In trying to figure a way to educate all of us on intercessory prayer, I came upon these verses and also found again Andrew Murray’s book, “The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer” (See below for a link). I purchased this book on Kindle for myself to read and found a 31 day course at the back of it to help with learning to pray. Join me as we learn intercessory prayer – the introduction.
First, some excitement: In Ephesians 6, it explains how we are to arm ourselves to live and fight through our days here on earth.
We are to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. How do we do this? By putting on his armor we are able to stand firm against the strategies of the devil. I read in the Story curriculum my life group is going through, in week 6, “God has given us normal desires for good things: food, sex, affection, shelter. But Satan has a way of taking hold of these and twisting them into something they weren’t intended to be. He finds our vulnerabilities, heaps on shame and guilt, and then turns them into secrets.”
So we are going to fight. With the armor of God, we can be ready to fight.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The belt of Truth:
The truth being the true things we know that God is and God has said about us. We find this in the Word of God. This truth enables us to run and fight more effectively. The belt was used to gather the robes of their clothing to keep them out of the way, making it easier to run and fight.
Breastplate/body armor of God’s righteousness:
Our righteousness comes from the grace and mercy of God. Jesus died for our sins, we are in Christ and forgiven, so our righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus. When we no longer are weighted down by shame and guilt, we can walk and fight freely, confidently, knowing that we are with Christ Jesus, walking by his side, him walking by our side.
Shoes/Feet shod with the Peace from the Good News to be fully prepared:
What peace we have in knowing that Christ Jesus died for our sins and arose from the dead. He waits for us in heaven. His spirit walks with us here, right now. This makes us light of foot, we are not trudging through life, and we have strength to go the distance!
Shield of Faith:
The faith we have in Christ Jesus, in our salvation, in which we serve, the faith that is given to us as a gift of the Spirit of God, this faith will extinguish the attacks of the enemy. We hold up this shield to protect us.
Helmet of Salvation:
We are saved! We are children of God. When other thoughts enter our minds and accuse us or tell us that we are not children of God, we can say no! We are his and only his.
Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God:
We study and read the Word of God, our bibles. Not so that we can keep up with our Daily Bible Reading Plan, but so that we can learn of God. We read and study and memorize the bible so that it is in our minds. With it we can cut down the thoughts and temptations that so easily cause us to stumble.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
We pray together as a group and we pray individually. Let us pray for ourselves and each other. We pray for all believers and for those who need to hear and accept salvation. Let us pray that we will be given the right words. We pray for the worship team to be given the right songs and the right words. Let us pray for those doing announcements to be given the right words. We pray for the speaker of the message to be given the right words. Let us pray that we will be given the right words so that we can boldly explain God’s plan of Good News.
Intercessory Prayer – Introduction
For this week, let us each in our own private time pray for the power of the Spirit of God to come upon each of us. Pray for ourselves, pray for the prayer team, pray for our pastor as he guides us, and pray for the staff as they prepare for the service. Let us pray for our sound staff as well as pray for the volunteers and for future volunteers. Pray for the people who attend services and those who speak at services. Let us pray for those who are part of the worship team. Pray for those who are involved in other ministries of the church.
For each of these, let us pray for the power of the Spirit of our God to be infused in us all. Let us pray for boldness and confidence in our walk and in our prayers.
Ephesians 3:16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.
Breathe in deep and feel the power of his Spirit in your spirit. He empowers us with inner strength through His Spirit!
Strength when needed
When my vision for this year (2013) came to me about this time last December, I wrote it down with a mix of trepidation and excitement. 2013 would be a year filled with challenges and opportunities to step out into God’s plan for us!
I heard God speaking to me as my family and I stood at the top of a hill looking down over a shrouded valley. My daughter and her husband were a little away from us and I understood their journey would be just as challenging but would be on a different road from the rest of us. They would move out and begin their journey of a new family together.
I could not see any of the events. I’m glad I could not see them. It was almost too much just to go through them. I barely hung on for the ride through the year.
I started the year creating daily devotions based on my studies of the verse given to me, Joshua 1:1-9. Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be dismayed. For I, the Lord God, am with you wherever you go.
I studied verses in the bible that had to do with strength and courage. There were verses that had to do with not fearing, not being anxious, not being afraid. I studied verses about not being dismayed, not being discouraged, not giving up.
Be Strong and Courageous
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And in July, the avalanche of events began. Some were happy and joyful while others were full of sorrow. I didn’t understand some and I may never understand. There was loss and change. We had visits, excitement, and deep sorrow.
In the midst of these things I held onto one truth. God is always with me. He holds me in his arms and He cuddles me. God looks into my eyes and understands my sorrows. He guides me through my days. God waits patiently for me to come to him. He helps me stumble through my days. God gives me the strength to keep moving. He gives me the courage to take a step, to make a stand. God gives me the strength and the courage to allow someone else to follow their path to God. They can find their place in this life without interference from me. He gives me encouragement and peace even though no encouragement or peace can be had.
The new year vision
This new year fills with the consequences, the endings, and the culmination of the things that began in 2013. There will be excitement and intense sorrow. It will contain great joy. There will be hard work to do and strength needed to accomplish it all. In the midst of this storm called life, there is peace and joy. We will find grace and mercy. There is kindness, gentleness, and patience. And there is love. God is the center of my life and the source of my strength. He is the reason that I go forward.
So what is the vision for this year? I cannot see a vista in front of me. There is a fog from life that surrounds my family. We are in the midst of a battle or a storm. At times we feel lost and angry. Sometimes we are joyful in the small spaces of light and clarity. We seek peace and hope in a world seething with angry impatience and dissatisfied souls.
I return again to the verses that have sustained me for years.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.“When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.
Deuteronomy 31:6-8 “Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.”Then Moses summoned Joshua. He said to him with all Israel watching, “Be strong. Take courage. You will enter the land with this people, this land that God promised their ancestors that he’d give them. You will make them the proud possessors of it. God is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry.”
The Whole Armor of God Ephesians 6
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.
