Divine Counsel on Prayer

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Short Summary
The discourse centers on Ephesians chapter six, emphasizing the spiritual battle believers face and the necessity of donning the full armor of God—truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God—to withstand adversities. It highlights the critical role of prayer, urging perseverance, alignment with God’s will, and continual reliance on divine strength for protection, guidance, and transformation amid life’s trials. The message encourages believers to maintain faith, humility, and vigilance, trusting God’s overarching plan and promises throughout their spiritual journey.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on Prayer Based on Ephesians Chapter 6 (Approx. 500 words)

Context and Authorship of Ephesians 6
– Written by Apostle Paul, traditionally during his imprisonment in Rome around 62 AD.
– Final chapter of the epistle, focusing on spiritual warfare and practical Christian living.
– Emphasizes being “fully equipped with the armor of God” to face life’s challenges moment by moment.
– Highlights that the battle is not against “flesh and blood” but “spiritual forces” (Ephesians 6:12).
– Includes instructions on familial and social relationships grounded in love, respect, and fairness.
– Assures victory through God’s grace, prayer, and spiritual armor.

Verses 1-4: Family Relationships
– Children are commanded to obey parents “in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1), reinforcing family order.
– Fathers are cautioned not to provoke children but to raise them with discipline and godly instruction (Ephesians 6:4).
– The passage primarily addresses consecrated parents with children below the age of accountability, emphasizing a godly environment rather than coercion for consecration.
– Once children reach spiritual maturity, their decisions must be respected without guilt-tripping.

Verses 5-9: Work and Social Conduct
– Slaves (servants) instructed to obey earthly masters “with respect and fear,” as to Christ (Ephesians 6:5).
– Masters are reminded to treat servants without threats, acknowledging a shared Lord (Ephesians 6:9).
– Illustrates Christian conduct in all relationships, including the example of Philemon and Onesimus (Philemon’s slave who became a Christian and was received as a brother).
– Highlights the broader theme of Christian love transcending social status.

Verses 10-17: The Armor of God
– Calls for strength “in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10).
– The armor includes:
– Belt of Truth (girding the waist, symbolizing readiness and gathering of God’s truth).
– Breastplate of Righteousness (protecting vital organs, representing the righteousness received through Christ, not self-earned).
– Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (preparedness to spread the gospel and stand firm).
– Shield of Faith (to extinguish “fiery darts” of the adversary).
– Helmet of Salvation (protection of the mind through knowledge and assurance of salvation).
– Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God, the only offensive weapon).
– Emphasizes that faith alone (shield) is insufficient; the entire armor is necessary to stand firm.
– Reminds believers that the “evil day” has spanned since the fall of man and continues until the Lord’s presence.
– Encourages standing “perfect and complete in the will of God” (Colossians 4:12) and in “Christian liberty” (Galatians 5:1).

Spiritual Warfare and Encouragement
– The battle is against “spiritual forces of wickedness” (Ephesians 6:12).
– Encourages trust in God’s sovereignty and promises (Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”).
– Cautions against becoming discouraged or overly focused on worldly troubles.
– References Daniel 12:1,4 about the increase of knowledge and the great time of trouble before deliverance.
– Highlights the power of Scripture and prayer in resisting the “wiles of the adversary” (deception, sarcasm, temptation).

Theme Text on Prayer: Ephesians 6:18
– “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests; with this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (NIV)
– Prayer is vital for spiritual alertness and perseverance.
– Encourages praying according to God’s will, avoiding selfish motives (James 4:3).
– Perseverance in prayer cultivates fruit of the Spirit such as patience and love.
– Prayer changes the believer’s attitude and provides strength, wisdom, and comfort.
– It is a direct line of communication with God, who is always attentive and cares deeply.
– Prayer includes worship, thanksgiving, petition, and intercession.
– Jesus taught to pray “Our Father… hallowed be Thy name” (Matthew 6:9-13), recognizing God’s fatherhood and holiness.
– Encourages praying for others, including enemies, as an expression of Christian love.

Additional Biblical References Highlighted
– Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood…”
– Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
– Colossians 4:12: “…that ye may stand perfect and complete in the will of God.”
– Galatians 5:1: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…”
– Hebrews 7:26: Description of Christ as the perfect High Priest.
– James 4:3: “Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss…”
– Psalm 23:4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”
– Psalm 84:11: “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
– John 16:24: “Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
– Matthew 9:38: “Pray the Lord of the harvest… send forth laborers.”

Practical Takeaways
– Christian living requires daily spiritual vigilance and full reliance on God’s armor and grace.
– Prayer is indispensable for strength, guidance, and maintaining faith in trials.
– The Christian journey involves humility, repentance, and continual growth in righteousness.
– The community of believers is interconnected worldwide through shared faith and mutual support.
– Despite worldly challenges and spiritual warfare, victory is assured for those who persevere in faith and prayer.
– Every believer can contribute through prayer, regardless of other roles or service opportunities.

Closing Encouragement
– Prayer is a powerful tool that brings peace, joy, and wisdom.
– “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).
– God listens and responds in His perfect will and timing.
– Believers should stand firm, equipped, and always pray for themselves and others.
– The hope of the kingdom and God’s promises motivates perseverance on the narrow way.

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This summary captures the main points of the discourse on prayer from Ephesians 6, integrating scriptural references and practical spiritual insights.

Transcript

So divine counsel on prayer and our subject is based upon Ephesians chapter six. It’s the final chapter of this epistle. You know, traditionally it is believed to have been written by the Apostle Paul while he was in prison in Rome somewhere. It’s estimated around maybe the year 62 AD, and we’re going to focus upon our theme text, which we were signed in verse 18.

But before we get there, we want to sort of give a general overview of some portions which precede this passage. So the overall context of Ephesians chapter six is a message, when taken to heart, when applied appropriately, should empower those who are walking a narrow way to face the challenges of life. Fully equipped with the armor of God, reminds us that our battle, and it’s a daily battle, it’s an hourly battle, moment by moment, if you will, is not merely against flesh and blood, and we see flesh and blood all around us, but also spiritual forces and with clear instructions on familial and societal relationships. This particular portion of Ephesians chapter 6 emphasizes love, respect, and fairness, and the chapter also beckons us to the battlefield, yet assures us of victory through the power of prayer, God’s grace and his unfailing armor with which all who are walking a narrow way should be fully equipped.

Concerning verses 1 through 4 of Ephesians 6:1:4, we note the following. It says, children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right, and this command emphasizes the importance of family structure and obedience within the Christian household. You know, fathers are instructed not to provoke their children to anger, to bring them up with discipline and instruction in the way of the Lord. We would suggest that these particular admonitions are focused upon those who are consecrated parents, but might have unconsecrated children below the age of accountability.

You know, in such a home environment, whether the young ones ultimately consecrate or not, the godly example of righteous living and an environment should be the norm, and once the children reach the age of accountability, when they are independent and can make whatever decision they want, their particular course in life should be respected. They’re old enough to make that decision. You know, they’re not babies anymore, and of course, either way, if they decide to embrace the hope of the high calling and give their lives fully Lord, that certainly should not be the result of parental pressure and giving their children a guilt trip.

It’s far, far too serious to try to have your children say, oh, look how. Look, I have all my children have consecrated. No, no, no, no, we’re talking about serious things. We ourselves have enough difficulty traversing the narrow way. Regarding Ephesians 5, chapter 6, verses 5 through 9, Ephesians 6, 5, 9, the emphasis there reminds us, slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.

Again, you know, I want to emphasize, we never want to forget, we’re talking about the consecrated, the spirit begotten individuals, these things, while their general advice for the world of mankind. If you could do that, these scriptures pertain to how we should conduct ourselves, and so we would suggest that in this passage it speaks to the attitude of service and respect in all work relationships. If we go way, way back to the early church, masters were reminded to treat their slaves the same way without threats, recognizing that both the master and the servant have the same lord in heaven. We don’t have time to go into any great depth on this theme, but Philemon, and we know the book of Philemon speaks about an individual, Philemon, who was a slave owner who also hosted an Ecclesia in his home.

And during the time of the apostles, Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. Philemon had probably journeyed to where Paul was heard him expounding upon the word of God, and as a result of that, he embraced the truth and became a Christian, a follower of the Way, so to speak.

Coming back to Onesimus. Onesimus was a slave owned by Philemon, and he stole from his master.

Now his master was Philemon, and you know, if you steal from your master and your master knows about it, you need to make haste. You need to make haste, and so he fled. He went to Rome and to Paul, you see, Onesimus was still the property of Philemon, if you will.

And Paul had to write this epistle to Philemon to smooth the way for Philemon to receive Onesimus as he went back to his master. In fact, as a result of Paul’s witnessing to him, Honeymus also became Christian, and Paul wanted Philemon to accept Onesimus as a brother in Christ and not merely as a slave. You know, as I was listening to some of the fellowship and some of the stories that the brethren are talking about, you know, the church is still here, brethren. I mean, some of the things that I hear about how witnessing is taking place in extraordinary locations, it’s not just coincidence, it’s just the Heavenly Father is in control and he does the calling wherever it is.

You know, I think about the parable of the Dragnet. One of the things the pastor said, he said, you know, it is good that we do not do the sorting, he said, because if we did, why, we would throw away some of the fish that he’s going to receive, and conversely, we would keep some of the fish that he’s going to discard. So you have to appreciate the Heavenly Father. We don’t have the words. We use trite expressions like awesome, beyond awesome, beyond, beyond awesome.

Anyway, so let me continue. Ephesians 6, verses 10 through 17. Verses 10 through 17 details the armor, and perhaps that’s why I thought about the hymn for our opening, an allusion to it, that it’s necessary for us to withstand attacks, spiritual attacks, yes. It includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and since the armor is such an important protective device to help us withstand all that is against us, promoted primarily by the adversary, we’re going to make some additional remarks on verses 12 to 17 before we get to our theme text.

We’re going to get there, brother. Not there yet. So Ephesians 6:12. You know, the Lord’s people who exercise faith might must contend not merely with our own mortal flesh and its blemishes, but we must also wrestle with the cunning of the great deceiver and his many followers, including the demons, his associates in evil and working in and through mankind in opposition to God’s plan, and, you know, when we wring our heads, I don’t ever want to get caught up in talking about how bad things are.

If we’re not careful, we can get into that spirit. But just to use a trite expression, God’s got this. He’s got this. You don’t have to worry about it. It’s going to turn out the way it’s supposed to.

So just never forget that, and so he is now permitted, you know, this period of sin to rule and work in the hearts of the children of disobedience. We might cite Ephesians 2:2, Ephesians 2:2, and to realize this might cause us to tremble, but we are to remember those words of encouragement found in Romans 8:31, Romans 8:31, which reminds us, if God. Not if God, since God is for us, since God is for us, who can be against us?

Unfortunately, how many in the ranks have nothing but the shield of faith? And the shield is very, very. It’s a critical component, and if we could have but one piece of armor, it would be very, very valuable. But we must have more.

We must surely fall as this conflict that we have daily progresses. If we don’t have the full armor, we will not be able to stand without him. Ephesians 6:13 reminds us that in order to overcome, we must put on and wear and wear the whole armor of God to protect us from the fiery darts of the adversary, especially during this evil day. Now, we could ask the question, you know, because some of us like prophecy. Well, how long has the evil day been?

Is it only in the last days? Well, you know, Paul wrote this back then. There was a lot of evil back then. Been evil for 6,000 years plus ever since the rebellion took place with the adversary. So.

Yeah, but since we are now living, we’re not living in Paul’s day. We need to apply this to the day of the Lord, the day of the Lord’s presence. Okay, and we need to call to mind over and over and over again the many, many promises that are contained in scriptures. You know, I hear brethren talk about the precious promises over and over again.

So I’m going to ask someone. I’ve never done it, and I don’t know if you could do it with a computer or high tech or whatever. How many precious promises are there in the whole Bible? I don’t know. Maybe some of you know that.

If you know, please tell me. I’ll put it down so I can share it with somebody else in the future. Just let me know.

Over 200. Oh, they’re more than that. They’re more than that. I know. There are more than 200.

Yeah, yeah. Okay, thank you. Okay, so we’re talking about having done all, we must stand. Okay, so how do we stand? Romans 5:1 and 2 tells us, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we also have access by faith in this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, we should stand in Christian liberty.

I was talking with one of the members of this class before we began, and we’re talking about studies and diversity of bu, and yes, we stand in Christian liberty. We don’t have to say, this is what you must believe if it’s scriptural, if you have it, thus saith the Lord. You have that right, and Galatians 5:1, Galatians 5:1 reminds us, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Okay?

We shall stand perfect and complete in the will of God. Colossians 4:12. Colossians 4:12. Epaphras, who is one of you a servant of Christ saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect and complete in the will of God? Yeah, that’s got to be our basic focus.

What is his will? What is his will? You know, we say it, not my will, but thy will be done. But that’s got to be our will also. Ephesians 6, 14, 15.

Ephesians 6, 14,. 15 tells us, Stand therefore being. Having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. You know, each aspect of this symbolic armor answers to a specific dynamic within our lives that enables us to ward off the attacks of the great deceiver. Paul wrote this while he was in custody in Rome with the soldiers there guarding him.

So the possibility, I don’t know, but it’s a suggested thought. Why did he put these pieces of armor, listing them in this particular sequence? Maybe it was the order in which he actually saw them put them on. I don’t know if that’s so, but something for your thoughts or your consideration, continuing on, having girded your waist with truth, and of course, truth is symbolically represented as a belt which protects the abdomen and gathers up the garments so that one can fight effectively.

You know, it’s interesting because we talk about Michael, Brother Brendan giving us some admonitions about how things are. He was telling us about the restrooms and male, female, and then he made a comment as to whether or not. I’m not sure if that really matters these days, and so forth and so on, but things change. Things change, and what I would say is the belt really, strictly speaking, is not a part of the armor.

Before the armor is put on, the garments underneath must be gathered together. So, you know, back in the day, back in the day, when a man sat down and was relaxed, he took off his belt.

Putting on his belt prepared him for action. It freed him for movement. But the point is that the garments underneath must be gathered together. That’s why the belt was there, to keep the garments in place. That’s the point.

And when he put on this belt, he’s ready for action, and he gave. He gave him the frame of mind. I’m going to battle now, and so symbolically, I would say that the Belt of Truth puts those scriptural beliefs concepts into our minds as a whole.

And other passages might say, the faith, the faith. We got to be equipped, brethren. That’s the point. It’s A foundation upon which we must live all the time. The basic tendency tenets of our faith, it’s thus saith the Lord, not thus saith my opinion.

I mean, we can allow for your opinion always if you give some reasons why you believe that, and we can say, you know, I hadn’t considered that. Let me put it on the shelf. Let me dig deeper. But you know, give me some, give me some of God’s word, give me thus saith the Lord.

And I’m going to go with that almost universally, okay, Having put on the breastplate of righteousness, righteousness provides essential protection for the most vital organs, and so we can no sooner battle against our enemies in our own righteousness than a soldier can effectively fight, literally back in the day without his breastplate. You know, this is not our own earned righteousness, but it’s one that we have received by faith in the efficacious sacrifice of Christ Jesus. It gives us a sense of confidence, an awareness of our standing and position.

Again, we were talking about this morning fellowshipping one of the brethren here. We’re talking about all over the world. All over the world. One of the things that you have to realize is that it doesn’t matter where you go. You find brethren who don’t look like you don’t speak your language.

But there’s that connection. There’s that connection, and you can go there. Look at me. They open up your house, put you in their house, they’ll do anything for you because you have that trust, you have that righteousness. You’ve committed all and you’re trusting to our Lord Jesus Christ.

And that’s what gives us a standing. You know, when we think about righteousness, of course we would think about the Hebrews, chapter 7, verse 26, verse Hebrews 7:26, which tells us about Christ Jesus himself. It says, for such an high priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens. That’s one of those powerful, powerful teachings in God’s word and emphasizes the fact that in our fallen, decrepit condition, we cannot approach God except through the merit of our beloved captain’s sacrifice, and when we recognize that it should have the effect of keeping us humble, that you know, of our own selves, we can do nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.

Second, as the look to Jesus, we’re to love righteousness and hate iniquity. That’s what personified his character. You know, how often are we assailed by subtle temptations to be. You don’t have to Be that honest. You know, it’s okay.

Everybody does this. It’s. No. The secure fastening of this breastplate will assist us in resisting these pernicious influences attendant to our fallen condition, and I would say that, you know, brethren, if you have never fallen in any particular, then you’ve never had to go on your knees and ask for forgiveness for anything.

So I’ll ask you a rhetorical question. Have you ever prayed to the Heavenly Father for forgiveness for what you did not do that you should have done, or what you did do that was wrong, etc, etc. Have you ever prayed? Or do you say, oh, no, I’m righteous because after all, I’m covered. I, righteousness of Christ, I don’t need to pray.

Well, let me go on.

Having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. We’re talking about the preparation of the Gospel of peace, and that’s the shoes or the sandals that the Roman soldiers wore, and they could not fight effectively without this equipment, and for us as a consecrated.

And here are the exceeding, great and precious promises. You know, I can hear Brother Larry saying, standing on the promises. I’ve heard you say that many, many times, Brother Larry. So, yeah, I know that you stand in them, and so many of us have tried to do that very same thing.

And they offer a rich reward for us if we’re faithful unto the very end. You know, Romans 2:7. Romans 2:7 reminds us about glory and honor and immortality, and that’s. That.

That’s beyond my capacity to really understand that, you know, as we proceed daily through this valley of the shadow of death, and we might mention Psalms 23:4, Psalms 23:4, as obedient children, if we are obedient, we have a state of mind that is Described in Philippians 2:7, Philippians 2:7, which speaks about the peace of God. But of course, without the sandals protecting our feet during our earthly sojourn, we would be ill prepared to face the onslaught of continual difficulties of life experienced by those who have not received this protective armor, and I go back again, brethren, you know, we tend to see people who are doing unrighteous things, ungodly things, and sometimes we say, why do. Why are they doing that?

Why are they doing that? They’re doing that because they don’t have this equipment. They’re not in a covenant relationship with the Heavenly Father. That’s the reason. Don’t take your eye off the wall.

We are called to be part of that Melchizedek priesthood. We are part. We’re to Be part of that sympathetic high priest. We got a job to do. If we’re faithful, we’re going to do it.

So we’re being equipped now as we are treading in the flesh in this Narrow Way. Ephesians 6:16. The shield of faith. Faith in what? In the blood of Christ.

That’s how we have gotten our redemption.

It’s interesting that there is a great battle. I don’t need to tell you that everybody knows there’s trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble in the world, and as we look. Actually, this battle started way back. Once Adam was cast out of the garden, he no longer had access to the peace and everything that he needed for his sustenance in Eden.

He had, you know, as they say, he had to struggle. He had to scuffle, if I can put it that way. You understand what I’m saying? But right now there are nations. The great and the rich are also on the same side of the battle.

Think about it. You know what’s so interesting? It doesn’t matter what country you live in, it really doesn’t. I tell you that because we happen to live in the west and you think that it’s only what we might see here, the haves and the have nots, and it’s a struggle, the dichotomy between them.

You know, in other parts of the world, same thing. There are rich in other parts of the world and many have not. So it’s the same struggle. It’s the same struggle, same thing. So, you know, God’s plan covers everybody, everybody, everybody, all times, all situations.

So, you know, that’s what they are facing, and you talk with some of them, they say, well, you know, the government is doing what they’re doing here is wrong. Correct. But they don’t know better. They will in due course.

But on the other hand, through insurrection, you know, it’s not always you inherit wealth and power. It doesn’t happen that way. Sometimes you have a coup, there’s insurrection, and you overthrow the powers that be, and what happens, you get what they had. So you’re wealthy now also.

You didn’t inherit it. It’s not like, you know, it’s passed down from one generation to the next one. No, no, no, and the point I’m making is again, and I’d love to listen to sometimes, like a fly in the wolf, the fellowship that I hear doing fellowship sessions. It’s not always about the scriptures, by the way.

Did you know that Sometimes it’s about how bad the situations are. Did you know what? Look, I would I’ll just say point blank, and you know it’s true. You know it’s true.

There is no, no human leader or government that can solve the problems that mankind has. Never forget that. If you find yourself getting involved in that and taking side. Well, this one’s a good one, but that one was no good. You’re forgetting who’s in charge, friends, who’s in charge.

You’re forgetting that. Don’t let that happen to you, and so the fact that Earth is going to be made ultimately a paradise as a result of the work of the kingdom, forever and ever and ever, and mankind, when they come back from the tomb, they will be awakened and they will realize.

I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. That should be a special impetus for us to press on. Press on, press on.

Don’t get distracted with stuff. I call it stuff. Brethren, that’s, that’s. I’m sorry, I know if stuff is. I, I know that you use the word stuff in the Bible.

I think was it, was it. Saul was hiding within the stuff some time ago. But whatever. I want to keep scriptures in there, you know, I want you to say brother Homer used stuff. So I give you a scriptural reference.

Secondly, though we’re able to better understand world events and how they fit into the spectrum of God’s plan. You know, during Old Testament times, we have prophecies that point distant futures, and one of the, One of the Old Testament prophets, for example, is Daniel. Everybody knows Daniel. Everybody knows Daniel.

And we want to quote from Daniel chapter 12, verses 1 and verse 4, and this is what it says, and he predicted this long time ago. I mean, how would Daniel have known this? But this is what it says.

And at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time, and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the book. In verse four it says, but thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Look, I’m going to make a quick comment about running to and fro, and I heard brother Rick say this. I don’t know how long ago, because we generally talk about running to and fro. We talk about machines, we talk about airplanes, rockets and the fast means of translating, and he gave a thought long Long, I don’t know how many years ago, he said, yeah, but you can run through and fro through the scriptures, running through the pages of the scriptures.

That’s what we do. That’s what we do. We study. So, brother Rick, I want you to know that I don’t forget what you say.

So those who are negligent about putting on the whole armor and are relying solely on the shield of faith, that’s a good implement. Making a mistake because you know, the enemy, again, he’s got quite an arsenal. Bitter words, sarcasm, sophistry.

And they come to you very, very closely, and you may lower your symbolic shield for a moment to see where is this coming from. Unless you have an intellectual apprehension of the truth. The helmet. The enemy will be sure to succeed in striking you with this arrow of sophistry.

You know, words are very, very powerful and very, very powerful, and sometimes we may not even realize it. Ephesians 6:17 reads, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, and that’s the word of God. Obviously, the helmet being worn on the head might suggest protection in the form of knowledge and intellect, and we are especially blessed at this time to have many study aids that were not even available in past times. We have concordances, we have dictionaries, we have multiple translations of the Bible to assist us, and they’re buttressed by what we treasure.

We have studies in the Scriptures, a whole set of volumes and other assorted writings. So, you know, and I say that because I know that you’re here, because you’re not at the church down the corner. If you were, if you did not treasure these things, you would say, you know, why are you spending, you know, a full day in convention having all these kinds of things and discussing these things? I can go to. I can get a good sermon from my pastor in an hour and get out and do something else worthwhile.

So, yeah, keep that in mind. So, yeah, so the sword of the spirit, we said, is also the only offensive armor of the band, and we, our captain, prevailed in fighting the good fight against the adversary, and what did he say? It is written, you know, we have those three temptations.

I think it was not just three temptations. I think he came. I mean, the Matthew account says that after the third one, he didn’t bother him anymore. But I think that the adversary was still through throughout, throughout his ministry. Otherwise, you know, why would our Master have had all those emissaries of the adversaries attacking him, when all he did was to do good that’s all he did.

Went about doing good all day long. Okay, so we’re now going to get to our theme text, Ephesians 6:18, and from the NIV, it says, and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Actually, King James includes the words watching there, too.

But I think the idea is being mentally alert, whichever translation you use. You know, if we really, really believe that the Lord has indicated that we should pray for the things we need and that he will give us these things, then we should be on the alert. Where’s the evidence? Where is the evidence? You’ve got to be attentive.

You got to be in the Scriptures, you got to be alert. We should take heed also as to the things for which we pray, that there are things that he promised, the things for which we are entitled to ask. We’re not entitled to ask for things that do not really, really enhance our spirituality. I mean, we may do it sometimes, and maybe we need to pray about that as well. So the Lord frequently called attention to the fact that we should be persevering in prayer.

And perseverance is an essential quality in the sight of God. It includes patience, carefulness, and interest. In short, it is related to every fruit, the spirit, which we are required to cultivate. Yeah, patience is good, but you need to persevere. Love is good, but you need to persevere.

And so while petitions are to be considered by our Heavenly Father, they must be in harmony with his will. We talked about the will of God before. You know, throughout the ages, from time immemorial to the present, there have been many whose hearts and their desires have been sincere, but their prayers have not been acceptable to God. James 4:3. James 4:3 reminds us, Ye ask and receive not because he asks amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust.

If we have been discouraged by some of the trials which the Heavenly Father has permitted to test us, and maybe we get a little resentful, our whole attitude will be refreshed if we go to the Father in sincere prayer, asking him to help us, help us bear the trials. I mean, you go to your Father, that’s who you go to. He can do it all, and yes, he does want us to come to Him. He absolutely does.

Anytime we try to go it alone, we’re not giving him the respect and honor worthy as to who he is. Sometimes, you know, we might become a little embittered.

By those who are opposing us.

Yeah, I know the scripture says you’re supposed to love the enemy. I know that, I get that. But you know, I can’t take this anymore.

If we consistently follow the guidelines of scripture that tell us to pray for those who despitefully use us, this will change things for us because we will find that, you know, again, we’re applying for it. We’re applying for a job, brethren. I mean, I put a job. We’re applying for a position in the kingdom to bless those who are hard hearted, those who are just out of the way. Out of the way.

Totally, and you’ve come across some of them, I know you have. So do you expect that you’re going to get beyond the veil and you can remember that one? Yeah, yeah, I remember what you did to me. No blessing for you.

No blessing for you. Never happened. Never happened. So our prayers, you know, there’s an expression that prayer changes things. Yeah, it changes, maybe changes our attitude, but it doesn’t change God’s way of doing things.

See, when we pray to God, Heavenly Father, I want you to change your mind. I want you to do it this way. Oh no, it doesn’t work that way, and so I love this, I love this passage, by the way, this assignment about prayer. Because you know, how many times do we, how many times do we say, look, I’ve been praying, I’ve been praying, I’m praying, it’s not happening.

I’m waiting, I’m waiting, I’m waiting. All those things, and so look, suppose God answered all the prayers that were asked. Do you think your life would be better? There’s some people who are praying, praying about you too.

And then not very nice things either. So be glad that he doesn’t answer all prayers.

Yeah. Prayer has many, many objectives. Certainly one is to worship, worship the Heavenly Father. That’s manifested in praise and meditation and adoration. It’s a means of communication and that’s demonstrated by our expression of thanksgiving and yes, making requests.

We, we are to be thankful and we are to give the Lord all the glory, all the praise that’s due to his name. We read in 1st Chronicles 16:29, 1st Chronicles 16:29. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

You know, when Jesus gave his so called model prayer found in Matthew 6 verses 9 to 13, Matthew 6 verses 9 to 13, he said something which was new to those disciples at that time. He told them to open their prayer with the words, our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. You know, to call God, our Father, and to hallow his name implies the privilege of sonship. I mean, when you pray our Father, you’re saying that this is.

I have a relationship with my father, and so what a wonderful feeling we should have to understand this and to be able to unfold or on release or unburden all that is in our hearts, and knowing that someone really cares. You know, I think about the devotional, you know, the Chicago Manners talks about Jehovah, our God. He talks about he’s the Emperor of the universe and he doesn’t miss anything.

He’s never too busy. He’s never involved in other things. He always is there for us if we come to him.

So let me talk to you about something else. I like Second Corinthians. No, I like First Corinthians 6, 11. I could go from verses 9 to 11, but I want to talk about the past, and there’s a hymn that says the past was under the blood.

And I don’t know what you’ve done in your past before coming to the Lord, and some of the things I did in the past I don’t want to think about. But what it says is, and such were some of you.

But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified. Who but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. So aren’t you glad? Aren’t you glad that those things that beat you down and you said, why did I do that? I should have known better.

My parents told me not to do that. Your parents are right. Maybe they did it themselves. They were giving me some good advice. You never know.

Okay, so. So we need to pray for more of the Holy Spirit. You know, the Lord tells us in Luke 11:13, Luke 11:13, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit? That’s what you want for those who ask. So prayer helps us accomplish transformation in our lives and difficulties.

The sorrows that we have in life often impel us to pray. But that’s not the only time that we should pray.

We develop or manifest growth and Christian development when we come before him with joy and thanksgiving to give praise and to worship him. You know, in the book of Psalms, the word praise is used, I’m told, 180 times in that book alone. So if Psalms has 180 times the word praises there, I’d have to go back and check. I think there’s much more than 200 evidences of the precious promises. But that’s something for fellowship.

Maybe that’s your Homework. I’m going to ask. I’ll tell you what. Next time I see Brother Larry, Lord willing, I’m going to say, brother Larry, tell me what the 200 are. Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah. The power of prayer works in our behalf in many ways. It makes us strong when we’re weak, bold when we’re fearful. It gives us words of wisdom in time of need. It gives us words when we’re speechless and directs us to whom we should turn, and so forth and so on.

Look, let me sort of bring this to a close because the time is coming when we’re going to have your fellowship. Let me just say that every trial of patience is an occasion for prayer for the promised help. Every failure to gain a victory is an occasion for prayer that we not be high minded. Every service that we are privileged to have for the truth becomes an occasion for prayer of thanks for the privilege that we have received, and sometimes the only service that we have is to pray for others.

That’s something everybody can do. You don’t have to be in the podium. You don’t have to be. You don’t even have to be out of your house. You can serve more in that way.

The positive side of prayer is highlighted by many scriptures. John 16:24, John 16:24. Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. Psalm 16:11. Psalm 16:11.

In thy presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Also Matthew 9:38. Matthew 9:38. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into this harvest.

And yes, still is harvest time. Let me conclude. We have looked at many, many admonitions penned by Paul throughout a challenging period of his life. When he was in protective custody near the close of his earthly sojourn, he knew and reminded us that the whole armor of God would be needed for all the saints, not those only living contemporaneously with him, but down throughout the ages to overcome the wiles of the adversary before the full establishment of the kingdom. Concerning our theme texts and prayer, many times we have experiences that we feel no one else could really understand, such as our problems, our turmoil, our regrets, or even our victories.

But we do have someone to whom we can take these problems. Having this direct line to God is almost incomprehensible. What a heritage is ours, dear brethren. What a personal advantage was that which all the saints have. Our prayers can be heard in an instant.

Often our prayers relieve the stress that we’re feeling in the moment and sharing with someone else who understands our burdens is the greatest thing, especially if it’s our Heavenly Father, because He knows exactly what we need and what we feel and how to comfort us. May we always remember the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. God will take time to listen if we take time to pray. As the Scriptures say, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalms 84:11.

Amen.

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