SPIRITUAL WARFARE

An introduction to Spiritual Warfare Lesson 7

Prayer, The Ultimate Weapon

We cannot all argue, but we can all pray we cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders we cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer. I would sooner see you eloquent with God than with men. Charles H. Spurgeon

Purpose Prayer is an integral part of our relationship with Jesus. Throughout the bible, we see that it is prayer that leads us into Gods victories. As Christian, we must realize first and foremost, it is prayer and prayer alone that is our ultimate weapon.

Definition An expression, devout petition addressed to God. An earnest entreaty. Websters

Dictionary

1. In Ephesians 6:18-19, Paul speaks of both general prayer requests (proseuche) and specific prayer requests (deesis). How do both of these relate to spiritual warfare? 2. If God already knows all of our needs, why do we pray?

3. Are you satisfied with your prayer life? Why or why not?

4. Why is prayer a front line activity in spiritual warfare? 5. How do we make contact with our Commander? 6. How do we get a response from our Commander?

7. What is doctrinal praying and why is it effective in spiritual warfare?

8. Why are prayers of praise and adoration effective in spiritual warfare?

9. Read 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 and Matthew 12:29. Why is binding the strong man important for evangelist praying?

10. Read Luke 18:18 and Daniel 10:12-13. Do you feel that persistence is a characteristic of your prayer life?
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Food for thought: In your opinion, how can the status of prayer be elevated in our churches?

Practical Application: Honestly, examine your prayer life. Is it a labor of obligation? Is it fruitful? Is it yielding a spiritual harvest? Is it vibrant? On a sheet of paper, write the positives and negatives regarding your current devotion to prayer. Next, create a plan of action for increasing the impact of your prayer life.

Digging Deeper: Utilize commentaries and outside resources to conduct a personal study of Luke 18:18. Further Study: 1. Scripture Several Scripture passages speak of the importance of prayer: Luke 11:1,Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:67 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Read these passages and consider how they add to your understanding of the importance of prayer. 2. Books Several other books are very helpful in studying this subject. They are listed below in general order of difficulty. 30 Days to Understanding How to Live as a Christian, Max Anders (especially chapter 23) Too Busy Not To Pray, Bill Hybels Growing in Christ, James I. Packer

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Lesson 7 Prayer, The Ultimate Weapon Leaders Copy

We cannot all argue, but we can all pray we cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders we cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer. I would sooner see you eloquent with God than with men. Charles H. Spurgeon

Purpose Prayer is an integral part of our relationship with Jesus. Throughout the bible, we see that it is prayer that leads us into Gods victories. As Christian, we must realize first and foremost, it is prayer and prayer alone that is our ultimate weapon.

Definition An expression, devout petition addressed to God. An earnest entreaty. Websters

Dictionary

1. In Ephesians 6:18-19, Paul speaks of both general prayer requests (proseuche) and specific prayer requests (deesis). How do both of these relate to spiritual warfare? We are instructed to pray at all times which means communicating with God. It is through prayer, whether it is a general or specific prayer we are showing our dependence on God. It is also a great way to keep the mind sharpened. 2. If God already knows all of our needs, why do we pray? He desires that we communicate our needs to Him. It shows an act of humbleness to acknowledge to the Lord that we cannot do it on our own, but it is upon Him that we must rely. 3. Are you satisfied with your prayer life? Why or why not?

4. Why is prayer a front line activity in spiritual warfare? Spiritual warfare without prayer is like Raisin Bran without the raisins. The two are linked together. It involves a theology that God is big enough to do anything. Read Nehemiah 4:9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night. 5. How do we make contact with our Commander? In the spiritual war, we make contact with our Commander through prayer. 6. How do we get a response from our Commander? We get a response from our Commander by praying according to the guidelines given us in Scripture.
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7. What is doctrinal praying and why is it effective in spiritual warfare? Doctrinal prayers are prayers rich or filled with scripture. They can be very specific for example if Satan brings confusion about your identity in Christ, pray the truths of Scripture, which affirm the truth in this area. 8. Why are prayers of praise and adoration effective in spiritual warfare? It bolsters our faith because we are focusing on the character, nature, and attributes of our Heavenly Father. Including praise and adoration in our prayers, we also accomplish the very thing that Satan wants to nullify, we glorify God. 9. Read 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 and Matthew 12:29. Why is binding the strong man important for evangelist praying? According to 2 Corinthians, Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers to the truth, and unless their eyes are open for the need of a Savior, people cannot come to Christ. Using prayer as an evangelistic tool brings light to darkness, sight to blindness and spiritual truth to deceptive lies. It can also be used as a defensive weapon, prayer for opening eyes can be used for believers as demonstrated by Paul in Ephesians 1:18-19. 10. Read Luke 18:18 and Daniel 10:12-13. Do you feel that persistence is a characteristic of your prayer life?

Food for thought: In your opinion, how can the status of prayer be elevated in our churches?

Practical Application: Honestly, examine your prayer life. Is it a labor of obligation? Is it fruitful? Is it yielding a spiritual harvest? Is it vibrant? On a sheet of paper, write the positives and negatives regarding your current devotion to prayer. Next, create a plan of action for increasing the impact of your prayer life.

Digging Deeper: Utilize commentaries and outside resources to conduct a personal study of Luke 18:18. Further Study: 1. Scripture Several Scripture passages speak of the importance of prayer: Luke 11:1,Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:67 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Read these passages and consider how they add to your understanding of the importance of prayer. 2. Books
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Several other books are very helpful in studying this subject. They are listed below in general order of difficulty. 30 Days to Understanding How to Live as a Christian, Max Anders (especially chapter 23) Too Busy Not To Pray, Bill Hybels Growing in Christ, James I. Packer

Spiritual Warfare | Introduction Lesson 7

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