Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Day Seven: Battling the Prince of Darkness, Defensive Praying Against Satan

March 11, 2014

Day Seven

Chapter 9:     Defensive Praying Against Satan

Ephesians 6:18

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 saints.

Page 113

It is impossible for Christians to keep up their offensive warfare prayers for souls without defensive prayers for each other.  While our offensive prayers are against Satan as we strive to get captives released from his evil kingdom, defensive prayers are for the protection of Christians from Satan’s attacks.

We need these two kinds of prayer because Satan’s battle plan against Christians is just the opposite of his battle plan for non-believers.  With non-Christians, Satan is on the defense, trying to keep them in his evil kingdom where they already are.  But Satan is attacking Christians to make them ineffective in their battle to get those lost souls out of his kingdom.

PRAYER, My eyes have been opened to what I am doing or not doing in my life.  I pray, but very often my prayers are selfish prayers, praying for the things that I want in my life.  I do not want to say praying for things that I want is wrong, but there are life and death issues regarding others who do not even know about a relationship with Jesus.   There is so much more that I need to be thinking about when I pray. 

What keeps me from praying?  TIME!  There are just so many hours in a day.  How can I fit battling Satan and his attacks on the non-Christians as well as Christians?  I shared yesterday that I felt overwhelmed.  I guess Satan can use this to keep me from doing what I should be doing and thus allowing me to just stand still.

So, where do I begin?  I need to find balance in prayer and slowly bring praying for others who are lost,  whether is it someone I know, or just others in general, into my prayers.  Yes, I do pray for others, but do I pray for the battle of souls that Satan is trying to win.  

Where could I begin?  I could begin in my own neighborhood.  I moved almost two years ago.  I know the neighbors close to me, but there are so many out there.  This could be a real beginning.  What if I would take a walk everyday and pray for each house I pass. 

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God never intended Christians to stand alone in their spiritual battle.  He provided other Christians to undergird us with prayer in our battle with Satan—as he tries to make us ineffective through temptations and harassment as we battle for souls and witness for Jesus.

Satan is NOT going to win in my life.  I do have a passion for sharing Jesus’ great love with others.  It is time for me to wake up and get out there and battle for Christians who have become luke-warm in this passion for sharing Jesus.  People like me.   

I am so thankful that God has brought this book to me.  It is a wake up call for me.

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As I wrote to thank all the pray-ers for their much needed prayers, I told them, “All through my Central America tour, I felt like I was wrapped in a cocoon of prayer.  I felt insulated, surrounded, and lifted above the danger swirling around me.”

Protection of the Angels.  Another important prayer for protection from Satan is for God to send HIS ANGELS. 

For he will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.  They will bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.  (Psalms 91:11-2)

My response to this wonderful book will change lives.  The avenues to pray can be overwhelming, so I am going to choose to pray for people who are around my life.    My response will be two fold: 

I am a speaker and I travel around sharing the gospel with women’s groups across the country.  I have realized, just like Evelyn did, that there is a power beyond my understanding when people are praying for me as I go around speaking.  I can feel the power. 

So, I will begin praying for Christian speakers, pastors and others that I know who are in full time ministry.  They must have the darts of Satan constantly trying to keep them from being successful.

Then, I will begin prayer walking for my neighbors.  I will be praying for the salvation of their souls.  I will try to get to know them and then watch for opportunities to share the gospel.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for opening my eyes to pray more for others who are out there in my world.  Please open my eyes and help me to have the courage to be obedient.

 

 

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