Praying On The Armor Part 3
PRAYING ON THE ARMOR PART 3
EPHESIANS 6:14-18 (NIV)
14 STAND FIRM THEN,
WITH THE BELT OF TRUTH
BUCKLED AROUND YOUR WAIST,
WITH THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IN PLACE,
15 AND WITH YOUR FEET FITTED
WITH THE READINESS
THAT COMES FROM THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.
16 IN ADDITION TO ALL THIS,
TAKE UP THE SHIELD OF FAITH,
WITH WHICH YOU CAN EXTINGUISH
ALL THE FLAMING ARROWS OF THE EVIL ONE.
17 TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION
AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT,
WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD.
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.
THIS MORNING WE'RE GOING GET DRESSED FOR BATTLE AGAIN,
JUST LIKE WE DID IT LAST WEEK,
AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IT BY PRAYING,
SO PRAY WITH ME.
SLIDE
O LORD GOD
I PRAY ON YOUR ARMOR.
I PRAY ON THE HELMET OF SALVATION,
BY WHICH I CAN PROTECT MY MIND FROM ALL THE THINGS SATAN WOULD PUT IN IT.
I PRAY ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
SO THAT I CAN LIVE A RIGHTEOUS LIFE BEFORE YOU
O LORD.
I PRAY ON THE BELT OF TRUTH,
JESUS YOU ARE THE TRUTH,
YOU ARE THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.
I PRAY ON THE SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.
THAT I MAY BE READY TO GO OUT
AND SHARE YOUR SALVATION WITH THE WORLD.
I PRAY ON THE SHIELD OF FAITH
BY WHICH I CAN EXTINGUISH THE FIERY ARROWS OF THE DEVIL.
AND I PRAY ON THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD. THE BIBLE.
I WILL HIDE YOUR WORD IN MY HEART THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST YOU, O LORD MY GOD.
AMEN!
REVIEW:
SLIDE
TWO WEEKS AGO WE LOOKED AT
THE HELMET OF SALVATION
WE ALL NEED SALVATION.
WITHOUT IT WE ARE ALL HEADED TO HELL.
SLIDE
THEN WE LOOKED AT
THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WITHOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS,
NO ONE SHALL SEE GOD.
WE LEARNED HOW THE ROMAN SOLDIERS
WOULD STAND INSPECTION EVERY MORNING
TO MAKE SURE THEIR BREASTPLATE WAS WELL KEPT
AND WOULD PROTECT THEIR HEART.
WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR HEART IN ORDER TO LIVE A RIGHTEOUS LIFE.
SLIDE
AND THEN WE LOOKED AT
THE BELT OF TRUTH.
JESUS SAID THAT YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.
HE ALSO SAID THAT HE WAS THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE
AND WE HEARD THE STORY OF KIMBERLY SHUMATE
AND HOW AFTER BEING A PRACTICING WITCH FOR 30 YEARS
SHE FOUND THE TRUTH. JESUS CHRIST.
AND WAS SAVED OUT OF DARKNESS AND INTO HIS LIGHT.
SLIDE
LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT
THE SHOES OF READINESS
THAT COMES FROM THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.
WE LEARNED THAT
WE ARE TO PRAY ON THE SHOES OF READINESS
THAT COMES FROM THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
WE HEARD ABOUT
THE TEEN MISSIONS TRAINING --- BOOT CAMP
DOWN IN MERRIT ISLAND, FLORIDA.
THE POINT IS THAT THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF PREPARATION THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO BE READY TO SHARE
THE GOSPEL WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
SLIDE
THE SHOES THAT PAUL WAS WRITING ABOUT
WERE REALLY SANDALS
THAT THE ROMAN SOLDIERS WORE ON THEIR FEET.
SLIDE
WAY TO OFTEN THE SHOES WE'RE WEARING
ARE LOAFERS.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT
THE CHURCH THAT WEARS LOAFERS
IS A LUKEWARM CHURCH.
WE CHRISTIANS NEED TO BE READY TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.
I'M GOING TO BE HOLDING A FOUR WEEK LONG
SOUL WINNING CLASS STARTING NEXT THURSDAY
AT 6:00PM, HERE AT THE CHURCH.
PLEASE SIGN UP IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON ATTENDING.
SLIDE
THEN WE LOOKED AT PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT.
MANY OF US EVEN CAME DOWN TO THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH AND MADE A COMMITTMENT
TO SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME IN PRAYER, EVERY DAY.
BECAUSE PRAYER IS OUR COMMUNICATION LIFE LINE.
WE'VE GOT TO GET OUR ORDERS FROM GOD
SO WE'LL KNOW WHAT DIRECTION TO TAKE.
SLIDE
KATHY HAD BEEN A VETERAN SURGICAL NURSE FOR OVER 25 YEARS,
AND NOW SHE WAS LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB.
AN AGENCY THAT STAFFS NURSING POSITIONS OFFERED HER A JOB AT A PRISON.
KATHY DIDN'T EVEN HESITATE
WORK IN A PRISON. NO WAY!
THEN, A FEW DAYS LATER IN HER CAR,
SHE WAS LISTENING TO A KEITH GREEN CD.
SHE WAS STARTLED BY THE LYRICS SHE HEARD:
"I WAS IN PRISON, AND I ROTTED THERE;
I'D PRAYED THAT YOU'D COME."
FOR THE NEXT TEN DAYS SHE WAS BOMBARDED WITH PRISON REFERENCES EVERYWHERE SHE TURNED.
ON THE TV, ON THE RADIO—
HER DEVOTION BOOK HAD REFERENCES TO PRISON.
FINALLY KATHY SAID: "OKAY, GOD, I GET IT!"
SO SHE CALLED THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY, TO TELL THEM THAT SHE WOULD TAKE THE JOB,
BUT THE JOB HAD ALREADY BEEN FILLED.
_________________________________________________________
SO KATHY CONTINUED TO LOOK
FOR A JOB IN THE SAME FIELD.
SHE VISITED A LOCAL YOUTH DETENTION FACILITY
TO SEE IF THEY NEEDED A NURSE,
BUT THERE WAS A HIRING FREEZE ON.
FOR FOUR MONTHS SHE KEPT LOOKING.
AND WHILE SHE LOOKED, SHE CONTINUED TO PRAY.
ONE NIGHT, KATHY AND HER DAUGHTER JESSICA
WERE DRIVING HOME FROM THE STORE.
AND THEY DROVE BY THE PRISON AT EXACTLY 9:00 P.M.,
KATHY AND HER DAUGHTER PRAYED,
AND ASKED GOD TO OPEN THE DOOR TO THAT JOB,
IF IT WAS STILL WHERE HE WANTED KATHY TO WORK.
SHE PROMISED GOD THAT NO MATTER WHERE HE WANTED HER TO WORK
SHE WOULD NEVER STOP PRAYING FOR THOSE GIRLS.
AND THEN EXACTLY 12 HOURS LATER,
AT EXACTLY 9:00 OCLOCK IN THE MORNING,
THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY CALLED
AND OFFERED HER THAT EXACT JOB. …
YOU SEE,
THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN (OR WOMAN)
AVAILS MUCH.
SLIDE
NOW, THE NEXT PIECE OF THE ARMOR IS:
THE SHIELD OF FAITH
THE WORD "SHIELD"
DOESN'T MEAN THAT LITTLE ROUND SHIELD
THAT THE SOLDIER HELD IN HIS HAND
WHEN FIGHTING OFF THE WEAPONS OF THE ENEMY.
IT WAS THE LARGE OBLONG SHIELD
WORN BY THE SOLDIER
TO PROTECT HIS WHOLE BODY FROM THE FIERY ARROWS
THAT WERE LAUNCHED BY THE ENEMY.
THOSE ARROWS WERE DIPPED IN PITCH
AND SET ON FIRE.
WHEN THEY STRUCK SOMETHING,
THEY WERE LIKE LITTLE INCENDIARY BOMBS
THAT CONTINUED TO BURN AND CATCH YOU ON FIRE.
SATAN HAS HIS OWN KIND OF FIERY ARROWS.
HE USES ARROWS THAT CAN CAUSE THE BELIEVER...
· TO QUESTION HIS SALVATION
· TO QUESTION HIS CALL
· TO QUESTION IF HE IS WORTHY
· TO QUESTION IF HE CAN REALLY SERVE
· TO QUESTION IF THE PROJECT CAN REALLY BE DONE
· TO QUESTION, DOUBT, AND WONDER
SATAN'S ARROWS CAN CAUSE US...
· TO BECOME DISCOURAGED,
DEPRESSED, AND DEFEATED
HIS ARROWS CAN CAUSE US...
· TO BURN WITH PASSION AND DESIRE
SATAN'S ARROWS ASSAULT THE MIND—
HE SENDS...
ONE DOUBTING, EVIL THOUGHT AFTER ANOTHER—
THEY FIGHT AGAINST YOUR WILL—
THEY STRUGGLE TO GET HOLD OF YOUR MIND
AND SUBJECT IT TO DOUBTS AND EVIL THOUGHTS.
BUT, GOD HAS GIVEN US THE SHIELD OF FAITH,
AND WE CAN TRUST GOD
TO QUENCH THOSE ARROWS OF DOUBT AND EVIL
THAT ARE COMING AGAINST US.
GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT WILL HELP US CONTROL OUR MIND
AND CONQUER SATAN'S DOUBTING, EVIL ARROWS.
WHEN WE'VE PRAYED ON THE SHIELD OF FAITH,
WE HAVE A CONSCIOUSNESS OF GOD'S PRESENCE.
HIS VERY PRESENCE BECOMES OUR SHIELD
AND OUR DEFENDER.
SLIDE
THE NEXT PIECE OF THE ARMOR OF GOD IS
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD
THE SWORD IS A WEAPON
THAT'S USED FOR BOTH DEFENSE AND OFFENSE.
THE SWORD IS USED TO PARRY AND BLOCK
THE SWORD THRUSTS OF THE ENEMY.
AND THE SWORD IS ALSO USED TO ATTACK
AND FIGHT OFF THE ENEMY.
THE SWORD THAT WE CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS USE
IS THE WORD OF GOD.
THE BIBLE,
BY LIVING WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES,
WE PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THE ATTACK OF THE ENEMY WITH GOD'S WORD;
WE MAY FIGHT THE BATTLE AGAIN AND AGAIN.
BUT WITH GODS HELP
WE WIN BATTLE AFTER BATTLE AFTER BATTLE.
WE WIN, DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY.
REMEMBER: JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF
OVERCAME THE ATTACK OF THE DEVIL
BY USING SCRIPTURE
JESUS TELLS US IN (MATTHEW 4:4, 7, 10).
THAT THE WRITTEN WORD IS THE ONE WEAPON
THAT ASSURES US VICTORY, BECAUSE THE...
"WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE
AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD."
_________________________________________
NOT ONLY DOES THE WORD OF GOD
PROTECT US FROM THE ATTACK OF THE ENEMY.
NOT ONLY DOES IT GIVE US A WAY
TO ATTACK THE ENEMY.
BUT IT'S A GUIDING LIGHT
FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEE BY.
REMEMBER KATHY... THE NURSE.
[AS KATHY WORKED AS A NURSE IN THAT PRISON CLINIC,]
SHE THOUGHT ABOUT GIVING EVERY GIRL THERE
A BIBLE.
BUT WHICH VERSION SHOULD SHE CHOOSE?
SOME OF THE GIRLS COULD BARELY READ.
AFTER A LOT OF RESEARCH, SHE DISCOVERED
THE EASY-TO-READ VERSION (ERV) OF THE BIBLE
IT'S WRITTEN AT A THIRD-GRADE LEVEL
AND IT STILL HAS CROSS-REFERENCES AND BIBLE HELPS.
KATHY WAS ABLE TO GET A FEW HUNDRED COPIES THROUGH A SMALL GRANT,
FOR JUST THE COST OF SHIPPING. …
AT THE END OF EACH APPOINTMENT THAT KATHY HAD WITH A FEMALE PRISONER,
SHE WOULD OFFER THE GIRL AN ERV BIBLE,
BRIEFLY EXPLAINING HOW TO USE IT.
THEIR RESPONSES WERE MIXED
BETWEEN JOY AND OUTRIGHT REFUSAL.
KATHY'S HEART CONTINUED TO ACHE FOR THESE GIRLS,
MOST OF THEM WERE FROM DIFFICULT BACKGROUNDS WITH LITTLE HOPE FOR CHANGE.
SOME HAD LIVED ON THE STREETS FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE BEING INCARCERATED.
SOMETIMES WHEN KATHY WOULD BE WALKING DOWN THE HALLWAY,
GIRLS WOULD CALL OUT FROM THEIR ROOMS AND ASK:
"MA'AM, WHAT CHAPTER SHOULD I READ TODAY?"
KATHY WOULD REPLY, "PICK A NUMBER BETWEEN
1 AND 150."
WHATEVER NUMBER THAT GIRL CHOSE
IS THE PSALM SHE WOULD RECOMMEND. …
KATHY HAS NOW PLACED MORE THAN 6,000 BIBLES
IN FOUR YEARS. …
HER GOAL IS TO SEE A BIBLE IN THE HAND
OF EVERY PRISONER.
AND SHE HAS KEPT HER PROMISE TO GOD—SHE NEVER STOPS PRAYING FOR THEM.
KATHY'S VERSE FOR HER MISSION IS ...
ISAIAH 9:2
"THE PEOPLE WALKING IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN
A GREAT LIGHT;
ON THOSE LIVING IN THE LAND OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
A LIGHT HAS DAWNED."
HEBREWS 4:12 (NKJV)
12 THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL,
AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD,
PIERCING EVEN TO THE DIVISION OF SOUL AND SPIRIT,
AND OF JOINTS AND MARROW,
AND IS A DISCERNER OF THE THOUGHTS
AND INTENTS OF THE HEART.
KATHY PUTS US TO SHAME.
SHE REACHES HER HAND ACROSS SATANS BORDER
RIGHT INTO SATAN'S COUNTRY
AND SHE PULLS PEOPLE OUT OF HIS CLUTCHES.
WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO SAVE THOSE CAUGHT IN SATAN'S WEB?
SLIDE
WE NEED TO BE CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
1. WE NEED TO PRAY ON SALVATION -- THE HELMET
2. WE NEED TO BE RIGHTEOUS -- THE BREASTPLATE
3. WE NEED TO LIVE TRUTHFUL LIVES-- THE BELT
4. WE NEED TO BE READY TO SHARE THE GOSPEL -- SHOES
5. WE NEED TO USE OUR FAITH -- THE SHIELD
6. WE NEED TO READ OUR BIBLES -- THE SWORD
7. AND WE NEED TO PRAY IN THE SPIRIT -- PRAYER
WE NEED TO WEAR THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD IF WE'RE TO LIVE EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN LIVES.
WE NEED ALL OF THE ARMOR, IF WE'RE GOING TO DEFEND OURSELVES AGAINST SATAN'S ATTACKS.
WE NEED ALL OF THE ARMOR, IF WE ARE GOING TO GO ON THE OFFENSIVE AND WIN OTHERS FOR CHRIST.
WE'RE IN A SPIRITUAL WAR, WHERE WE BATTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD.
WE BATTLE AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES, AGAINST THE POWERS OF THIS DARK WORLD AND AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS.
AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE.