Pray in the Spirit
By Caron Cline
Burke County
We have spent the last six months examining the armor of God as described by Paul in Ephesians 6:10-17. Unfortunately, many fail to connect verse 18 to this section, yet it is actually the key component of the armor. “With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints”.
God, the Father, has provided Jesus, the Son, as the perfect sacrifice for sin. The Holy Spirit brings conviction to the human heart, opening blinded eyes to the good news of the gospel. Once a sinner repents, the Spirit breathes eternal life into a spirit that was previously dead in trespasses and sins, and He then indwells this new child of God. The Holy Spirit is now the seal upon that child which guarantees an eternal inheritance set aside in heaven for the bride of Christ.
As believers in Christ Jesus, we are commanded to take off the old self and put on the new self. Putting on the armor of God is essentially putting on Jesus, or the new self. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation describe Jesus. He is also the living Word of God. Therefore, if the sword of the Spirit is the word of God and Paul instructs us to pray at all times in the Spirit, we can quickly perceive that prayer is essential to obtaining victory over the flesh and the devil.
The spiritual warfare in this present season requires the full armor of God which is activated through Spirit-filled prayer. The average believer struggles with prayer more than any other Christian discipline. The question is why? The answer is quite simple: the devil fears fervent, unceasing, believing prayers because he understands the power in those prayers. When the people of God stand on the word of God and pray the promises of God, the Holy Spirit will present those requests to Jesus, the One who ever lives to make intercession for His bride. The Father is pleased to answer each petition in accordance with what is in the best interest of each child. Soldiers of the cross must remain alert at all times, persevering in prayer not only for themselves but also for all the saints.
Oxygen deprivation leads to a lack of mental clarity. Without proper amounts of oxygen, an individual finds it impossible to reason clearly. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God; He is pure spiritual oxygen. Unless the Spirit of God has complete access to a believer’s whole being, that person cannot think clearly. Spiritual truth will become fuzzy; righteousness, relative; peace, elusive; faith, weak; salvation, doubtful, the Word, compromised. As Paul admonished earlier in his letter to the Ephesians, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit”. As the people of God surrender to the Lordship of Christ, the Spirit of God continually fills their hearts to the point of overflow which results in intercessory prayers for individuals, churches, cities, states, and nations. Prayer is the secret weapon of every believer. The results are staggering! Lives are eternally changed, captives are set free, hearts are mended and nations rise and fall through the influence of prayer. Stand firm against the schemes of the devil by falling often to your knees, praying passionately and persistently in the power of the Spirit! The victory shall come!
________________________________________________________________________________
Caron is a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Morganton, NC. She loves to teach the word of God.
Her desire is to see every believer grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Read more good news from Caron HERE.
________________________________________________________________________________
