Prayer

Rejoice evermore Pray without Ceasing and in everything give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice Pray and give thanks… for EVERYTHING!
How are we supposed to do that?
Things are hard, situations difficult, "Self" is loudly crying out for attention, people are railing, the enemy sends fiery darts.
Shift the attention from self to Jesus, to His will concerning our lives

Realize I am saved! For me to live is Christ and for me to die is gain.
BUT There is a dying world out there that needs Jesus

I Corinthians 1:17-18… For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God!

No clever speeches or lovely discourse for with these things the cross loses it’s power.
As Charles Spurgeon shared…the text in and of itself is a great feast!

God does not want any to perish without knowing him as their Savior and to this end we pray!
So to this end we march as good soldiers ready to carry our cross and follow Jesus denying self and standing strong in the power of His might.

Putting on the armor of God to stand against the tricks of the devil,
because we do not fight against people but against the enemy and the power of darkness.
Read Ephesians 6:10-17

Belt = truth to fight against lies of the enemy
Body armor=Righteousness in Christ My God sees me as righteous my heart can trust him
Shoes=Ready to spread the Gospel of Peace to a dying world
Shield =Faith Protection from the enemies fiery arrows …To see the battle as well as the war from God’s perspective
Helmet= Salvation...confidence and trust in the saving work of the cross to give us Holy Spirit Boldness
Sword=The Word of God…Knowing God’s Word and living it gives us promises to stand on and grows our faith and trust in our God
Read Eph 6:18
Pray without ceasing, that our response to all things might be His will concerning us
That our very life would become a prayer.
David’s prayer in Psalm 67: 1-2
Spurgeons comment…Despite the gloomy notion of some, we cling to the belief that the Kingdom of Christ will embrace the whole habitable globe and that all flesh shall see the salvation of God, for this glorious consummation we agonize in prayer!


Blessings, Lady