Living Hope Church
2 Nov Sunday Service
  • In the Name of Jesus
  • Nothing But the Blood
  • God Of Wonders
  • Great Are You Lord

  • Battle Ready – Week Four: “Powered by Prayer”

    Theme Focus:

    Prayer is not a last resort—it’s the first line of defense and the foundation of spiritual readiness. This week explores how prayer equips believers to stand firm, fight effectively, and intercede with power.

    Introduction: The Battle Brief

    We are continuing our series titled, “Battle Ready - Effectual Christianity”
    We started with Knowing God, then for the last two weeks we have gone through Knowing your Enemy.
    This week is titled, “Powered by Prayer”
    Our theme passage has been Ephesians 6:12
    Ephesians 6:12 NKJV
    12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
    This week we need to see the role of prayer in the spiritual warfare. (Ephesians 6:18)
    Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
    18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
    Quote: “Prayer doesn’t prepare us for the battle—it is the battle.” – Oswald Chambers

    I. ‘Praying Always’ is Preparatory

    You might feel like that was speaking opposites while quoting Oswald Chambers. He said Prayer doesn’t prepare us for the battle, so how can “Praying Always” be preparatory (meaning that it prepares you).
    It is a change in the way we think.
    You may ask, is it the battle or preparation for the battle - and the answer is “YES”.
    Prayer is the battle because aligning yourself to God’s will and His ways is a battle that must be fought.
    It is preparatory, because the alignment prepares you for the battles you will face in this world.
    A.W. Tozer talked a lot about preparatory prayer. He said, no one every won or lost the battle the day they stepped onto the field.
    The battle was won during the time of preparation and lost in the lack of preparation.
    In your life, you cannot win the battle of loss if you did not already align yourself to God’s will before loss
    Example 1: Jacob wrestled with God before meeting Esau (Gen 32)
    Jacob, in Gen 32, was preparing to meet his brother and 400 men with him.
    Remember that Jacob had taken Esau’s inheritance for a bowl of food.
    On the night before he faced his brother, he wrestled with God. That night was not just preparation, it was a battle to align himself with God’s will.
    From it, he received the name “Israel” and received blessings from God.
    Example 2: Jesus in the Garden (Matt 26)
    Jesus had warned his disciples that He was going to suffer and be crucified.
    Before Jesus went through His suffering and death for our sins, He prayed to the Father.
    We see Him saying, “Not my will, but Thine be done”. This was an alignment of His flesh with the will of the Father.
    See, we don’t win battles when the trouble comes, we win them at night wrestling in prayer. We win them in deep times of prayer, aligning our will with the Father’s will.
    You cannot be battle ready or have the full armor except by prayer.
    When you “Pray Always”, you keep a continual vigilance and communion with God.
    Prayer Challenge:
    Create a “Prayer Prep Plan” for the week: time, place, focus

    II. Intercession – Standing in the Gap for Others

    Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
    18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
    All prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
    Did you know there are many kinds of prayers.
    Public/Corporate; Mental; Vocal; Continuous; Deep Intercessions
    Thanksgiving
    Supplications (Asking for the meeting of needs)
    Intercession (A type of supplication but on behalf of others)
    In the Spirit (He prompts your heart in what to pray for)
    Intercession is more than just saying “Our thoughts and Prayers are with you”. Supplication is more than just asking God for “stuff”.
    In aligning ourselves with God’s will, we declare our need for Him.
    WITHOUT PRAYER - YOU WOULD NEVER SEE GOD’S PROVISION.
    Prayer is Spiritual Warfare - preparing you for Spiritual Warfare - and protecting you after Spiritual Warfare.
    Remember, victory often brings pride. Pride takes our eyes off God and places them on ourselves.
    Prayer Challenge:
    Assign prayer partners or create a “Battle List” of people to intercede for.
    Take note to thank and praise God when He answers those prayers.

    III. Prayer Requires Sober Perseverance

    Being “Battle Ready” requires we engage in watchful - sober - perseverance.
    Watchful - Paying attention to what is going on in the world, our community, and family.
    Sober - I added this word, because other passages us it. 1 Peter 5 8
    1 Peter 5:8 NKJV
    8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
    This sobriety is not just abstaining from things that numb our senses or hinder our submission to the Holy Spirit,
    It is about taking our prayers seriously.
    Prayer Challenge:
    Host a “Supplication Night” or prayer wall where people write and pray over needs.
    I would like to establish a prayer wall at church, but you can do this at home.

    Application: Prayer as the Power Source

    Revisit Ephesians 6:18 – “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit”
    Encourage believers to see prayer as their spiritual oxygen
    Commission the church to be a house of prayer and warriors of intercession
    Your prayer life is like a muscle. It is like a master swordsman spending time in training

    Bonus Scripture Meditations for the Week:

    Colossians 4:2 – “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”
    Matthew 6:6 – “Go into your room…pray to your Father who is unseen”
    Acts 4:31 – “After they prayed, the place was shaken…”

      • Ephesians 6:12NKJV

      • Ephesians 6:18NKJV

      • Ephesians 6:18NKJV

      • 1 Peter 5:8NKJV

Living Hope Church
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325-500-4763
http://livinghopecogop.org
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