Are You A Prayer Warrior Ready for Battle?
Good Morning Friends,
Thinking of intercessory prayers as aggressive negotiations may seem a little strange but it may be closer to what we are honestly supposed to be doing. Formulaic prayers are nice but fall short of an honest conversation with God. Through prayer we need to arm our attitude with weapons like forgiveness and generosity and thankfulness to battle evil. And when it comes to intercessory prayers perhaps the most important thing is praying for people to become more grateful step by step. Look at all the Biblical characters who were great at praying. It seems to me that most of them, perhaps all of them were thankful and instilled this characteristic in others. Are You A Prayer Warrior Ready for Battle?
Scripture: Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in everything that God wills.
Colossians 4:12 (NRSV)
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Psalm 27:14 (NRSV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument;
1 Timothy 2:1–8 (NRSV)
Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them.
Daniel 3:26-27 (NRSV)
Message: The Bible actually does not use the words Prayer Warrior, however the example of one is expressed in the servant of Christ Jesus, named Epaphras. We do not know a lot about him but it seems that Paul thought very well of him and held him in high esteem. Epaphras was an intense follower of our Lord and is mentioned in the book of Colossians twice and once in Philemon. He was a man willing to be forgotten for the cause of the Cross. He spent his hours and his days prevailing in prayer. His name appropriately means “lovely.” Epaphras is one of the unsung heroes of the faith. We should be challenged by his example of believing our prayers will be heard and answered. Paul calls him “a servant of Christ.” The label is appropriate for Epaphras who was always laboring in prayer. He is still an example of what Paul means when he says we are to pray without ceasing. He is an example of how being grateful and interceding in prayer for others effectively is connected. So, are our prayers filled with the right requests for others? Do they reinforce positive behavior? Now if you are a prayer warrior then you are probably known for regularly interceding on behalf of others before God. To intercede means to come between, so prayer warriors are, in effect, coming between God and the trouble in another person’s life. This takes courage and encouragement and preparation and a bit of insight into the human condition. In praying about this topic this morning it came to me that the great prayer warriors in the Bible were people that were very grateful for the small things and helped others to dwell on these things…personal things… to help them feel better. David, Daniel, and Paul guide us here. Jesus did this and challenges our reality. Let me give you an example, however, that is not Biblical but from The Sound of Music and one of my favorite songs that is designed to get us to feel better by thinking about positive things. Perhaps you have your own versions of raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, Brown paper packages tied up with strings, Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles, Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings. So this morning as you are praying consider your favorite things, but also the favorite things of those you are praying for.
Pray we are conquerors and defenders of the truth with the heart of a smart warrior. Pray we have victory over the fears in our lives as warriors with a grateful heart for God.
Pray earnestly for others to become more grateful. Pray that we pray when there is nothing else we can do, but also learn that Jesus wants us to pray before we do anything at all. Pray we learn to pray frequently. Pray we learn to pray with fervency. Pray we learn to pray with a focus. Pray we be faithful in prayer. Pray that our mind, spirit and soul is stretched in prayer. Pray we are pulled by the force of prayer to a place where our agony and pain is eased. Pray we pray about our fears and commitments… our tears and desire… our hungers and visions…our griefs and repentance…our worship and understanding… His glory and power… Pray we pray for His wisdom and guidance… our sacrifice and thanksgiving… and our supplication and unity. Pray we labor in our prayers interceding for others and are prompted to actions that encourage others in the journey with Christ. Pray we forgive and give to God’s glory.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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