Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
The only way to win a baseball game is to score more runs than the other team.
Scoring is the ultimate goal of every batter and preventing a score is the goal of every opponent on the field.
Fact: Not every hit scores a run.
Getting on base is only part of the battle. Once on base, a batter becomes a runner. A runner who never advances to home plate becomes a stranded runner.
The next batters are responsible for advancing the runner(s) already on base. No pressure, right?!
There are two ways a batter can advance the runner. He can get a hit or he can make a sacrifice. The sacrifice usually comes in one of two ways. A bunt or a sacrifice fly.
A bunt is successful if the runner advances; even though the batter gets an out. The batter is not charged with an at-bat.
A sacrifice fly is only successful if the runner advances to home plate and scores; even though the batter gets an out. The batter is not charged with an at-bat, but is credited with an RBI.
Why am I talking about sacrifice plays, and what do they have to do with us as Jesus-followers?
I don’t think it’s an accident Paul wraps up the spiritual warfare portion of his letter with a call to prayer.
He starts with admonishing us to be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power and finishes with a call to prayer.
Prayer is talking to God. It’s us acknowledging we need Him and we need His help. Paul told the Corinthians God’s grace is “all we need” to become strong in our weak places (I Corinthians 12:9-10).
How do we get grace? We ask for it!
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
Prayer requires both faith and time which bring grace and supernatural success.
Prayer is not always about us. Sometimes it’s about asking God to give His grace to others. It’s about advancing another person, like a sacrificial at-bat.
Praying in the Spirit is about God’s will. It’s using His word, our gladius, to ask Him for what He wants to give. Praying in the Spirit is surrendering our wants and trusting God’s answers.
I (and you) need God’s grace to be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power. Every other Jesus-follower needs God’s grace for the exact same reason. We are all on the same team. Your success is mine and mine is yours!
I’m barely able to understand the full power of prayer and the weapon it becomes in the life of a Jesus-follower, but I’m inviting you to join me on this journey of learning through practice.
Let’s stop for now and leave practice for next week.
Between Then and Now…
1 Read your Bible. Maybe read the book of Philippians this week. There are only four chapters, but they’re filled with a lot of truth for living with joy. Be sure to ask Holy Spirit to help you understand what you are reading and how to apply what you learn.
2 Exercise. Choose a couple of floor stretches and use them to help you stay flexible. Imagine yourself in a position of humility as you do these exercises.
3 Pray. Read Ephesians 3:14-21 as a prayer for yourself and other Jesus-followers every day. Imagine yourself taking out your gladius and using it as you pray.
I’m going to pray those verses over us right now…I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower us with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in our hearts as we trust in him. Our roots will grow down into God’s love and keep us strong. And may we have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May we experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then we will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Digging Deeper:
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.