A GREAT WEAPON

Scripture Reading: James 5: 13-18

“Prayer is a Great Weapon,” so says the heading for James 5: 13-18 in the Phillips Translation.  As I’ve considered the Armor of God, I think perhaps prayer may be the over-arching weapon of all the others we studied in our sermon series [resist, rejoice, love] and of those Paul describes in Ephesians 6:14-17 [the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit].  Paul finishes off the armor list with “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. … keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”  It would seem that prayer, with the help of the Holy Spirit, activates God’s armor.

But Paul wasn’t very specific as to what occasions and what kinds of prayers to pray. “All” of course is all-inclusive, but it leads me to wonder, “How can I make prayer more practical – in the details of my life that I may see the power of prayer in my every day, specific, “small” instances of my  life?

James gives us many “for instances” of the Prayer Weapon in today’s verses:

·         When to pray:

o   In trouble, hurting (vs 13)

o   In good times, flourishing, happy (vs 13)

o   In sickness (vs 14)

o   In confession, when we sin (vs 16)

·         Results:

o   Healed of sickness (NIV)

o   Restored by the Lord (Phillips)

o   Forgiven of sin (Phillips)

o   Live together whole and healed (Msg)

o   Tremendous power is made available through a good man’s earnest prayer (Phillips)

We are told to include other believers in the prayer action when we are sick or when we have sinned.  It seems to me that these two circumstances are when we are most vulnerable, so to let people into our lives at these times takes forsaking pride and allowing people to know us at our worst.  We balk at this notion – we want to somehow keep up our façade and still enjoy the results James speaks about.  It’s the old idea of having our cake and eating it, too.

 

But, do we really want to be healed, forgiven, and victorious over the enemy?  If we are serious about walking by faith, we need all three of these in our lives.  And prayer and inviting others to walk beside us are the keys to living the victorious Christian Life God calls us to.

 

Lord, help me to want to walk healed, forgiven, and victorious.  Holy Spirit, strip me of my pride that keeps me from the life you have for me. Amen

Armed and Ready

2 Corinthians 10

New International Version (NIV)

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. What are the weapons of this world? In other words, what weapons does Satan use to defeat us? I find they change depending on my current circumstances.  When I have an assignment from God, a Holy cause to write or talk about something God has placed on my heart, Satan will play those old tapes and before I know what happened I am filled with self-doubt and fear.

Then, when I am figuring out my budget and preparing my tithe for Sunday I am suddenly stopped in my tracks. I dream of what I might buy or a bill I could pay if I ignored this item. Greed takes over and before I know what happened...

It is a daily battle to keep on track, to stay the course and not be distracted by Satan's cunning lies. I might very well pay that bill early, but what will not happen for the Kingdom by withholding my tithe? I have an obligation to care for those who need help. That 10% is the Lord's, but I have free will.

How do we fight these attacks? Our weapons are available when, daily we put on the Armor of God.  (Ephesians 6:13-18)

The effective weapons at our disposal -- The world fights with

• Prayer                                      Blasphemy                     
• Truth                                        Deceit
• Peace                                       Turmoil
• Faith                                         Fear
• God's Word                              Satan’s lies

2 Corinthians 10

Ready, Get Ready...Pray

Acts 21:13-15

New International Version (NIV)

Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. ”When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.

Mission work can be dangerous if you're not ready. Paul's word indicate he is ready, even ready to die if necessary. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21). As for us, at the very least, we will be called to 'die to self'. 

There is preparation to be done prior to any mission endeavor.  It doesn't matter if you are traveling overseas, working in a homeless shelter, or helping feed hungry children; there is an element of preparation in order to be ready.

I know it is unwise to tackle any situation which Satan does not want improved without being 'prayed up.' We need to be on guard against the enemy who prowls the earth.  We must put on the full armor of God every day in order to stand against the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Those flaming arrows can take on the shape of illness, injury, fear and pain. Any of these arrows can stop us in our tracks and can make us ineffective. Paul was ready, he was prayed up and all set to face the enemy head on.

Our desire to please God must overshadow our desire to avoid hardship and suffering. When we really want to do God's will, we must accept all that comes with it—even the pain. Then we can say with Paul's companions, "The Lord's will be done." 

Acts 21:7-16

Timely Advice

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 

While reading 1 Peter 5 I was reminded of an advice columnist. As a teen, when reading the newspaper, I would turn to Dear Abby first. Reading of someone else's troubles was comforting, helped me feel like I wasn't alone. I would read to see what life was like for other folks, to see if perhaps my problems would be addressed and then I could benefit from Dear Abby's wisdom without having to spill the beans myself.

Verses 8 and 9 of Chapter 5 contain some very good advice. Peter is reminding those around him back in his time and even us today that we have an enemy, Satan, and he is a force to reckon with. Be self-controlled and alert is good counsel in so many ways.  It is wise to pray for self-control and also for eyes to see any trouble lying in wait.

When the devil acts like a roaring lion, we can spot him easier than when is disguised as a 'friend'. The best way to be alert to danger that lurks around the next corner is to be armed and dangerous ourselves. Every day it is imperative we spend time putting on that armor, donning the protective gear God has provided.

Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

Putting on the Armor of God isn't just words, it requires action.  When attack is eminent, and injury probable, we have the duty to be prepared.  Read through Ephesians 6:10-18, better yet, listen here and then mentally dress for battle.  The garb for battle includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18)


1 Peter 5

Armed and Ready

Galatians 5:1 (MSG)  Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.


Freedom is a gift, it is worth fighting for, dying for and mostly it is worth living for.  Do we feel free, or recognize the freedoms we have as Christ followers?  Before reaching out and grasping a personal relationship with Jesus, I was not free.  Shame and guilt had a tight hold on me.  I was a prisoner to my past that was equally afraid of tomorrow. 

Soldiers know what freedom is; they strive to maintain our freedom with every moment of training and active duty. They are committed to keep us free from aggressors who want to imprison our minds and bodies. The freedom Jesus want to provide is the freedom from Spiritual death; eternal death. Wars our military are preparing to protect us from now days could soon be about our religious freedoms.

We may wonder why we have days when we feel chained to our lives; bound to the mundane madness of living without feeling alive. I know this to be true, when the enemy prowls we need to be ready.  When the enemy is so cunning we can't recognize him, we need to be wrapped in the Armor of God.

Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

This Armor will keep us safe, will protect us from death and will bring us safely home.

Galatians 5

Philippians 1:1-11

God is always working on us, pushing and pulling, prodding and pruning.  Make no mistake, this type of handling hurts.  The different ways God manipulates us to refine our spirits and restore us to His ways is painful.  The challenging situations we find ourselves in so often, are part of our faith growth.  They can be compared to a child’s learning experiences when they must experience physical pain in order to learn acceptable behavior; touching a hot surface, exploring a forbidden attic and so on.

"...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

(Philippians 1:6b)

I am not going to sugar coat it and tell you that once you get through this time in your life everything will be okay.  That would not be true.  Most likely there are a number of seasons waiting in the wings that are meant to season us more, prepare us for the future. But we are not alone during these times.  Jesus is with us and so is His Holy Spirit.  Crying out to them for help is the best thing to do, opening up God's Word and learning to put on the whole armor of God to fight these earthly battles will defeat the enemy. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

I know that my faith has been made stronger because of the trials in my life.  Do I look forward to the next 'growing of my faith?'  I wish I could emphatically say YES, bring it on.  While that would be dishonest, I know from past experience I will be better for it, stronger and wiser and anticipating the day when God will "carry it on to completion."Read Philippians 1:1-11 here

Listen to Philippians 1:1-11 here