Always Start with Prayer
I listen regularly to Pastor Robert Morris. Pastor Morris helped me to break the glass barrier over my prayer life. He started me on the path to finding my personal prayer language and understanding the power of intercessory prayer. Sometimes, I missed seeing the beauty of the forest for the trees. Amen! Without getting too deep, I have been praying over a certain situation for nearly 22 years, until recently I realized I was fighting a spiritual battle with half a sword. (Ephesians 6:10 – 18)
Helmet of Salvation
Shield of Faith
Breastplate of Righteousness
Belt of Truth
Feet Prepared with the Gospel of Peace
These are all defensive weapons guarding us against the attacks of the devil, but you cannot win a war by only defining yourself, at some point you have to fight back. I was defining myself, yet I never really struck any blows. Why? Perhaps fear and exhaustion were the excuses. However, the devil was wasting no time attacking me with his fiery darts. (Ephesians 6:16) It never occurred to me I was only using the Word of God to defend myself and God was waiting on me to join the battle and attack. It was time to learn some Sword techniques.
Offense 101: How to fully utilize the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians. 6:17)
The Word of God is our only offensive weapon. I was going into a battle with half a sword. I knew how to pray and spent many days in my private war room, but never seemed to make much progress. I felt I hit a glass barrier in my prayer life. I had turned lukewarm. (Revelation 3:16) The Holy Spirit was showing me how to shake things up:
How to pray with understanding
How to allow the Holy Spirit to pray on my behalf by praying without my understanding, aka praying in tongues (Romans 8:26, “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.”)
How to silence negative thoughts in myself (depression), trust, and peacefully rest in God’s Word (by meditating on scriptures, not just repeating them, but incorporating scriptures emotionally and physically into my daily life activities such as exercising, cooking, cleaning, etc. Allowing scriptures full control to penetrate my mind and body
How to guard my gates: What enters the soul from my Eyes, Ears, Mouth, Nose, Heart, Private Body Parts matter and can create Life or Death
How to obtain supernatural healing and deliverance for myself and my family (The Life Center - http://lifecenter.org/)
Understanding and embracing the Spiritual Fruit (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV) Longsuffering – The dictionary defines longsuffering as having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people. God refers to longsuffering as a spiritual fruit, meaning it’s the evidence of godly character in a Christian’s life. It’s the ability to rejoice and praise while you are patiently waiting on the Lord in the midst of troubles and pain. (Matthew 7:16-23) Jesus said He would know His people by their fruits not their gifts.
Today, we are just going to talk about “Longsuffering”
If you are a church goer… you have heard the Pastor say… someone came up to me and said, Why Me? Why has this happened? Why do bad things happen to good people?
Ask yourself… Why not you? How does a child learn best?
Trusting and believing in God does not mean trouble will not come, it just means Jesus will help us endure the storms. God does not bring the storms, however we can choose how we view and deal with them.
What do I mean?
I love roller coasters… I fear them, yet if I work up the nerve, it’s always bring both pain and fun throughout the entire ride. What kind of a ride would it be if the coaster only went straight, or only down, or only up? It’s the whole of the ride that makes the adventure. The anticipation of the drops and the thrills of the turns, peaks, corners, and flips. When it’s all over, how many emotions do you feel? Do you feel alive? Was it a ride (life) worth experiencing? Trials and tests make us who we are inside, they strengthen our faith and enable us to understand from “the depths of our being” (the real you) that...
We Can Trust in the Lord our God “El Sali” God My Rock. When you feel God is not there…scripture (The Word of God) reminds us that He is, because it’s the Holy Spirit who’s carrying you through the storms.
Peter and the Boat
I love this story (Mathew 14: 25 – 33). When God was walking on water, He called to Peter and said “come”. Peter stepped out on faith and was walking on water, then looked down and said “How can this be”? How in the world is this possible, people don’t walk on water… then Peter started to sink, he had taken his eyes off of God, and given into his fears.
Instantly, Jesus reached out His hand and caught hold of Peter, saving him first, then asking, “Why did
you doubt?” Almost every relationship can be compared to a vinaigrette salad dressing made from oil and water. Sometimes you have to shake things up or they will divide moving in opposite directions.
Action Item: So… I challenge you to shake up your faith this week and get hot again for Jesus. Step out of your comfort zone and do something different to ignite your prayer life. It might be time to take it to the next level. Amen!
Prayer Time
Intercessory Prayer means to meet together, a cross roads. When we know someone who cannot reach God, we assist in the process of God reaching out to them by pulling them close using intercessory prayer. Jesus made the bridge, so we could have a relationship with God (reconciled) and God has allowed us to use that bridge as two or more come together and transfer the burdens onto God. (Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light) God wants all believers to perform intercessory prayer for others. (Ephesians 6:18 & Matthew 18:19)
Listed below is my daily intercessory prayer for you and your close family members.
Family Intercessory Prayer
(Matthew 6:9 – 13) Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon.
Thank you Jesus for everything. I come before your throne today to thank you for choosing me and loving me unconditionally. I thank you for sending your only begotten son Jesus (John 3:16) to save me thru the shedding of His Blood, His Death, and His Resurrection. For you purchased me back from the bondages of sin. You are a great, merciful, kind, and loving God. You are my Father, Teacher, and Friend. I love you Lord with all my heart… yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Lord, I bring myself and (say the names) to your throne today.
Lord, I thank you that you are the God of the whole earth. May “YOUR WILL” be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Father, I know it’s “YOUR WILL” to save us (1 Timothy 2:4), so we will understand the truth. I thank you that you are strong enough and big enough to protect us wherever we are …right now in the name of Jesus. God according to 1 John 5:14 you always hear our prayers whenever we ask for anything that pleases you. Thank you Jesus, help me to continue the path of faithfulness and obedience. Help us Jesus to learn your Word and remember the importance of daily prayer. (1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18)
For you have asked us to always be joyful and pray without ceasing, to be thankful in all circumstances for this is YOUR Will for us who belong to Christ Jesus. You have asked that we pray and intercede for one another (James 5:16 & 1 Timothy 2:1), so Father I bring (say the names) to YOUR THRONE and boldly pray, because I have been made righteous thru the blood of Christ Jesus and my requests are in line with “YOUR WILL”. (1 John 5:14 - 15)
God I ask you to remove all evil influences from our lives. Lord I ask you to build a hedge of protection and surround us in YOUR WORD, I ask YOU to fill us with the Holy Spirit and to open our eyes to the understanding that you do exist and we must put our trust in you… if we want to have victory in this life. We must accept the gift provided by your son Jesus in order to have eternal life.
I ask for clarity and understanding in all things. I request that YOU bless us with your wisdom. Father, help us to see the plans of the devil and help us to see your plans for our life. Your plans are to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future. Help us to see Your plan to save us. (Jeremiah 29:11) I ask God that you enable us to truly forgive ourselves and others who have hurt us. Father, give us today the food we need (our daily bread), and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sin against us.
Father help us to understand the true meaning of forgiveness. Father help us to truly forgive ourselves and others. Father please don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. I pray the devil will have no Legal Ground (aka SIN) in us by using Unforgiveness, Soul Entanglements, Stronghold and Super Stronghold Demons, Bloodline Curses, Faulty Beliefs, GI Track (Body and Mind), and Heart Wound Traumas. I ask you God to bind every demonic spirit and assignment that is operating through us and I ask you God to render the demons powerless and ineffective. I ask you to send the demons to the place Jesus has preserved for them never to return again. (Job 30:3-7)
I ask you to fill us with the Holy Spirit. I ask that there is not one cell in our body and mind that is not filled with your Holy Spirit. I ask that you lovingly touch our Souls (Emotions, Feelings, and Mind), Heart, and, GI Track. I ask that you cleanse us and heal us. I thank you for the restoration of all that has been stolen in our lives. I pray God that you teach us to be the people you would have us to be. I pray that you keep your loving arms around us and help us to see the truth, Father. Help us to embrace “YOUR WILL” with all of our hearts. Help us to be faithful and obedient in all things. I pray that you comfort us and teach us how to stop willfully sinning. Train us to be obedient to your Word Lord. I pray that you guide us in all decisions and help us to close the gates to the devil and open the doors to the Holy Spirit.
Lord your Word says, (Matthew 7:7 – 12) “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Lord, I thank you that you can bring people into our lives who can and will be a good influence on us and will witness to us and will share the gospel and your wisdom with us. God I ask that you please bring us to YOURSELF. (1 Timothy 2:1)
Lord I ask all of this in the name of your only begotten son Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Amen!
MEDIATION SCRIPTURE
(Armor of God Ephesians 6: 10-18 AMPC) www.Biblegateway.org
10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
11 Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavily-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able to successfully stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.
12 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
13 Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
14 Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God.
15 And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the [a]firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness [b]produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.
16 Lift up over all the [covering] shield of [c]saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].
17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit [d]wields, which is the Word of God.
18 Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end, keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding on behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).
