L iving B eyond Y ourself Prayer – Our Secret Weapon

James 4:7 Resist the Devil and he will flee from you

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith…

Ephesians 6:10,11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

Roman Soldier

Prayer puts us in close communication with our leader.

“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayer- less religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” - Samuel Chadwick

Acts 1:14 - They all joined together constantly in prayer… Acts 2:42,43 - They devoted them- selves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.” Acts 1:14 - They all joined together constantly in prayer… Acts 2:42,43 - They devoted them- selves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.”

Acts 4:29-31 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

Ephesians 6: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6: Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

18 Pray in the Spirit…

That means to pray guided by or inspired by or empowered by the Spirit.

Romans 8:26-27 The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

1. On all occasions

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished George Mueller

1. On all occasions 2. With all kinds of prayers and requests 1. On all occasions 2. With all kinds of prayers and requests

James 5:13 - Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

With this in mind, be alert If the weapon of prayer is to be used effectively, it must be used persistently. With this in mind, be alert If the weapon of prayer is to be used effectively, it must be used persistently.

“It is not so much as prayer changes things, but prayer changes me and I change things” Oswald Chambers

Luke 18:8 When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

What happens when we don’t pray?

Prayerlessness Weariness Weakness Burden Bearing

1. On all occasions 2. With all kinds of prayers and requests 3 & 4. And always keep on praying for all the saints 1. On all occasions 2. With all kinds of prayers and requests 3 & 4. And always keep on praying for all the saints

Ephesians 1:15-19 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheri- tance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. Ephesians 3:14-19

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 6: Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

We are never more like Jesus than when we pray.

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. Abraham Lincoln