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RELATED RESOURCES
ON SPIRITUAL WARFARE
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON
EPHESIANS 6:10-18...
Ephesians 6:10
Ephesians 6:11
Ephesians 6:12
Ephesians 6:13
Ephesians 6:14
Ephesians 6:15
Ephesians 6:16
Ephesians 6:17
Ephesians 6:18
EPHESIANS 6:10-18 BY WAYNE
BARBER
Ephesians 6:10:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 1
Ephesians 6:11:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 2
Ephesians 6:14:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 3
Ephesians 6:15,16 Spiritual
Warfare, Pt 4
Ephesians 6:17:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 5
Ephesians 6:12,13 Spiritual
Warfare, Pt 6
Ephesians 6:18:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 7
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON THE
FALLEN FLESH
James 1:13
James 1:14
James 1:15
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON
RESISTING THE ROARING LION
Exposition of 1Peter 5:8
Exposition of 1Peter 5:9
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON
THE BATTLE IN OUR MIND
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Exposition
MISCELLANEOUS
Cyberhymnal Hymns on Topic of
Spiritual Warfare
(scroll down)
2 Chronicles 20:1-25 Ambushing Satan with Song
- John Piper THE METAPHOR OF THE CHRISTIAN
SOLDIER
Soldier Illustrations
Exposition of 2 Timothy 2:3-4
Three Kinds of Soldiers - Ten Principles of
Warfare
Roman Soldier by Edward Gibbon
(Decline & Fall of Roman Empire)
The Roman Soldier - Description
from Jewish Historian Josephus
A Few Soldier Stories and Sermons
THE AMALEKITES: A PICTURE OF
PERSISTENT SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Jehovah
Nissi: Exposition of Exodus 17:8-16
WITH ALL PRAYER AND PETITION
PRAY AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT: dia pases proseuches kai deeseos
proseuchomenoi (PMPMPN) en panti kairo en pneumati: (Eph
1:16; Job 27:10; Ps 4:1; 6:9; Isa 26:16; Da 6:10; Lk 3:26,37; 18:1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7; Luke 21:36; Acts 1:14; 6:4; 10:2; 12:5; Ro 12:12; Php
4:6; Col 4:2; 1Th 5:17; 2Ti 1:3) (1Ki 8:52,54,59; 9:3; Esther 4:8; Da
9:20; Ho 12:4; 1Ti 2:1; Heb 5:7) (Ep 2:22; Zec 12:10; Ro 8:15,26,27; Gal
4:6; Jude 1:20)
Christian, seek not
yet repose,
Cast thy dreams of ease away;
Thou art in the midst of foes;
Watch and pray.
Principalities and
power,
Mustering their unseen array,
Wait for thy unguarded hours;
Watch and pray.
Watch as if on that
alone
Hung the issue of the day,
Pray that help may be sent down;
Watch and pray
--Charlotte Elliot
Paul had
earlier encouraged the Ephesian saints with the fact that he did not cease...
giving thanks for you, while making
mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in
the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be
enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what
are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what
is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. (See
notes
Ephesians 1:16;
1:17;
1:18;
1:19)
Paul had
exhorted the saints at Rome to be...
rejoicing in hope, persevering in
tribulation, devoted to prayer (see note
Romans 12:12)
Paul
literally commanded the saints at Philippi to...
Be anxious
(present
imperative) for
nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made
known (present
imperative) to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (see notes
Philippians 4:6;
4:7)
He gave a similar
command to the saints at Colossae...
Devote yourselves
(present
imperative) to
prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at
the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the
word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have
also been imprisoned (see notes
Colossians 4:2;
4:3)
And to the saints
at Thessalonica Paul gave the well known command to...
Pray
(present
imperative)
without ceasing (1Thes 5:17) ("Keep the phone off the hook at all
times.")
With all prayer
and petition - This passage serves as a further and final
explanation of the manner in which the command to "Stand
firm therefore" (aorist
imperative) in Ep
6:14-note
is to be accomplished in full. Prayer in the Spirit and spiritual
warfare go hand in hand.
In Pilgrim’s
Progress, John Bunyan refers to one of Christian’s weapons as all
prayer, which, when everything else failed, would enable him to
defeat the fiends in the valley of the shadow.
MacArthur
explains prayer writing that...
All the while that we are fighting in
the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the
gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet or salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, we are to be in prayer. Prayer is the very
spiritual air that the soldier of Christ breathes. It is the
all–pervasive strategy in which warfare is fought....Ephesians begins by
lifting us up to the heavenlies, and ends by pulling us down to our
knees. (MacArthur,
J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press)
Blaikie
writes that...
The metaphor of armour is now
dropped, but not the idea of the conflict, for what is now insisted on
is of the most vital importance for successful warfare. Though prayer is
virtually comprehended in most of the previous exhortations, it is now
specifically enjoined, and in a great variety of ways; “all prayer
and supplication,” equivalent to every form of it, e.g. ejaculatory,
secret, spoken, domestic, social, congregational. At all seasons.
No period of life should be without it—youth, middle life, old age, all
demand it; no condition of life—adversity, prosperity, sunshine,
desolation, under sore temptation, under important duty, under heavy
trial, under all the changing circumstances of life, personal, social,
Christian. See the hymn—
“Go, when the morning shineth;
Go, when the noon is bright;
Go, when the day declineth;
Go, in the hush of night.”
In the Spirit; for true prayer
is spiritual, and it is not true prayer unless by the Holy Spirit the
heart is filled with heavenward longings and aspirations, changing our
prayer from cold form to heartfelt realities. The ordinary habit of the
soul should be prayerful, realizing the presence of God and looking for
his grace and guidance. And watching thereunto; that is,
“towards” spirituality, against formality, as also against forgetfulness
and neglect of prayer. Perhaps also the idea of watching for the answer
is involved, as you wait for an answer when you have dispatched a
letter. In all perseverance; this being very specially needed to
make prayer triumphant, as in the case of the Syro-phœnician mother, or
in that of Monica, mother of Augustine, and many more. And prayer for
all saints; this being one of the great objects for which saints are
gathered into the “one body” the Church, that they may be upheld and
carried on, in warfare and in work, by mutual prayer, kept from slips
and infirmities, and from deadly sins, and enabled one and all to “walk
worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called.” (The
Pulpit Commentary: New Testament;
Old Testament; Ages Software)
Expositor's
Greek Testament writes that...
“This great requirement of standing
ready for the combat can be made good only when prayer, constant,
earnest, spiritual prayer is added to the careful equipment with all the
parts of the panoply.” (Nicoll, W Robertson, Editor: Expositors Greek
Testament: 5 Volumes. Out of print. Search Google)
Prayer (4335)
(proseuche
from pros = toward or immediately before + euchomai = to
pray or vow) is the more
general word for prayer and is used only of prayer to God. The prefix "pros"
would convey the sense of being immediately before Him and hence the
ideas of adoration, devotion, and worship. The basic idea is to bring
something, and in prayer this pertains to bringing up prayer requests.
In early Greek culture an offering was brought with a prayer that it be
accepted. Later the idea was changed slightly, so that the thing brought
to God was a prayer. In later Greek, prayers appealed to God for His
presence.
Lawrence
Richards writes that proseuche (and the verb form
Proseuchomai)...
"In classical Greek was the technical
term for calling on a deity. The NT transforms the classical stiffness
into the warmth of genuine conversation. Such entreaty in the NT is
addressed to God or Jesus and typically is both personal and specific."
(Richards, L: Expository Dictionary)
Petition (1162)
(deesis
[word study]
from deomai = to want, to beg, to pray) refers to making known of one's
specific needs, even conveying a sense of an urgent request to meet that
need.
Deesis is
used in the NT for prayer for particular benefits and gives prominence
to one's personal needs. Deesis emphasizes the fact that the
suppliant is in need of the thing ask for. Webster says that to
supplicate (from Latin supplic-, supplex = entreating for mercy)
means to make humble entreaty.
Barnes comments that...
It
would be well for the soldier who goes forth to battle to pray--to pray
for victory; or to pray that he may be prepared for death, should he
fall. But soldiers do not often feel the necessity of this. To the
Christian soldier, however, it is indispensable. Prayer crowns all
lawful efforts with success, and gives a victory when nothing else
would. No matter how complete the armour; no matter how skilled we maybe
in the science of war; no matter how courageous we may be, we may be
certain that without prayer we shall be defeated. God alone can give the
victory; and when the Christian soldier goes forth armed completely for
the spiritual conflict, if he looks to God by prayer, he may be sure of
a triumph. This prayer is not to be intermitted. It is to be always. In
every temptation and spiritual conflict we are to pray. See [Lk 18:1].
(Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary)
At all times - "In every season", at "every
opportunity". When God's Spirit reveals to us an opportunity for prayer,
we need to seize the moment, choosing to pray and thus redeeming the
time (cf note
Ephesians 5:16).
"Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The meanest saint upon his knees."
Jesus urged
His disciples to pray at all times...
Now He was telling them a parable to
show that at all times they ought (must) to pray and not to
lose heart (to turn out to be a coward or to lose one’s courage. In
the NT it means to be fainthearted or to faint or despond in view of
trial or difficulty. It means to lose one's motivation, become
discouraged and give up because answers do not come immediately. In
spiritual warfare we can either pray or faint!) (Luke 18:1)
Times
(2540)
(kairos
[word study])
means a point of time or period of time, time, period, frequently with
the implication of being especially fit for something and without
emphasis on precise chronology. It means a moment or period as
especially appropriate the right, proper, favorable time (at the right
time). Kairos speaks of a limited period of time, with the added
notion of suitableness ("the suitable time", "the right moment", "the
convenient time"). Kairos refers to a distinct, fixed time
period, rather than occasional moments.
Kairos
is not so much a
succession of minutes (Greek
chronos
5550), but a
period of opportunity.
Chronos refers to chronological time, to clock time or calendar
time, to a general space or succession of time. Kairos, on the
other hand, refers to a specific and often predetermined period or
moment of time and so views time in terms of events, eras, or seasons.
In other words, kairos defines the best time to do something, the
moment when circumstances are most suitable, the psychologically "ripe"
moment.
Kairos is a season, an opportune time, an opportunity
("window of opportunity"). It is a fixed and definite time. It is a
period possessed of certain characteristics. For example, a "season" is
a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature. Thus the
time for bringing forth fruit [karpophoros] is the season (kairos) in
which the tree bears fruit, in contrast to late autumn, when there is no
more fruit.
Kairos does not emphasize a point of time but rather
a time space filled with all kinds of possibilities. And so Kairos
characteristically means an "opportunity" (and is so translated
in some versions -- in
Colossians 4: 5 {see note}
in the NIV and NASB) which represents the best time to do something, the
moment when circumstances are most suitable.
Webster's defines "opportunity" as a favorable
juncture of circumstances or a good chance for advancement or progress.
Study the following verses and see if you can
discern the "window of opportunity" aspect in each verse to help give
you a "feel" for the meaning of Kairos
(Mt 13:30, 21:34,
Mk 11:13,13:33, Lk 4:13,19:44, Lk 21:24, Acts 1:7, 17:26, 2Co 6:2, Ga
6:9, Eph 2:12, 2Th 2:6, Rev 1:3).
There is no good English equivalent to kairos, and when it
it plural with chronos it is translated “seasons,” or times at which
certain foreordained events take place.
In the Spirit - Barclay "Let the Spirit be the
atmosphere in which you pray." The reference is clearly not to our
spirit (cf "spirit of the mind" Ep 4:23- note) as if the
prayer were initiated by some inward devoutness on our part. Instead
Paul calls for spiritual warfare praying (and all praying for that
matter) to be in the sphere of influence of the Holy Spirit, which in
context would be seen in the one who is filled with or controlled by the
Spirit, continually being strengthened by the Spirit, Who enables such
prayer to proceed forth and Who Alone truly inspires such heaven sent
prayer. If we continually in a state of resisting, grieving, quenching
or lying to the Holy Spirit, we should not be surprised that we seldom
are stimulated to pray at moments notice. For example, someone may be
describing an affliction, trial or some other spiritual attack and feel
compelled to offer to pray and petition God on their behalf, whether
you're on the sideline of the soccer field, in the hall between services
at church, on the telephone, etc. How often do you find yourself led to
pray for others when they are clearly describing assaults from the
enemy? Be alert like a good soldier of Christ Jesus for those "kairos"
opportunities for once they have passed, they cannot be relived. But if
you are filled with the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, speaking to
others in psalms and hymns, etc, you will be in a sensitive state, and
when the Spirit broadcast His "SOS" on the FM Band, you immediately
receive because of your spiritually ready and alert state. These kinds
of alert prayers are surely some of the contents on the golden altar
before the Lord in heaven, John reminding us that one day in the future
the following scene will transpire...
And another
angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much
incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all
the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And
the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up
before God out of the angel's hand. (Re 8:3, 4-see notes
Re 8:3 ;
8:4)
John MacArthur
explains that..
To pray in the Spirit is to
pray in the name of Christ, to pray consistent with His nature and will.
To pray in the Spirit is to pray in concert with the Spirit, who “helps
our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the
Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and
He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because
He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Ro
8:26, 27-notes).
As the “Spirit of grace and of supplication” (Zech. 12:10), the Holy
Spirit continually prays for us; and for us to pray rightly is to pray
as He prays, to join our petitions to His and our will to His. It is to
line up our minds and desires with His mind and desires, which are
consistent with the will of the Father and the Son. To be “filled with
the Spirit” (Ep 5:18-note)
and to walk in His leading and power is to be made able to pray in the
Spirit, because our prayer will then be in harmony with His. As we
submit to the Holy Spirit, obeying His Word and relying on His leading
and strength, we will be drawn into close and deep fellowship with the
Father and the Son.
John Eadie comments that...
The theology of the apostle is, that
while the Son pleads for His people in heaven, the Spirit within them
makes intercession for them and by them, by giving them an enlarged and
appropriating view of the Divine promises, that they may plead them in
faith and fervor, and by so deepening their own poignant consciousness
of want as to induce them to cry for grace with an agony of earnestness
that cannot be fitted into words. Ro 8:26. Jude speaks also of “praying
in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 1:20), that is, in His exciting and assisting
influence.
The soldier needs courage, vigilance,
and skill, and therefore he ought, with continued prayer and
supplication, to look up to the Lord of hosts, “who teaches his hands to
war and his fingers to fight,” and who will make him “more than a
conqueror;” so that in due time, the combat being over and his foes
defeated, the hand that wielded the sword will carry the palm, and the
brow that wore the helmet will be crowned with immortal garlands before
the throne. (John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the
Ephesians)
AND WITH THIS IN VIEW, BE ON THE
ALERT: kai eis auto agrupnountes (PAPMPN): (Matthew
26:41; Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 21:36; 22:46; Colossians 4:2; 1Peter 4:7)
Be on the alert
(69)
(agrupneo from a = without + hupnos = sleep) is
literally without sleep and so to be sleepless or to be awake. To chase
sleep away. To pass a sleepless night. To suffer from insomnia.
No soldier can
afford to close his eyes to the enemy. In this regard it is interesting
to note that the prayer posture of closing the eyes, bowing the head,
and folding the hands is not found in Scripture. In fact the Jews prayed
with their eyes open toward heaven and their hands lifted toward God.
“Watch and pray” was our Lord’s repeated admonition to his disciples
(Mark 13:33, 14:38). Be alert to what the devil is doing or he will
attack you while you are praying!
Agrupneo means to exercise constant vigilance over something or to be vigilant in awareness of threatening peril (an
image drawn from shepherds), be alert, be on the alert, keep watch over
something, be on guard. To be vigilant means to alertly watchful
especially to avoid danger. The English word vigilant suggest intense,
unremitting, wary watchfulness. To be on the lookout for. To be
circumspect, attentive, ready (Mk 13:33, Lk 21:36) Agrupneo is
the opposite of listlessness and expresses alertness. The idea of
agrupneo is to stay awake in order to carry out a task.
Vincent
commenting on the use of agrupneo in Mk 13:33 writes that the word is
he word is derived from agreuo,
to hunt, and hupnos (hypnos), sleep. The picture is of one in
pursuit of sleep, and therefore wakeful, restless. Wyc.’s rendering of
the whole passage is striking: See! wake ye and pray ye! (Vincent, M. R.
Word Studies in the New Testament 1:224)
Thayer says
that agrupneo...
may be taken to express simply ...
absence of sleep, and, pointedly, the absence of it when due to nature,
and thence a wakeful frame of mind as opposed to listlessness; whereas
gregorein represents a waking state as the effect of some arousing
effort...i.e., a more stirring image than the former image (the picture
with agrupneo)
The
present tense
calls for this to be
the believer's lifestyle. Be continually on standby alert as you pray!
Keep your spiritual eyes open, for the enemy may assault you at any
time!
MacArthur
writes that agrupneo...
refers to staying awake or
maintaining a watchful sensitivity. This is strategic in prayer to
enable one to know what to pray at the right time and not be asleep at
the switch. The person praying is to keep this alert vigil “with all
perseverance” (proskarterēsis), a quality of steadfast endurance,
literally “a holding fast to.”
Early cowboys guarding a herd at
night sometimes took drastic measures to keep alert and hold fast to
their work. They rubbed tobacco juice in their eyes to keep at their
vigil and to stay awake when weary. They did it in the interests of
their boss and for the safety of the cattle. Can we keep effectively
steadfast in prayer for the sake of our Lord and for the benefit of
others? (MacArthur, J., F., Jr, Mayhue, R., & Thomas, R., L..
Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry : Shaping Contemporary Ministry with
Biblical Mandates. Dallas: Word)
Josephus
uses agrupneo in the description of the slaying of Saul's son...
So when they once found him alone,
and asleep at noon, in an upper room, when none of his guards were
there, and when the woman that kept the door was not watching,
(agrupneo) but was fallen asleep also, partly on account of the labor
she had undergone, and partly on account of the heat of the day, these
men went into the room in which Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, lay asleep, and
slew him (Ant 7.48). Peabody: Hendrickson.
Agrupneo is
us 8 times in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(2Sa 12:21; Ezra 8:29; Job 21:32; Ps. 102:7; 127:1; Pr 8:34; Song 5:2;
Da 9:14). Here is a representative use...
Psalm 127:1 A Song of Ascents,
of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who
build it. Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake
(Lxx = agrupneo) in vain.
Proverbs 8:34 "Blessed is the
man who listens to me, watching (Lxx = agrupneo) daily at my
gates, waiting at my doorposts. (Comment: This speaks of keeping
watch in an ethical sense.)
Agrupneo is found
four times in the NT...
Mark 13:33 "Take heed
(blepo -
present imperative),
keep
on the alert (agrupneo -
present imperative); for you do not know when the appointed time is.
Luke 21:36 "But
keep
on
the alert
(present
imperative) at all times
(kairos
- seasons,
opportunities), praying in order that you may have
strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to
stand before the Son of Man." (Comment: Here agrupneo
conveys the idea of making an effort to learn of what might be a
potential future threat.)
Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer
and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view,
be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all
the saints,
Hebrews 13:17
Obey
(present
imperative) your
leaders, and submit
(present
imperative) to them; for they keep watch
(agrupneo) over your
souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and
not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (Comment:
The idea of agrupneo in this verse is to take care of or to look
after, with the implication of continuous and wakeful concern for.
Vine adds that "Agrupneo signifies to be wakeful, suggestive
of the watchful care of shepherds. The overseer must ever carry on his
work in view of the Judgment Seat of Christ, where he will give account
of his service, its motives and methods. - Collected writings of W. E.
Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
John Eadie comments that...
To secure this earnest supplication
at all times in the Spirit, they were to be ever on their guard against
remissness, for many “impedimenta” exist in the Christian army.
(John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians)
WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE AND
PETITION FOR ALL THE SAINTS: en pass proskarteresei kai deesei peri
panton ton hagion: (Genesis 32:24, 25,26, 27, 28; Mt
15:25, 26, 27, 28; Luke 11:5, 6, 7, 8; 18:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) (Ep
6:19; 1:16; 3:8,18; Philippians 1:4; 1Timothy 2:1; Colossians 1:4;
Philemon 1:5)
Related
Resource
-
Spurgeon's Gems on Prayer,
Discipline Yourself
Perseverance
(4343)
(proskarteresis
from pros = direction - toward + kartereo = be strong,
steadfast, firm) (Click
word study of the root verb
proskartereo) means to continue to do
something with intense effort with the possible implication of doing so
despite difficulties inherent. It pictures devotion of one's self to the
task, keeping on it, persisting in it, being earnest towards (pros) it.
Proskarteresis describes
a steadfast single-minded fidelity to a certain course of action. It
describes an obstinate persistence in a task, a keeping on task with
devotion, a continuing to do something with intense effort, a steadfast
attention toward something, a giving of unremitting care to a thing, a
continuation all the time in a place, a spirit which does not faint, a
constant diligence toward, assiduous attention toward.
John MacArthur illustrates
perseverance...
When the coal truck delivered a
ton of coal on the sidewalk in front of her house, a little London girl
took her small shovel and began carrying the coal into the basement.
When a neighbor man who was watching told her, “You’ll never be able to
get it all in,” she replied,
“Oh, I will sir, if I work long enough.”
The test of a person’s character
is what it takes to stop him. Some people retreat as soon as the first
shot is fired, while others fight through battle after battle with no
thought of giving up. Satan will try every means to discourage and deter
us, reminding us of defeats and dangers and setting every possible
object in our way to destroy our assurance in Christ. (MacArthur,
J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press)
My Soul Be on Thy Guard
by George Heath
My soul, be on thy guard;
Ten thousand foes arise;
The hosts of sin are pressing hard
To draw thee from the skies.
O watch, and fight, and pray;
The battle ne’er give o’er;
Renew it boldly every day,
And help divine implore.
Never think the victory won,
Nor lay thine armor down;
The work of faith will not be done,
Till thou obtain the crown.
Fight on, my soul, till death
Shall bring thee to thy God;
He’ll take thee, at thy parting breath,
To His divine abode.
Petition
(1162)
(deesis)
(Click
word study on
deesis)
refers to urgent requests or
supplications to meet a need and are exclusively addressed to God.
Deesis in the New Testament always carries the idea of genuine
entreaty and supplication before God. It implies a realization of need
and a petition for its supply.
Deesis was
used by the angel who assured the godly father of John the Baptist,
“Do not be afraid (stop fearing
indicating he already was fearful), Zacharias (means "Jehovah
remembers"), for your petition (deesis - specifically
their need for God to open his wife's womb) has been heard, and your
wife Elizabeth (means "my God is an oath") will bear you a son, and you
will give him the name John (means “Jehovah has shown grace”)”
(Luke
1:13).
Luke uses
deesis again of the disciples of John the Baptist, who were said to
“often fast and offer prayers (deesis)" (Luke
5:33).
Deesis was
used by Paul of his “prayer for the salvation of his fellow
Israelites...
"Brethren, my heart's (deepest,
consuming) desire and my prayer prayer (deesis - conveys
idea of pleading and entreaty, of persistent petition) to God for them
is for their salvation." (Ro 1:10-note).
Paul
practiced what he preached as is evident from his letter to the
saints at Philippi, writing these encouraging words...
"I
thank (eucharisteo > Eucharist used of Lord’s Supper when believers give
thanks to God in remembrance of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on
the cross) my (reflects Paul's deep intimacy) God in all my remembrance
of you, always offering prayer (deesis) with joy in my every
prayer (deesis) for you all, in view of your (joint)
participation (with me) in the gospel from the first day (when Lydia
opened her home for the preaching of the Word) until now." (see notes
Philippians 1:3;
1:4;
1:5)
For I know that this shall turn out
for my deliverance through your prayers (deesis) and the
provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Php 1:19-note)
Stayed upon Jehovah,
Hearts are fully blessed;
Finding, as He promised,
Perfect peace and rest.
(Play
Like a River Glorious)
by Frances Ridley Havergal
Prayer is vital in
warfare because it represents communication with "Command Central"
so to speak and its absence is a sure means of cutting oneself off from
God, and making us vulnerable in warfare. Prayerlessness produces
sterility of spiritual perception, a life without holiness, and a
witness without power.
David Guzik
writes that...
The idea is all kinds of prayer or
prayer upon prayer. We should use every kind of prayer we can think of.
Group prayer, individual prayer, silent prayer, shouting prayer, walking
prayer, kneeling prayer, eloquent prayer, groaning prayer, constant
prayer, fervent prayer - just pray.
We can say that it is through prayer that spiritual strength and the
armor of God go to work. In theory, the prayerless Christian can be
strong and wearing all the armor - but actually goes into battle through
prayer. Often we just don’t pray because we are simply overconfident in
our own abilities. Winston Churchill said to Britain in the early days
of World War II: “I must drop one word of caution, for next to
cowardice and treachery, overconfidence leading to neglect and
slothfulness, is the worst of wartime crimes.” (Ephesians 6)
Often the world
system works like a cooling system. John Wesley once said: “Whatever
cools my affection toward Christ is the world.” Prayer is the insulation
that protects the soul from being chilled to death.
David Jeremiah
gives the following illustration...
I once borrowed a car and as a favor
to the owner filled it with gas. That big Oldsmobile station wagon had
an ornament on the hood that said “diesel,” a sticker on the rear gate
that said “Oldsmobile Diesel,” and a note on the fuel gauge reading,
“Diesel Fuel Only.” So naturally I put diesel fuel in the tank. Big
mistake, since the owner had recently converted it to gasoline. When it
broke down on the main street of a village in New York, I had to explain
why I had put diesel fuel into a vehicle with a gasoline engine.
I don’t think I’ll ever live that
down, so I use it as the perfect illustration of Christians. We are
human beings, and we have “Human Being” written all over us, but we’ve
been converted into something else. If you try to run your new spiritual
self on the old kind of fuel, it won’t work. There are a lot of
Christians who haven’t figured that out yet. The fuel for the Christian
life is prayer. Prayer is the energy that makes it possible for the
Christian warrior to wear the armor and wield the sword.
You cannot fight the battle in your
own power. No matter how talented you are, if you try to fight the
spiritual battle in your own strength, you will be defeated. (Jeremiah,
D. Sanctuary: Finding Moments of Refuge in the Presence of God
Nashville, TN: Integrity Publishers)
Adoniram Judson,
one of the greatest missionaries ever sent out from American shores, was
emphatic in his insistence upon prayer. He said,
“Be resolute in prayer. Make any
sacrifice to maintain it. Consider that time is short and that business
and company must not be allowed to rob thee of thy God.”
Max Lucado
has these thoughts on "living in God's presence"...
How do I live in God’s presence? How
do I detect his unseen hand on my shoulder and his inaudible voice in my
ear? … How can you and I grow familiar with the voice of God? Here are a
few ideas:
Give God your waking thoughts. Before
you face the day, face the Father. Before you step out of bed, step into
his presence.
Give God your waiting thoughts. Spend
time with him in silence.
Give God your whispering thoughts.…
Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with
God.
Give God your waning thoughts. At the
end of the day, let your mind settle on him. Conclude the day as you
began it: talking to God. Just Like Jesus. (Lucado, M., & Gibbs, T. A.
Grace for the Moment : Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year.
Nashville, Tenn.: J. Countryman)
Praying Hyde
was such a man who lived in the presence of God as the following story
relates...
During one of Dr. Wilbur Chapman’s
campaigns in England, the attendance was consistently small. He received
word that an American missionary was going to pray for him. Almost
instantly the hall became packed, and at his first invitation 50 men
accepted Christ as Savior. One night the missionary was in the
congregation. When Dr. Chapman was introduced to him, he asked him to
pray for him. The two went to Chapman’s room, dropped on their knees and
for five minutes the missionary was quiet. “I could hear my heart
thumping,” Chapman said. “I felt hot tears running down my face. 1 knew
1 was with God.” Then the missionary said, “0 God!” and was silent for
another five minutes. When he knew he was talking with God there came
from the depth of his heart such petitions for men as I have never heard
before. When Chapman rose from his knees, he knew what prayer is. He had
learned from the missionary, Praying Hyde, who knew the power of
supplication in the Spirit.
Spurgeon
writes that...
When you cannot use your sword, and
even when you can hardly grasp your shield, you can pray. That weapon of
“all prayer” is of the handiest kind, because it can be turned in any
and every direction. “Praying always with all prayer” — groaning
prayers, weeping prayers, prayers that are made up of single words,
prayers that have not a word in them, prayers for others, prayers of
confession, prayers of thanksgiving, — “praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the Spirit,”
But will prayer for other people help
us? Yes, very much. You will sometimes find that, when you cannot pray
for yourself, it is a good plan to pray for somebody else. Think of some
child of God, and pray for him, and then the fire of supplication will
soon burn up in your heart. The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he
prayed for his friends, and he will do the same for you. I have heard
many of our members say that, when they have felt bound in prayer, they
have pleaded for their Pastor and afterwards they have been able to pray
for themselves. I advise more of you to try that plan; it will do me
good, and then if it also does you good, there will be a double
advantage in it. Paul was of the same mind as I am, for he added, —
Saints
(40)
(hagios)
(Click
word study on
hagios) is literally holy one and
refers to one set apart (sanctified) for a special purpose. Hagios
describes every saint's position in Christ as set apart from that which
is secular, profane, and evil and on the other hand dedicated to worship
and service of God. We are holy ones both in character and
conduct set apart by God to be exclusively His, dedicated to Him and
manifesting holiness of heart and conduct.
Hagios was
used throughout the NT to speak of anyone or anything that represents
God’s holiness: Christ as the Holy One of God, the Holy
Spirit, the Holy Father, holy Scriptures, holy
angels, holy brethren, and so on.
The Gentiles
understood this term because among the pagans, hagios signified
separated and dedicated to the idolatrous gods and carried no idea of
moral or spiritual purity. The manmade gods were as sinful and
degraded as the men who made them and there simply was no need for a
word that represented righteousness! The worshipper of the pagan god
acquired the character of that pagan god and the religious ceremonies
connected with its worship. The Greek temple at Corinth housed a large
number of harlots who were connected with the "worship" of the Greek
god. Thus, the set-apartness or holiness of the Greek worshipper was in
character licentious, totally depraved, and sinful.
John MacArthur
has an interesting note writing that...
Praying for others with sincerity and
perseverance is, in God’s immeasurable grace, a great blessing and
strength to our own souls. D. Martyn Lloyd–Jones reported that before
the outbreak of the Spanish civil war that country was experiencing such
an epidemic of neuroses that psychiatrists could hardly handle them all.
But the war, terrible and destructive as it was in most respects, had
the unexpected effect of “curing” many of Spain’s thousands of
neurotics. When they became concerned about the welfare of their
families, friends, and country instead of their own, their neuroses
disappeared and hospitals and clinics were almost emptied of such cases.
“These neurotic people were suddenly cured by a greater anxiety,” an
anxiety that reached beyond their own selfish welfare. (The Christian
Soldier [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977], pp. 357–58.) (MacArthur,
J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press)
John Bunyan
in The Holy War describes the armor of the devil (Diabolus) as basically
the opposite of that of the Christian...
‘Another part or piece,’ said
Diabolus, ‘of mine excellent armour is a dumb and prayerless spirit—a
spirit that scorns to cry for mercy; wherefore be you, my Mansoul, sure
that you make use of this. What! cry for quarter, never do that if you
would be mine; I know you are stout men, and am sure that I have clad
you with that which is armour of proof; wherefore, to cry to Shaddai for
mercy, let that be far from you. Besides all this, I have a maul,
fire-brands, arrows and death, all good hand-weapons, and such as will
do execution.’
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F B Meyer has the following on
"Praying at all seasons in the Spirit"
The dying Monod regretted he had not
prayed more.
We should pray at all seasons.
Prayer is never out of place. There is no conceivable circumstance in
life where it would be inappropriate to pray. At the wedding or the
funeral; as we engage in work or finish it; whether the wind blow from
the cold north or the balmy south — it is wise and right to pray.
“Prayer and provender (food),” the old proverb says, “hinder no man.”
We should pray in the Spirit.
Reversing the order of the words, but bringing in their true meaning, we
might say, “Let the Spirit pray in the soul.” It is well in prayer to
wait until the scum of our own choice and desire has passed off, that
the yearnings of the Holy Spirit may arise and manifest themselves. We
need to be in the Spirit, not only on the Lord’s Day, but always, that
He may be mightily in us, teaching us the will of God.
We should pray unselfishly.
“For all saints,” said the apostle, “and for me.”
We should watch. Do not give runaway knocks. Stand at God’s door till it
opens. Be on the alert. Wait on the watch-tower. Many of God’s ships
pass in the night, and many of his gifts arrive at the wharf when those
to whom they were consigned are asleep or gone.
We should persevere. God keeps
us waiting that He may test and humble us, and know what is in our
heart. Delays are his winnowing fan, discriminating between the chaff
and the wheat. What we asked so vehemently we did not ask wisely. When
we pray according to his heart, He graciously sustains us. Persevere;
you do not know how near you are to the blessing you have sought for
years. (Meyer, F. B. Our Daily Homily. Pleasant Places Press)
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Oswald Chambers has a
devotional from December 16 entitled "Wrestling before God"...
Wherefore take unto you the whole
armour of God,. . . praying always. . . Eph. 6:13,18.
You have to wrestle against the
things that prevent you from getting to God, and you wrestle in prayer
for other souls; but never say that you wrestle with God in prayer, it
is scripturally untrue. If you do wrestle with God, you will be crippled
all the rest of your life. If, when God comes in some way you do not
want, you take hold of Him as Jacob did and wrestle with Him, you compel
Him to put you out of joint. Don’t be a hirpler in God’s ways, but be
one who wrestles before God with things, becoming more than conqueror
through Him. Wrestling before God tells in His Kingdom. If you ask me to
pray for you and I am not complete in Christ, I may pray but it avails
nothing; but if I am complete in Christ, my prayer prevails all the
time. Prayer is only effective when there is completeness— “Wherefore
take unto you the whole armour of God.”
Always distinguish between God’s
order and His permissive will, i.e., His providential purpose towards
us. God’s order is unchangeable; His permissive will is that with which
we must wrestle before Him. It is our reaction to the passive will of
God that enables us to get at His order. “All things work together for
good to them that love God”—to those who remain true to God’s order, to
His calling in Christ Jesus. God’s permissive will is the means whereby
His sons and daughters are to be manifested. We are not to be like
jelly-fish saying—‘It’s the Lord’s will.’ We have not to put up a fight
before God, not to wrestle with God, but to wrestle before God with
things. Beware of squatting lazily before God instead of putting up a
glorious fight so that you may lay hold of His strength. (Chambers, O..
My Utmost for His Highest)
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C H Spurgeon has the following
devotional from Morning and Evening...
What multitudes of prayers we have
put up from the first moment when we learned to pray. Our first prayer
was a prayer for ourselves; we asked that God would have mercy upon us,
and blot out our sin. He heard us. But when he had blotted out our sins
like a cloud, then we had more prayers for ourselves. We have had to
pray for sanctifying grace, for constraining and restraining grace; we
have been led to crave for a fresh assurance of faith, for the
comfortable application of the promise, for deliverance in the hour of
temptation, for help in the time of duty, and for succour in the day of
trial. We have been compelled to go to God for our souls, as constant
beggars asking for everything. Bear witness, children of God, you have
never been able to get anything for your souls elsewhere. All the bread
your soul has eaten has come down from heaven, and all the water of
which it has drank has flowed from the living rock—Christ Jesus the
Lord. Your soul has never grown rich in itself; it has always been a
pensioner upon the daily bounty of God; and hence your prayers have
ascended to heaven for a range of spiritual mercies all but infinite.
Your wants were innumerable, and therefore the supplies have been
infinitely great, and your prayers have been as varied as the mercies
have been countless. Then have you not cause to say, “I love the Lord,
because he hath heard the voice of my supplication”? For as your prayers
have been many, so also have been God’s answers to them. He has heard
you in the day of trouble, has strengthened you, and helped you, even
when you dishonoured him by trembling and doubting at the mercy-seat.
Remember this, and let it fill your heart with gratitude to God, who has
thus graciously heard your poor weak prayers. “Bless the Lord, O my
soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Spurgeon, C. H. Morning
and Evening: Daily readings - February 6, Morning).
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Vital
intercession
Ephesians 6:18
Oswald Chambers
As we go on in
intercession we may find that our obedience to God is going to cost
other people more than we thought. The danger then is to begin to
intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting to a
totally different sphere in answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back
from identification with God’s interest in others into sympathy with
them, the vital connection with God has gone; we have put our sympathy,
our consideration for them, in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke
to God.
It is impossible
to intercede vitally unless we are perfectly sure of God, and the
greatest dissipator of our relationship to God is personal sympathy and
personal prejudice. Identification is the key to intercession, and
whenever we stop being identified with God, it is by sympathy, not by
sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our relationship to
God, but sympathy will, sympathy with ourselves or with others which
makes us say—‘I will not allow that thing to happen.’ Instantly we are
out of vital connection with God.
Intercession
leaves you neither time nor inclination to pray for your own ‘sad sweet
self.’ The thought of yourself is not kept out, because it is not there
to keep out; you are completely and entirely identified with God’s
interests in other lives.
Discernment is
God’s call to intercession, never to fault finding. (Chambers, O. My
Utmost for His Highest)
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Confident
Prayer
Ephesians 6:18
June 25, 1997
As one of Africa's first explorers, David Livingstone loved its
people and longed to see them evangelized. His journals reveal his
spiritual concern and deep faith.
In late March 1872, he wrote, "He will keep His word--the gracious One,
full of grace and truth--no doubt of it. He said, 'Him that cometh unto
Me, I will in no wise cast out' and 'Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name
I will give it.' He will keep His word; then I can come and humbly
present my petition, and it will be all right. Doubt is here
inadmissible, surely."
Livingstone had rock-like confidence in the Father's promises. In our
praying we too can exercise the trust that God will not deny our
requests when they are in keeping with His will. (By the way, are we
reading His Word so that we know His will?)
We can defeat doubt when we remind ourselves that no matter what happens
in life, He cares deeply about us and longs to give us the wisdom to
handle what comes our way (1Pe 5:7-note; Jas 1:5-note). Our faith will grow
stronger as we realize that our heavenly Father is gracious, delighting
to give good gifts to His children (Mt. 7:11-note). Humbly but confidently,
we can come to Him with our requests. --V C Grounds (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Thou art coming to
a King,
Large petitions with thee bring,
For His grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much. --Newton
When we love God as our Father,
we won't treat Him as our servant.
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Free Prayer -A pastor was asked
to call on a woman in a psychiatric hospital and pray for her. After his
visit, he thought how good it would be for somebody to go there
regularly and pray for the residents. The "somebody" turned out to be
him. On a table in one of the wards, he put up a sign saying "Free
Prayer." Later he recalled, "Suddenly I had 15 people standing in line
to get prayed for."
People often ask for our prayers, but do we faithfully pray for them?
Many times we see others in great need but find it easier to discuss
their plight with friends rather than to intercede for them. But people
need and want our prayers.
Paul concluded his call to put on "the whole armor of God" (Ephesians
6:13, 14, 15, 16, 17) by writing, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and
supplication for all the saints" (Ep 6:18).
Oswald Chambers often referred to prayer as "the ministry of the
interior" and said, "There is no snare, or any danger of infatuation or
pride in intercession; it is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit
whereby the Father is glorified."
Faithful prayer—whether in public or private—is one of the greatest
gifts we can give others.—David C. McCasland (Ibid)
To give to others
what they need,
We show no greater care
Than when we give them to the Lord,
Upholding them in prayer. —D. De Haan
Our intercession may be the key to God's intervention
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LET'S KEEP
PRAYING! - Irina Ratushinskaya's childhood quest for God, even while she was
hearing school lectures promoting atheism and mocking Christianity, led
her to a deep and unflinching faith. Her poetry expressed that faith and
brought inspiration and hope to
believers all over Russia.
It also brought
her to the attention of the KGB. At age 28, Irina was arrested and
sentenced to 7 years hard labor in the Bareshevo labor camp. There she
was subjected to relentless interrogations, chilling cold, starvation,
hard labor, and months of solitary confinement.
Irina's faith did not break. During the lonely nights, huddled against
the cold wall of her cell, she composed poetry in her head about God.
When Irina was finally released, she credited the prayers of believers
for sustaining her. In one of her poems, she wrote:
Believe me, it was
often thus:
In solitary cells, on winter nights
A sudden sense of joy and warmth
And a resounding note of love.
And then, unsleeping, I would know
A-huddle by an icy wall:
Someone is thinking of me now,
Petitioning the Lord for me.
I wonder, have we
been faithful in praying for people who are going through difficult
situations? Our prayers can make a difference! - David C. Egner (Ibid)
You can expect God
to intervene if you're willing to intercede . |
