PURPOSE: WHY DO WE PRAY?
“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. For 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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.” Ephesians 6:10-18(NIV)
AEGIS: REALM OR REACH OF AUTHORITY, INFLUENCE, PROTECTION, RESPONSIBILITY, ADVOCACY
QUESTION: WHAT IS THE AEGIS OF MY PRAYER LIFE?
- FAMILY
- FRIENDS
- CHURCH
- COMMUNITY
- WORK OR SCHOOL
- PROJECTS OR EVENTS
“God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
PRAYER INVITES THE MIRACULOUS
ACTION PLAN: Write down the aegis list from above (include other areas that may come to your mind). Keep this list somewhere visible as a reminder of the areas you should be praying for.
PRACTICE: HOW TO GET ORGANIZED
- SCHEDULE PRAYERS
- TURN DRIVE TIME INTO PRAYER TIME
- SET UP PRAYERS REMINDERS
- PRAY FOR “DROP-IN VISITORS”
“I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.” Ephesians 1:16 (NIV)
ACTION PLAN: Think through your aegis list above and see how you can best remember to pray for those areas using the practices list. Who can you have scheduled prayer for? What time of “monuments” can you establish to remember to pray for certain people?
POWER: WHAT KIND OF PRAYER IS MOST EFFECTIVE?
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16b(NIV)
Righteous = dikaios: upright, observing divine laws, living according to the Word. Describes a person whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God.
Powerful = energeo: energized by the power of God. Always refers to supernatural empowerment.
Effective = ischuo: to be a force capable of extraordinary deeds
THE PRAYER OF A MAN OR WOMAN OF THE WORD IS ENERGIZED BY THE POWER OF GOD, AND IS A GREAT FORCE CAPABLE OF EXTRAORDINARY DEEDS. James 5:16 (Bald Guy’s Paraphrase)
- THE MORE YOU HONOR GOD’S WORD, THE MORE HE EMPOWERS YOUR PRAYERS.
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
ACTION PLAN: It’s not too late to start or join a small group for 40 Days of Prayer! For all information,click here.
