Today, we continue the series, Winning Spiritual Battles Because We Use Our Spiritual Weapons. Every guy who gets this blog would stand at the door of his house with a shotgun to protect his family physically. But most Christian men feel inept and inadequate at fighting to protect them, spiritually. As we saw last week, Jesus told his disciples the ultimate weapon for defeating Satan is prayer. But if we are going to use this weapon effectively in spiritual battle, we need to understand it. This episode continues our study of what Jesus taught are the six basic parts of effective prayer, in Matt 6:9-13.
As we seek to follow Jesus’ mission for our individual lives, advancing the righteous reign of King Jesus over our heart loyalties and attitudes, as well as implementing his agenda in our role as husband, father, employee/employer, neighbor, church member, steward of resources, and ambassador of the kingdom, we must displace the kingdom of darkness. Just as a military invasion begins with cruise missiles and bombing runs, our efforts to advance the kingdom on the ground must begin with prayer, the only weapon capable of dislodging the enemy from its strongholds. Prayer is such a potent offensive weapon for advancing the kingdom of Christ over earth, that in Psalm 2 we hear God the Father identify prayer as the way Christ’s kingdom spreads. The Father promises the Anointed One, “ASK of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” As Christ-followers join Christ in ASKING that his kingdom would advance, the Father promises to act.
Jesus teaches the same six principles of prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 and in Luke 11:2-4. The only difference is that in Matthew, Jesus gives an explanation of three of the principles. He explains, may your kingdom come, (Matt 6:10a & Luke 11:2) when he continues may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10b). He explains lead us not into temptation (Matt 6:13a, Luke 11:4) when he continues, but deliver us from evil (Matt 6:13b). Jesus amplifies forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors (Matt 6:12 & Luke 11:4) two verses later in Matthew 6:14-15 when he says, For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Last week we saw how radically different prayer for Christ-followers is from the religious repetition of holy sayings regimented for certain prayer times in other world religions. These times in Judaism were 9 AM, 12 PM, and 3 PM. The two rote Jewish prayers to be recited were the Shema, Deut 6:4-9, and the Shemoneh ‘esreh, which means eighteen, because if consisted of 18 rote prayers to be recited. Jesus’ teaching about prayer was entirely different; it was not formal, structured, external, regimented words spoken to God as ritual, but an intimate, heart-driven conversation originating from a living, dynamic relationship with The Father. Let’s review the first three prayer principles, which we examined last week, before digging into the final three. So, by way of summary:
1. The principle of ADOPTION: Matt 6:9 Our Father in heaven, which gives us the ENVIRONEMNT for prayer. His help, and spiritual power don’t have to be pried out of his tight-fisted hands. Through Christ we are God’s adopted children and, as it happens, our particular father LOVES TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO HIS CHILDREN, especially spiritual power through the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him (Lk 11:11-13)! It is noteworthy that Jesus had used nearly identical words in his Sermon on the Mount (Matt 7:9-11), but in the Luke account, Jesus substitutes Holy Spirit for good gifts. Both are true. God loves to give good gifts to his children. But the best gift is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.
I believe that Jesus viewed prayer much more as reporting to our forward battle station and launching a prayer assault against the kingdom of darkness for the advance of Christ’s kingdom of righteousness than he does, than emailing headquarters with a list of our needed provisions. It IS emailing that list, which we will get to in a moment. But prayer, as God designed it, is relentlessly fighting the enemy who wants to destroy you and your family and besmirch the reputation of God. It is being the man, the protector, that God designed Adam to be. “Your sonship,” says Jesus, “means being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who is the producer of spiritual fruit in our lives." The first prayer principle to remember, is ADOPTION, the environment of prayer. We come to God as his beloved child, calling him Father, a father who loves to give good gifts and especially the power of the Holy Spirt to those who ask.
2. The second prayer principle is ADORATION: vs 9 continues, Hallowed be your name. Here is the MOTIVATION for prayer. May your name be honored. May you be glorified. May your name be held in high esteem by the whole world. Jesus modeled this aspect of praying at the beginning of his prayer in John 17, When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son THAT THE SON MAY GLORIFY YOU.” A few verses later, Jesus reveals that this desire for The Father to be glorified was the focus of his life, I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. (Jn 17:4). At the heart of the request, “May your name be hallowed” is “a burning desire that the whole world may bow before God in adoration, in reverence, in praise, in worship, in honor, and in thanksgiving” (The Sermon on the Mount). The more our prayers are rooted in ADORATION—our desire to see the name and reputation of God honored, the more power they possess.
3. The third prayer principle and one which very often is neglected in our prayers is ADVANCING the kingdom: vs 10 May your kingdom come. Here we see the PURPOSE of prayer. “The focus of your praying,” says Jesus, “should be the advance of my kingdom of righteousness over earth.” Praying “May your kingdom come (i.e. may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven)” is the primary purpose of PRAYER because seeking Christ's kingdom of righteousness is the primary purpose of Christians’ LIVES. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness in human hearts and in the culture all over the earth, every square inch of which, King Jesus claims as his own.
In the book of Acts, Peter and John were arrested, warned not to proclaim the gospel, and released. In response, the church gathered to battle for the advance of the kingdom through prayer. In this prayer, they quoted Psalm 2. The opening verses of Psalm 2 speak of the cosmic rebellion against Yahweh, Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS ANOINTED. Psalm 2 continues, telling us that Yahweh laughs at their supposed power. Why? Because his answer to the rebellion of the kingdom of darkness is to send Christ, the Anointed One, to recover Adam’s lost kingdom. Palm 2:6 records God saying, As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill. (vs 6) Psalm 2 then describes the words of Yahweh to His Son recorded from the point of view of Jesus. The Lord (Yahweh) said to me (Christ), “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession (vs 7b-8).
Notice the process to which Yahweh points for the spread of Christ’s kingdom. ASK OF ME and I will make the nations your heritage. What is Jesus doing right now? Scripture tells us, he is ASKING. He is at the right hand of the father interceding. What is he asking for? His church to be empowered to make disciples of the nations. All authority has been given to me, said Jesus. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28-18-19). Starting with our own sinful hearts being transformed, Christ’s kingdom of righteousness expands out into the world from nation to nation through the ASKING of the Son. Whatever his reason, God has ordained that the powers of darkness must be dislodged from the spiritual ground they hold by ASKING, i.e. by PRAYER made in Jesus’ name. In Matt 6:33, part of the same sermon that contains the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches Christians that their main responsibility is to seek first the reign of Jesus righteousness over every aspect of their lives. That means loving Jesus more, praising his perfections more fully as we grow to know who he really is, growing in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, loving my wife well, going on the offensive to pray for those in my circle of friends who are lost, etc. etc. But here is the point: The only way this advance of kingdom righteousness will succeed is by first loosening Satan’s hold on that domain through prevailing prayer. So, Jesus teaches us that a major part of daily prayer is praying, May your kingdom come. May your righteous agenda prevail in my heart attitudes and in shaping every sphere of life where I have influence.
The first three prayer principles express a focus upwards towards the Lord—experiencing his presence, motivated to see his name honored, and seeking to advance Christ’s kingdom in specific ways through our lives. The final three principles focus on our own needs, physically, relationally, and spiritually.
4. The fourth principle of prayer is identified by the word ALL. Pray for ALL I need. Give us this day our daily bread. We’ve seen the environment of prayer, the motive of prayer, the purpose of prayer. Now we see the DEPENDENCY of prayer. What a marvelous thought—that the god who created the entire universe, who is the god of all space, time, and eternity, who is infinitely holy and totally self-sufficient, should care about supplying our daily bread. This petition is an invitation to bring every need—physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual to him. Whatever I need TODAY to get me through, is my request to God, my Father, who is also named, Jehovah Jireh, The Lord will Provide. Jesus knew our human propensity to worry and he gives us his prescription for it. Name the things you are worried about. Specifically ask me to provide whatever you need, and you will know the joy of seeing me provide. Paul writes, Don’t worry over anything whatever; TELL GOD EVERY DETAIL OF YOUR NEEDS in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7).
One of the best ways to implement this prayer principle is to write down specific requests, keeping a prayer journal. Here are two entries from mine—one from my early days of learning to trust Christ and one from more recently.
- After graduating from Penn State, I worked two years for the government and saved the money to go to seminary. But as I returned my third year, I was $1500.00 short. When I got back to school, I contracted with a church to pay me $700 for the work study program. Still needing $800, I stopped by the student union to check on mail that might have come in over the summer. In my box was a scholarship check for $800.00.
- A few years ago as we sent out a letter to our financial partners for year-end giving, we faced a daunting challenge. We normally raise about 30% of our budget through yearend giving. Because Covid 19 hurt our donors and stripped away my speaking opportunities, we brought a $15,000 deficit into December causing our year end target to b over $29,000. What was worse, those we could count on to give large year-end gifts were not in a position to give anything. But on December 31, I opened the mail to a notice that a friend of our ministry had donated $15,000 of stock. Others stepped in with the other half and we raised the full amount. God loves to supply our needs. I think I understand that a little bit because as a father, nothing pleases me more than providing what my children need to flourish.
5. The fifth prayer principle is ADMISION of sin. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. This principle focusses on the HONESTY of prayer. Jesus identifies the two most foundational of all poisons to human relationships—a guilty conscience and an unforgiving spirit. This fifth principle of prayer reveals that Jesus’ concern about how past wounds can impact our hearts is so great that he made this matter one of the top six concerns in prayer. “Prayer,” says Jesus, “is listening to your conscience. Have you offended another human?” Jesus has commanded earlier in this sermon, If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. It is also vital to confess our sins against God regularly to him because we cannot walk with God, who is Light, and continue to walk in darkness. We need to confess our sins to God to maintain open fellowship with him and because the more we seek God’s forgiveness for OUR sins against HIM, the more we are empowered with grace to forgive OTHERS who sin against US. Jesus knows that resentment towards those who have wronged us is a poison that will destroy us from within. Moreover, being forgiving towards others is to Jesus, a distinctive mark of being his follower. Those who are forgiven, must be quick to be those who are forgiving.
Some years ago, on a warm spring evening before Covid, a young Korean exchange student—a leader among the Christian students at the University of Pennsylvania, walked from his flat down to the corner to drop a letter to his parents in the mailbox. Turning away from the mailbox, he stepped into a gang—eleven leather jacketed teenagers who attacked him with their fists, knives, and a lead pipe. Later, when he was discovered by the police, he was dead. All of Philadelphia cried out for vengeance. The DA obtained legal permission to try the boys as adults so they could be given the death penalty. Then a letter arrived from Korea, from the dead boy’s parents and twenty other relatives. It read:
Our family has met together and we have decided to petition that the most generous treatment possible within the laws of your government be given to those who have committed this criminal action….In order to give evidence of our sincere hope contained in this petition, we have decided to save money to start a fund to be used for the religious, educational, vocational, and social guidance of these boys when they are released… We express our hope with a spirit received from the Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ who died for our sins.
Jesus, knowing that both guilt and bitterness destroy relationships teaches us as a regular part of prayer to confess our sins and search our hearts to be sure we have forgiven others.
6. The final prayer principle given by Jesus is ALERTNESS to temptation. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. This principle teaches us that ANTICIPATING POTENTIAL TEMPTATION is part of daily prayer. I must admit this expression puzzled me for years. Why would I have to ask God not to lead me into temptation. He is holy. James says, Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. Yet, there has to be something very important here, to be included as the sixth prayer principle. Not only that, but Jesus told his three best friends, Peter, James, and John twice in the Garden of Gethsemane, Pray that you may not enter into temptation (Luke 22:40, 46). I believe the clue to understanding this petition and Jesus admonition in the Garden of Gethsemane is noticing the way that Mark and Matthew translated Jesus words in Gethsemane. They translate whatever Aramaic word Jesus actually used, not just as pray (which Luke did) but as WATCH AND PRAY that you may not enter into temptation (Mk 14:38, Matt 26:41). This admonition is repeated by Peter who commands, Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8).
I believe that in the Lord’s Prayer, a pattern for daily prayer is given for us to follow. Jesus is saying, Think about the day ahead. Where might you be tempted? Where might God’s providence lead you that you might be tempted and prepare ahead of time to be alert and resist. I’ve been walking with Christ for over fifty years, and the only time I can remember doing this was when an X girlfriend visited my wife and me and I asked my accountability brother, Rick, to ask me about every second she stayed with us. Other than on that occasion, I don’t think I’ve ever thought to do this. Yet, Jesus was very concerned that we do this. Twice, he urged Peter, James and John, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Could it be that many Christian men are losing spiritual battles because we don’t realize that this is how Jesus taught us to pray—to start the day with a few seconds of thought about where the temptation to sin might strike?
Prayer, as Jesus taught it, is not a bunch of nice feelings wrapped up in a sweet request to God to heal Lauren’s 83-year-old next door neighbor who fell Thursday. God cares about her. But what Jesus taught is that prayer is WAREFARE. It is the way the kingdom of righteousness prevails over the kingdom of evil. It is the men of today’s church who need to heed this call to arms. It is the men who need to reclaim prayer as the way to fight for our loved ones against the triumvirate, Satan, sin, and death who (though ultimately defeated), if unopposed in this world will bring enormous devastation into their lives. I close with some words that have been an inspiration to me.
Prevailing prayer is the most divine ministry you will ever have. Nothing is more Christ-like or involve more cooperation with Christ. No form of Christian service is so universally open to all and so high in Christ’s priority for all Christians as prevailing prayer. It is Christ’s desire, Christ’s call, and Christ’s command. Lord, teach us to prevail (Mighty Prevailing Prayer, by Wesley Duewel)!
For Further Prayerful Thought:
- What would you say to a believer who said he thought that reciting the Lord’s prayer at the end of his daily bible reading is what Jesus taught?
- What struck you about Jesus teaching us to tell our heavenly father what our practical needs are? Have you ever thought about keeping a prayer journal?
- Why does it make sense that one of the six prayer concerns we should have is looking at past events to see if there is unconfessed guilt or resentment towards another?
- How can you be more watchful of temptation coming into your life?
