How to Get the Most from Your Prayer Life
Ephesians 6:18
You know…the Apostle Paul really knows how to end a letter with a BANG!
• In this chapter he starts by talking about Family and having healthy relationships.
• Then he goes on to teach us what we need to do in order to have victory over the attacks of Satan.
• And when you stop and think about it…
• These are two topics that believers still need help with today.
Paul begins by challenging believers to Put On The Whole Armor of God!
This armor consists of SIX pieces.
• Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth
• The body armor of God’s righteousness
• For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared
• In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil
• Put on salvation as your helmet,
• the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
What Paul is doing is using the illustration of a Roman Soldier
to help believers understand that we need to be prepared for a battle…
• We see and can understand that God provides protection
• And we can rely on that protection in order to have victory.
But what is interesting is that the chapter doesn’t end here.
• Paul…has us really had us energized and excited thinking about the Armor that God provides his children….
• It’s cool to talk about the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit.
• And the reason he does…is because he wants to teach us another valuable lesson.
Understand the Importance of Prayer.
• Now I’m sure that wearing all that Armor is truly impressive….
• But the problem is… if that is all you got…then you ain’t got enough.
• You see, the Armor is great for providing protection….
• But we also need “power” in order to be victorious.
• A battle isn’t just about defense…it is also about offense.
• And God wants to provide the energy we need in order to have Victory.
And that is exactly why we need to pray!
Prayer is what we need because Prayer is what gives us access to God.
• And when we have access to God we get the power we need for battle.
• And it’s through this power that we gain victory
• over the spiritual battles that we will engage in.
So this being said let me ask you….HOW IS YOUR PRAYER LIFE?
• Do you feel like it is pretty strong? GREAT
• Do you feel like it pretty good, but could use some work?
• Do you feel like it is almost non-existent?
• Regardless of the condition of your prayer life….this message is for you.
Paul not only tells them that they need to pray,
But he provides some suggestions on how they can Prayer more effectively.
II. Instructions for Effective Prayer. 18
• Great instructions can make all the difference in the world.
• Clear instructions can be the difference between finding your desired location
• and wandering around lost for hours at a time.
• Paul does us a huge favor in this text.
• He provides clear directions about prayer.
• And by doing this we discover the power that we need to experience victory in the heat of battle.
First we see that we should Never Hang Up on God. “Pray at All Times.”
• It is interesting to see that the “Frequency of our prayers” was a very common theme for Paul.
• Philippians 4:6 “But in everything let your requests be made known to God.
• Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer.”
• 1 Thess 5:7 “pray without ceasing.”
This wasn’t just a theme for Paul’s letters …it was part of his life.
• But how is it possible to “pray all the time?”
• Good question… and in order to understand this we have to define the term.
• To pray at all times means that we are God- Conscious.
• That we live in a constant awareness of His Presence.
You see, praying without ceasing is simply seeing things from God’s viewpoint.
• When we see a hurt…. we ask God to heal it.
• When we see a problem…. we turn to God for a solution.
• Basically, it’s depending on God through every area of life.
• Every waking moment we should either praising God for a blessing
• Or interceding for someone in need
• Constant prayer is living in a way where we never have to say
• “Lord, Come into my presence….Because we never left His presence.”
Second Don’t Just Ask….but Tell. “With all Prayer and Petition.”
In five words…Paul reminds us that prayer comes in several shapes.
• The believer who only focus’s on one is missing out on blessings.
• For example, if all a person does is ask God for things,
• then they’re going to miss out on the blessings of showing their love for God through Thanksgiving
• They’re going to miss out on the joy of praying for another brother or sister in need.
• Actually, Praise is a great weapon for defeating satan.
• The Bible tells us “That God inhabits the praises of His people.”
• So if we want to invite God into a problem…
• We need to start praising Him in the midst of you storm and He’ll show up.
When we begin practicing the various forms of prayer.
• We need to take the time to ask, but also…
• Take the time to Thank God for His Blessings.
• Take the Time to Praise Him and acknowledge His Greatness.
• And we need to Take the Time to pray on behalf of someone else.
• And when we do this
• Not only will we spend more time praying.
• But our prayers will develop more depth and substance.
• And though this we will be fulfilled.
Third we need to Stay Alert & be Persistent.
• Persistent is pretty easy to understand. It basically means to endure.
• So when we apply this to prayer….
• It means we keep praying until we have an answer.
Just like the man in Luke 11:5-8 who kept banging on his neighbors door to get some bread to feed his unexpected guests.
• This verse reminds us to keep on praying, always persevere, always endure.
• Because that is what God is looking for in our prayers.
• God listens for constant, persistent prayers.
But what does it mean to be alert?
• Here is the point…
• We can’t persevere in prayer
• And we can’t pray intelligently unless we are alert to what’s going on.
Many of us forget Peters plea (1 Peter 4:7) “be of sound judgement and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”
• This verse (in my opinion) describes a believer who is alert to their surroundings so they can pray effectively.
Let me ask:
• Do you know what is going on in your home?
• What about with your wife? Do you pray for her faithfully?
• Do you pray for her spiritual growth and for God to bless her?
• Do you pray for your husband? Pray that he might be God’s man in every sense of the word?
• Do you pray that he might make the right decisions and seek to be a spiritual thermostat in the home?
• Do you pray for your kids? Do you pray that God will build them up in the spirit?
• Do you pray for God to give them godly friends and remove negative influences?
• Do you pray that God will keep them from the evil one?
• What about your friends and neighbors? The people around you?
• When someone shares a need do you really pray? Or simply say that you will?
I knew of a man who had stacks of notebooks on his shelves.
• In these notebooks were prayer requests that he had written down over the course of several years.
• He wrote the request, and then he documented the answers.
• This man has been doing this for about twenty years now
• And he’s on his 19th notebook. Talk about a man who is alert!
Conclusion
• What I hope you can see from today is that
• Prayer is the power behind the armor!
• Prayer is what enables us to stand firm
• Some of us here are probably feeling like your prayer life is empty and lifeless.
• And I’m not trying to discourage you
• I want you to be encouraged
• I want you to be encouraged by the truth that this is a process.
• It takes time, effort, and work to grow in your prayer life.
So many Christians today are not experiencing victory…
• Because they have never gotten past the awkward stage with God.
• The only way to get beyond that stage….is to make the effort.
• When we come before God we need to share more than our requests but also our thoughts.
We need to grow in prayer…And the only way that is going to happen is to pray!
It’s as simple as that.
I hope today, you can see that we have a God who desires to know us and have a personal relationship with us.
