THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD; PRAYER

THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD:
Preparing for the Battle- Prayer
Ephesians 6:10-18

I. The Battle Belongs to the Lord
a. The Battles that Choose Us
i. Psalm 44:22- Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
b. The Battle we choose through our sinful and willful disobedience.
i. Jonah- living in the belly of the whale.
ii. The Holy Spirit will direct us, but if we ignore it, it will be to our peril.
c. No matter the Battle- the Lord is there to see us through and to make the outcome work to our benefit.
i. Romans 8:28- 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[j] who[k] have been called according to his purpose.
ii. Psalm 61:2- From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
II. All Battles are Spiritual-
a. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
b. Our first reaction is many times to fight using our own power and might!
i. Peter & the Ear- John 18:1-11
1. Peter was sleeping earlier while Jesus was preparing himself through prayer. Matthew 26:36-45
ii. We use prayer as a last resort (All we can do is pray.) when it is our most powerful weapon.
1. 2 Corinthians 10:4- The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
2. Pride keeps us from praying!
a. 2 Chronicles 4:17- if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
iii. David and Goliath- Pick your armor- the Holy Spirit

III. Prayerful Preparation
a. Jesus knew the necessity of a solid prayer life with the Father- he prayed at the beginning and at the end of every day.
i. Prayer was a means to a solid relationship with the Father.
1. The Promised Land was not just a land, but the journey was a means to a relationship- God’s priority.
2. 1 Thess 5- 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
b. The Enemy is always at work to steal, kill, and destroy you.
i. 18And 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.
1. Our security is found in the power of the Holy Spirit which is only harnessed through prayer.
2. Proverbs 18:10- The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

IV. Praying through the Battle- Exodus 7:9-13
a. Keep Your Hands Up to the Lord
i. Phil 1:9- Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
b. Keep Holding the Hands of Others Up
i. James 5:16- Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
c. Keep on Trusting!
i. 1 Chronicles 5:20- They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.