Continuing on in this series on praying in the Spirit we will cover the fact that there is a precise way in which we need to pray but cannot without God’s help. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

For we know not- Paul makes an amazing statement we don’t have a clue what to pray for. The most amazing thing about that statement is he includes himself. If anyone in all of history would pray right: he was educated at the feet of Gamaliel, was a pharisee of the pharisee’s, he was hand picked by God to take the Gospel to the gentiles. Furthermore, he wrote a large part of the new testament while simultaneously planting dozens of churches. Despite all of that Paul said apart from divine enablement I don’t know what to pray for. Paul knew that his flesh, and deceitful heart would make it impossible to ever pray the right prayer.

Well if the Apostle Paul doesn’t know what to pray for then we can be sure we don’t. Consequently we must be completely reliant on the Holy Spirit to be leading, and guiding our prayers. That is why it is a good discipline to be asking God what to pray for. You see we treat God like some cosmic Santa Clause, that’s just there to listen to all our wants, and needs. Don’t get me wrong God wants to take care of you, but what he really wants is to have a relationship with you. Relationships require two way communication not just talking listening. What relationship has ever lasted when one party always talked, and never listened. God wants to tell you what to pray for. So put away your Christmas list, and auctioneer voice, and start asking God questions then shutup and listen to His answers.

Why is it important to pray for the things God leads you to pray for instead of always whats on your prayer list? Because what God leads you to pray for He will bring to pass. 1 John 5:14-15 says it this way, “…this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” So if you pray according to the will of God He will hear, and he will answer.” But how do we determine the will of God? Two ways the word of God, and the Spirit of God. That is why it is tremendously important to pray scripture, but it is also important to be led of the Spirit in your prayer.

as we ought- In modern usage ought is an expression of desire with no real intention of follow through. For instance, “I really ought to go to the store”, or ” I really ought to start exercising.” That is not at all what ought means in this verse. The word translated “ought” is the greek word dei, which means that which is required, a necessity, or that which is legally binding. So for instance when Jesus says, “men ought always to pray, and not to faint” He is not saying it sure would be nice if you prayed. No way, He is saying it is legally binding upon you that you pray.

So in other words Paul is not saying, “you know we really should pray a certain way, but we don’t know how.” Rather he is emphasizing the fact that is it essential, and legally binding that we pray for the right things, at the right time, in the right way, but we don’t have a clue how to apart from the Holy Spirit. So in our praying we need set aside our agenda, and let God lead us. E.M. Bounds said, “it is better to have prayer without words, then words without prayer.” Take time to ask God how to pray, when to pray, and what to pray for. Then listen to what He has to say. Today lets make our prayers a conversation, a dialogue not a monologue.

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Continuing on in our series on Spiritual warfare in this post we’ll cover more vital pieces of the Christian armor that are needed to fight against Satan.

Breastplate of Righteousness- The Roman breastplate covered the vital organs of the body especially the heart. I have learned over the years that you just can’t trust your heart. God did not send His Son to die to empower your heart, but rather to exchange it. Ezekiel 36:26 explains this when it says, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that we have Christ righteousness, and Galatians 2:20 tells us that Christ is living through us. We must yield to Christ righteousness because our heart is so deceptive (Jer. 17:9), and easily deceived.

You see in Bible times the heart was considered the seat of your emotions, and will. So if satan can get your heart he’s got your emotions which can affect your decision making process (the will). Proverbs 4:23 says, “guard your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.” If I could paraphrase I would say, “what you let in the heart is what comes out”. Because the Bible says what person thinks in their heart, is what they are. So satan will come to the unguarded heart with thoughts that makes us angry our emotions will say “this makes me so angry”, the will will say, “me too lets do something about it”. Before you know it you will find that you have done things that you will regret the rest of your life because of an unguarded heart.

You see most people these days are more in love with their feelings than they are in love with God. What does it mean to be in love with our feelings? One definition of love means to be attached to. When you are attached to something, you can’t let go. Far too often we have attached ourselves to how we feel and we cannot separate our feelings from the choices that determine the outcome of our lives. Since our feelings will mislead us, betray us, and not consider the end result, we must fall out of love with them.

How do we do that? We must fall in love with something greater. We must fall in love with God. Whether you feel the love of God or not, the word righteousness means right standing or relationship with God. So it not about how you feel it just about yielding to Christs righteousness then know that God accepts us as he accepts Christ.

Martin Luther concerning the untrustworthiness of our feelings once wrote:
Feelings come, and feelings go,
And feelings are deceiving,
I’ll put my trust in the Word of God,
None else is worth believing!

So today let’s yield to Christ’s right standing with God, and let Him live through us, and not let our emotions, or will rule over us.

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In our last post we started to cover the all important topic of Spiritual warfare. Today we will cover some more aspects of spiritual warfare then start looking at the armor available to us. Ephesians 6:10-18 says, ¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: ¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Stand- Verse 11 tell us that the purpose of the armor of God is that we might be able to stand against the enemy. You see we don’t have to win the victories they have already been won we just have to stand. Like everything in the Christian life God does the work we just have to show up for the battle. The real question is when is someone go to say that’s it I’m going to stand for my: family, Church, or country! Satan has had them long enough, no more! You see God does the work but throughout the ages much evil has happened, because Christians refuse to fight the devil.

Wiles- The word translated wiles is the greek word methodeias “methods”, i.e., schemes, tactics, stratagems, secret agendas. The plural of this word “suggests attacks that are constantly repeated or of incalculable variety”.

What are they? Temptation, accusation, intimidation, division and other such assaults against individual believers and the church corporately. But even though Satan and his minions have many methods they only have one underlying agenda: steal, kill, and destroy. John 10:10 gives us Satan’s job title, or agenda when Jesus says that the devil comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. So you see Satan is just as content to steal, kill, and destroy a person in church as a heathen idolater in a jungle somewhere. There are many methods but only one desired result.

Flesh and Blood- One of Satan’s primary tactics is to get man thinking his battle is horizontal (with other men) but the bible says its vertical (in the heavenlies with demons). So instead of fighting with your family or boss all of the time step back and say my battle is not with them it is with these demons trying to steal, kill, and destroy my family.

Principalities (Political)- The greek word Arches these political demons are in charge of Satan’s steal, kill, destroy agenda in the political realm. Every major war, or wicked political decison has been masterminded by these demons.

Powers (Personal)- The greek word Exousias these personal demons are in charge of Satan’s steal, kill destroy agenda for families, and individuals. They may have attacking your family for thousands of years, and so they have CIA like intelligence on: your emotional makeup, genetic predispositions, and generational sins.

Rulers (Philisophical)- The greek word Kosmokratopas these philisophical demons are in charge of the prevailing philosphies of the age. They use universities, hollywood, and the internet to peddle Satan’s steal, kill, destroy message packaged as truth, philosophy, and self help.

Spiritual Wickedness (Spiritual)- Comes from the greek which literally means spiritual evil in the heavenlies, these spiritual demons are concerned with bringing Satan’s steal, kill, destroy agenda through religion. Every cult, every ism, schism, or false doctrine is peddled by these demons to send people to hell, and to hunder spirtual growth.

Now then the part you have all been waiting for let us now cover what is each piece of the armor needed to stand against the enemy.

Girdle of Truth- The foundational piece of the armor Paul mentions was a leather belt worn by Roman soldiers to tuck their garment into, and to hold their weapons. As a place to tuck in their flowing clothing the girdle allowed soldiers to run in battle without being hindered. In the same way as we study the word of God (the truth) we see sins, and weights that easily beset us, and hinder our running.

As a place to hold weapons the girdle illustrates that truth is vital to both of our offensive weapons: speaking the word, and prayer. You see you can’t speak whats not in there so memorizing God’s word (truth) will allow you to have something to say in battle. Also one way we can pray according to the will of God is to pray the word of God. Truth is foundational to our warfare because Satan’s primary tool is deception. As we soak ourselves in the Bible we can avoid being decieved.

Next time we will cover the other pieces of the armor, but in the meantime be aware that there is an enemy out there but God has told us what he looks like, and how to fight him.

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In this series of posts I would like to cover a most important topic, that of Spiritual warfare. In a previous post we discussed what the enemy’s military hierarchy looks like, but in this post we will cover how use our offensive and defensive weapons against the enemy.

The first question you may ask is their even a need for spiritual warfare? There are three categories that Christians can relegate demonic activity to. First is that their really just on their doctrinal and that they don’t really believe in the reality of the devil. They have been influenced by the western world-view which says every effect has a physical cause; if you can’t see it, touch it, taste it, smell it, or hear it, it probably doesn’t exist; all phenomena can or eventually will be explained or accounted for scientifically; reality is material and mechanical; if there is a spiritual realm, it has no relation to or impact upon the physical realm.

Second place they may relegate these realities to is on the mission field. They will say I believe there is demonic activity over in Papua New Guinea, or somewhere, but not in America. These Christians are susceptible to Satan’s agenda whether they think he works over here or not.

The last group say well didn’t Jesus defeat Satan at the cross so we don’t have to worry about him anymore. That is true he did destroy the Satan’s authority 1 John 3:8 says Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. That word destroy is the word luo which means, legally declaring something dissolved or unbound. Matthew 16:19 says we are given the keys whatever we luo on earth is luoed in the heavenlies (where demonic activity originates from). So yes Satan’s works, and authourity have been defeated, but Satan is a squatter, and will take whatever territory he can in our lives unless told to leave. So we are like Jesus’s Deputy’s reinforcing Jesus victory’s in different times, locations, and lives.

Now let us look in the book of Ephesians at what kind of armor is available to us. But before we can fully understand this armor we have to understand what procedes it. In Ephesians 1-3 Paul tells us to sit that is to say to realize our position. You see your salvation was planned before the foundation of the world, and you are now seated with Christ in the heavenlies far above all principlaities, and powers (demonic activity). You see if you are not resting in this position you have no foundation for spiritual warfare.

The next thing Paul says in Chapters 4-5 is to walk that is when you are in Christ start walking out a life that is worthy of your calling. If we are not sitting right, and walking right we are leaving an open door for Satan to get in. So if we are sitting right, and walking right, we can stand right against the enemy without waffling.

So with that in mind let us look at Ephesians 6:10-18 which says, ¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Be Strong- In this verse Paul is telling us that we have the strength available to us to be fight the enemy. Note however that he is not just saying “Be strong in yourself.” Many times that is what we say to people, “try harder, button your upper lip, you must learn just to be strong.” That is not the power he is talking about at all the “strength” to which Paul refers is none other than the “strength” he described in Eph. 1:19. Which raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him above all authority! You are in your most vulnerable state when you think that you are strong enough to handle the temptation or situation without the help of the Lord. The foundation for your warfare is dependence on God’s power

So today as you face the enemy realize your position (seated in the Heavenlies), walk worthy of your calling, and stand in the power of God to fight the enemy.

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Today I would like to talk about Satan’s power structure out of Ephesians chapter 6. Sun Tzu said in the art of war that the key to winning is to know thy enemy in Ephesians 6 Paul reveals to us in detail Satan’s military hierarchy. The Bible says, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The enemy wants us to be constantly focused on the flesh and blood plain, our family, our spiritual leaders, politicians, anyone but him. and his demons. Paul tells us however that the real war is with terrorists, or evolutionists the war my friends is with the devil, and his minions.

The Bible indicates that there is a power structure, or hierarchy of all angels. Of God’s elect angels we see Archangels who seem to be the head of the angels, Seraphim who are angels in charge of worshiping God (Isa. 6:1-7), Cherubim who seem to be guardian angels (Ezekiel 28:14-16), and normal angels who are messengers and servants.

In the preceding verse Paul breaks down Satan’s military hierarchy into four ranks: Principalities, Powers, Rulers of the Darkness of this World, and Spiritual Wickedness in High places. I would like to break these down individually so we can get a better idea of what we are up against.

Principalities- The word principality comes from the greek word arche where we get are words like archduke, or archbishop. A principallity can be a word for a princes territory these demons are similiar to Archangels in God’s hiearchy. Because these demons are linked with the geopolitical term princes territory these demons are beleive are political in nature. Everything divisive between nations whether building nuclear weapons, or funding terrorist is spurred on by principalities.

A clear example of a Principality is demonstrated in the book of Daniel in chapter 10 where Daniel is praying for the Lord to bring His people back in to the promised land, a highly political prayer by the way. After 21 days of praying an angel shows up, and says, “I had your answer on the first day but the Prince of Persia resisted me.” Interesting obviously the actual prince of Persia was not resisting this angel, but rather a demonic principality in charge of bringing about Satan’s political agenda in a region. Isn’t it interesting that the Prince of Persia, or modern day Iran is still causing political division, controversy, and destruction through President Ahmadinejad.

So what does this tell us about our approach to Satan in matters of political import. Well it would seem according to the Bible that instead of organizing a political rally, or writing a senator, criticizing a world leader, or starting a group on facebook we need to realize are battle is not against flesh and blood. Stop protesting and start praying for our political leaders there are demons tasked with nothing else but to bring Satan’s agenda into the political arena. What is his agenda the sames as it is for everything steal, kill, and destroy. The battlefield isn’t going to be one in a voting booth, or by conservative talk radio it will only be one on our knees.

Powers- The next kind of demon is Powers which comes from the greek word exousia which means authority these are what I call personal demons. Throughout scripture we see God assigning angels to specific people, even indicating that children have assigned guardian angels (Matthew 18:10). Could it be that each of us has at least one assigned demon to hinder ours, or our families spiritual growth. Worse still what if they have been assigned to your family for thousands of years. That makes them a formidable foe, imagine they have been observing the things that can trip your family up for centuries so they have a headstart on your genetic predispositions, cultural nuances, etc. So if the Fowler family has been succumbing to Beer, or anger or whatever for a 1,000 years then these powers certainly know what to throw at you.

So lets stop fighting with our families, and lets stop attributing all of our failures to natural causes, and realize that there is an enemy out there not just concerened with whole nations, but concern with the destruction of you, and your family. In CS Lewis’ in his book Screwtape letters says of our belief in demons, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.” So let us realize that there is an enemy but he is not on the flesh and blood plane but on in the heavenlies. Next time we’ll cover the other two levels of the hierarchy.

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Today is the last part of the how to pray series of blogs today we will be covering intercession. Ephesians 6:18-19 says, Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Intercession is an area of prayer that is essential to prayer but often neglected by modern Christians. What is intercession you may ask? Webster’s dictionary defines it as,

A. Intercede – (Latin intercedo: inter – between; ado – to go; literally, to
pass between) to act between parties with a view to reconcile those who
differ or contend; to plead in favor of another; to interpose, to mediate
or make intercession.
B. Mediate – being between two extremes; to interpose between parties at
variance with a view to reconciliation; to mediate a peace.
C. Mediation – “entreaty for another – intercession.”

From this we gather that we as Christians have the awesome privilege of acting as an intermediary between two parties, literally a go between. For lost people you can be the go between begging for their salvation. Paul mentions “All Saints” for saved people you can be a go between asking grace for them even when they are not in a place where they would ask themselves. He also mentions “for me” that is to say our spiritual authority they are constantly under attack, and we can be part of the battle on their behalf. Now lets look at how one of the primary words for intercession is used in the Bible.

The Hebrew word for intercession is paga, which is only translated a few times as intercession in the Old Testament. Yet, when you compare the many different pictures, words, and interpretations of the word paga, you glean many wonderful understandings of what it means to intercede. Paga can mean to meet, to fall upon, attack, strike down, cut down, to strike the mark, laid upon.

To meet - In the context of a meeting intercession can take two paths a meeting with God for the purpose of reconciliation, or a meeting with the enemy as on the battle field. The first path we are meeting with the Lord in an intimate place, we are inquiring of the Lord on behalf of another. Make know mistake about it realities of a persons situation can radically altered in the heavenlies as we meet with God on their behalf. It is in these meetings that God shows us supernatural strategies for reaching the person we are interceding with. Stop chasing that person around, and fretting, and begging them to do right, and start interceding for them.

The second aspect of meeting is that we often meet the powers of darkness in our intercession, because satan is trying to destroy the same people you are interceding for. Dutch Sheets said in his book Intercessory Prayer, “ I am saying, however, that the word for “MEET” is our Hebrew word translated “Intercession”, [PAGA]. Other Hebrew words could have been used, but his one was chosen partly because it often has a very violent connotation. In fact, Paga is frequently a battlefield term.

Keep in mind that preceding Ephesians 6:18 we have a whole chapter dedicated to suiting up a soldier for all out battle with the forces of darkness. Then in verse 18 we ask, “where is this battle we have prepared for”, to which Paul replies, “its on your knees!” You see all spiritual battles our won on our knees.

To fall upon, attack, strike down, cut down – The word paga is used in 1 Sam. 22:11-19 and 2 Sam. 1:11-16 of strike down. Intercession is the readiness of a soldier to fall upon or attack the
enemy at the command of his lord, striking and cutting him down! We must not only meet the enemy we must strike down the enemy. We can do this by pleading the Blood of Jesus Christ, praising God for the victory, and commanding the enemy to depart in the Name of Jesus.

To strike the mark - Job 36:32.
Intercession releases the flashing forth of His glory/lightening, directing it to the desired situation and allowing it to strike the mark. By God’s working of grace, our divine “Helper” is standing by, ready to aid us in our intercession, moving us from the natural to the supernatural, from finite ability to infinite ability, taking hold of situations with us so as to accomplish the will of God. Romans 8:26 tells us by ourselves we have an inability to produce results in prayer, or strike the mark, but the Holy Spirit takes hold of situations together with us against the enemy allowing us with His help to have maximum impact on satan’s kingdom.

Laid upon – In Isaiah 53:6 our sins are Paga’d (laid upon) Jesus Christ. Intercession
reached its fullest and most profound expression when our sins were “laid upon” Jesus. Jesus was able to fully identify with us, having the totality of our condition placed upon Himself; then as the scapegoat, He carried it far away.

This is the highest form of intercession we can enter into when we have the heart of God for others. Their sin grieves us to the point of groaning, and we intercede with heaviness, and tears that they may repent.

So let us take up the ministry of being a go between in prayer to God on behalf of other believers, and our spiritual authorities. Without intercessors many more soldiers will be wounded in battle than need to be.

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Continuing on with how to pray in today’s post I would like to cover watching, and perserverance in prayer Ephesians 6:18 says,

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Watching thereunto- Watching is an old English word for our word awake, or wakefullness. Etymonline.com says, O.E. wæcce “a watching,” from wæccan (see watch (v.)). Sense of “sentinel” is recorded from c.1300; that of “person or group officially patroling a town (esp. at night) to keep order, etc.” is first recorded 1539. Sense of “period into which a night was divided in ancient times” translates L. vigilia.

Basically it means praying instead of going asleep. Jesus said to his disciples in His crucial last hours on this earth, “what could ye not watch (be awake, and pray) with me one hour, watch, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. Have you ever found yourself awakened in the middle of the night suddenly, or found yourself unable to go to sleep at night?

Let me assure that God wants you to sleep as a normal rule the Bible says, “He gives his beloved sleep”, but make no mistake if God is keeping you up there is a reason. In the Bible there are two Greek words for time Chronos time that is a generic or uncertain time then their is Kairos time which is God perfect or opportune time for something. God wants to involve his perfect timing on this earth for major events, and his omniscient Spirit will take your sleep occasionaly to involve you in His plan. That’s what Jesus was saying to His disciples, “boys were coming to a Kairos moment in history, and I want you to partner with me in bring it to pass through be awake, and praying.

Can you believe it? God almighty wants to partner with you in key moments in history to bring his will to pass by your prayers! So next time you can’t sleep don’t take a vallum, don’t count sheep say, “OK Lord I’m here what, or who would you have me pray for.” God in His sovereignty might know that your teenage daughter snuck out, and is about to lose her purity, or that a missionary is about to lose their life hald way around the world. Maybe he is about to do something great in the political arena, or wants to give you a breakthrough in health, or finances. Dear friend don’t attribute your sleeplessness to natural causes God is saying to you, “Son or daughter I wan’t to partner with you in prayer.” Let us begin to ask God what he would have us pray for, and we will see awesome things come to pass.

With all perserverance- A simple definition of perserverance is don’t give up till you get what your after. In prayer so many times we don’t see answers because we stop short of the goal line, and say, “oh yah I tried that prayer thing it doesn’t work.” Well of course it doesn’t work you’re a quitter. The old timers called perserverance “praying through” us new timers don’t call it anything because we give up if God doesn’t answer immediately.

You say well if God is our Father, and wants to bless us why doesn’t he answer immediatley every time. Well there are at least four answers to that question. The first is that we are in a battle, and as you “war on your knees” there is realities going on in the heavenlies that you can’t see. For instance when Daniel was praying for God to release Israel back to their homeland he had to pray for 21 days to get the answer. After 21 days an angel appeared and said, “Daniel your prayer was answered on day one, but a demonic principality resisted me for these 21 days” We wouldn’t have got our answer because we have quit in un belief before the 21 days was over. Make no mistake God will not work in theaters of unbelief.

The second reason God waits to answer is that sometimes this is the only way he ever hears from us is when we need something. You see God is our daddy, and if he has to delay an answer to hear from His kids make no mistake He will. The third reason is that God won’t give us something that will hurt us, or were not ready for you. So you ask God for financial prosperity, and then God allows tragedy in your life. So you say to God, “I asked for money, and you gave me trial!” God is inevitably saying back to you, “The moneys coming, but you can’t handle yet so I’m sending a trial to mature you so you can have your request without it destroying your faith.”

The fourth reason God doesn’t answer is that He’s God! He is sovereign he knows the perfect Kairos time to bring something to pass. Will you keep praying, or is God some cosmic Santa Clause, and when you don’t get your “toy” in your time you’ll say I dont’ believe in Santa Clause anymore.

In closing on perserverance an illustration from my Gramma is appropriate. When her son was in his twenties, and with out Christ he enlisted to the Vietnam War. She asked her pastor what can I do to see my son saved. He gave her an action plan which included pray for 1 hour a day till he’s saved. So she did year 1 nothing, year 2 nothing, year 3 nothing, 10 long years every day 1 hour nothing. Then at the end of 10 years God told my uncle its the getting saved time, or its the dying time, your choice. My uncle pulled his car over, accepted Christ, and was greatly used of God for many years. So don’t don’t go take a sleeping pill, and don’t give up on God in your prayer.

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Continuing on in Ephesians 6:18 which says,
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Supplication- Supplication is the specific part of prayer called petition this is the most engaged in part of prayer for most Christians this is asking God for your needs to be met. Prayer can incorporate worship, praise, and thanks giving but supplication is limited to petition or asking.

Supplication involves heart attitude the meaning of the word supplicate has the sense of bending the knees, or humbly, but passionately entreating an authority for a specific request. Our heart attitude, and passion is essential when we are praying James 5 tells us, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.The definite article “the” tell us this a specific kind of prayer that moves the heart of God. Another way to say this the The heartfelt, and passionate prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available dynamic in its working. How much passion is in your praying? The Bible full of examples of particular needs met after passionate supplication to God.

In the Spirit- The next issue that Paul addresses for effective prayer is praying in the Spirit. Now this phrase may have a negative connotation for you because of certain denominations slant on this. Let me say this is not “praying in tongues” in fact it often does not involve language at all. Like anything in the Christian life you our either in the flesh, or in the Spirit, and the difference has eternal ramifications. So praying in the Spirit is just really saying God is in charge of my prayer life, it is a prayer that is God led, God inspired, God empowered, and thus God answered.

A great place to start for a deeper understanding of this truth is Romans 8:26 which says,
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Before I explain the meaning of this verse it may be helpful to show what it looks like in the greek. This verse could be thus stated, In the same way the Spirit empowers our inability to produce results: because we do not what to pray for as we should but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us using the heart ramblings we have trouble expressing.

Lets look at this phrase by phrase,
the Spirit empowers our inability to produce results-
You see the prayer made from our flesh just like anything else done in the flesh fails to produce results everytime. But thanks be to God who has provided us a partner to take our feeble efforts, and produce prayers that move the heart of God, and produce results every time.

because we do not what to pray for as we should-
The “we” of this verse includes the Apostle Paul he said simply I don’t know what to pray for. If Paul didn’t know what to pray for we can be confident that we have no idea what to pray for. Well why is this important you ask? 1 John 5:14 says, that if we pray things according to the will of God number one God will hear us, and number two he will give us the answer to our prayer.

So if you want you prayers answered you better determine what is the will of God, but hoew does one determine the will of God? There are two ways number one the word of God that is the will of God cover to cover, number two God himself can reveal through the Spirit the will of God. So by all means use scripture when you are praying, and by all means ask the Holy Spirit what should I pray for. The prayer that the Holy Spirit guides you to pray is the prayer God answers everytime. So sometimes put away the sacred Santa, er, I mean prayer list, and ask God what, or who should I pray for today, and shutup and actually listen to what he has to say. Two way communication almost sounds like a relationship to me.

the Spirit himself makes intercession for us using the heart ramblings we have trouble expressing-
Have you ever had the feeling that you desperately needed Gods help, but you can’t quite put into words what you are feeling. This can be so frustrating especially when you feel like if you don’t get this expressed right God will never answer. Never fear once again the Holy Spirit is here He can take the ramblings that we have trouble expressing, and turn them into beautiful symphonies of prayer that are music to God’s ears. In fact you don’t even have to say words to get your prayers answered, and often thats the best thing you can do shutup and just lift your heart to God, John Bunyan said, “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

We have so many Christians rattling off demands to God like an auctioneer when they should be listening to His heart. Saying what should I pray for, when should I pray, how long should I pray, and how should I pray. Lets stop focusing on lists, and words, and methods in prayer, and starting letting God lead in the prayer closet.

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