Pray All the Times

Ephesians 6:18-20

We are commanded to engage in all kinds of prayer at all kinds of times. This is our two-way communication with our commander-in-chief. Without it, we will stand firm in the wrong place and advance in the wrong directions.

Kids Fighting – “Solving” it Themselves

Kids fighting and they start escalating.

The plan is for them to try to solve it themselves with their words, and then seek help if they can’t.

And I say “Did you ask nicely?” and they say “Yes, but he still won’t…” and “Okay, let me help you.”

I was watching one a couple nights ago, ready to step in.

God created this whole free will thing… I wonder if He regrets that at times… But He seems to wait at times, many times, wait to be asked, waits to be invited into a moment.

Waiting to speak to His people. Why don’t we?

We have all heard that we should pray, and pray often. I know many of you have tremendous lives of prayer. I know many of us have a kind of prayer guilt. We know that we ought to pray… but we fall out of practice, out of the habit. We forget.

Prayer is like calling my Mom. I should do it more. I am always glad when I do, and I resolve to do so more… I occasionally get a good habit going. But sometimes I get complacent. I get distracted. I am doing other things and I just… don’t call.

I call when I am in trouble or crisis… I call my Mom and Dad. They are wise and they love me forever. I am ridiculously blessed in having them on dial. And every time I am reminded how good it is to be able to talk to them.

But I am terrible on the phone and not great at remembering stuff. And so weeks go by without that next call.

Battle Command

Ephesians 6:18-20

18 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, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

What is It

All kinds of prayer. Prayer and supplication, covering the two major terms in Scripture for prayer.

Spending time with God? Yes.

Listening to God? Yes.

Asking God for stuff, things, help? Yes.

By yourself. With others. For others (for all the saints)!

Every place. Every time.

A few years ago this was our camp theme, out of Psalm 139. It refers to where God is. He is omnipresent. He is always there. He will always be there.

And if He is always there, if the Spirit is always in you, with you, that means you always have this open line of communication available.

Is This Still Spiritual Warfare?

This is our communication with Central Command. The Commander in Chief. Our general.

What’s more, prayer is the Armory, the place where we get dressed in our spiritual armor. The place where we receive and polish our armor (our salvation, our faith, our righteousness, peace, truth). The place where we sharpen and test the Sword of the Spirit.

It is the practice ground.

And it is the walkie-talkie of the Battlefield.

***Stand here, Over (I mean, Amen).

How Do We Put it On

By Living a life of prayer.

By practicing prayer. All the ways. All the times.

Prayer Guilt

Is anyone hearing this for the first time? We should pray more? All the ways. All the Times?

I should call my Mom more. I should call my God more.

Why don’t I?

Why don’t I pray more? In all the ways. At all the times.

Here at least is a reason. We fall asleep. I fall asleep.

Now falling asleep praying is a great thing… talking to God turns into drifting thoughts, turns into sleepy time. That’s not what I mean.

I mean this. We do not pray because we do not feel the need to pray. We have no sense of urgency or desire. We are not desperate. We are just kind of doing life as it comes to us.

We are lulled into spiritual sleep on the battlefield.

Wake UP!!! Realize you are in a spiritual battle!

Wake UP!!! This is private Dusty, reporting for duty! Where am I going? Where am I standing?

We are lulled into sleep.

And this… we forget how sweet it is to spend time talking with God.

When I am in trouble, when I wake up to spiritual reality, or the battle becomes intense enough that it shakes me out of my comfort zone, I call my heavenly Father.

Help! Help me.

Teach Us To Pray

The disciples watched Jesus and, again and again Jesus took himself off alone to pray. They saw in his prayer life something they desired. And so they asked him: teach us to pray.

Luke 11:1-4

11 One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

2-4 So he said, “When you pray, say,

Father,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right.

Keep us alive with three square meals.

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”

Simple and beautiful. You get no points for colorful language. You get no points for long words. Or repetition. Or saying it with extra feeling. Honest simple words, spoken to a loving Father.

Prayer Exercise

As the worship team comes forward we are going to spend time in prayer. We are going to pray together through the Lord’s prayer, and I am going to take the slightly longer version in Matthew 6

We are going to pray through each phrase, one at a time. Spending 30 seconds or so on each phrase. As we do so, you can reflect on what it means. What does it mean to call God our Father. Our Dad.

Praying his will on earth is done… as above so below, God doing what He sees and He knows is best. One at a time, bit by bit, praying as Jesus taught us to pray. It is simple. We are enrolling in his school of prayer.

Matthew 6:9-13

7-13 “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right;

Do what’s best—

as above, so below.

Keep us alive with three square meals.

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.

You’re in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You’re ablaze in beauty!

Yes. Yes. Yes.