rain until Elijah had PRAYED.

· God does not always carry out His will alone; He waits for us to cooperate with Him by PRAYER.

SO WHAT IS GOD WAITING ON US TO COOPERATE WITH HIM CONCERNING ....

· A Marriage

· A Wayward Child

· An Unsaved Loved One

· A Bad Medical Report

· Our Community - Our Nation

· For Our Church To Expand

BE SPECIFIC -- BE BOLD -- BELIEVING & BE PERSISTENT

IT IS TIME FOR ALL OF US TO DO BUSINESS IN PRAYER