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! Introduction:
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints – and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.”
(Ephesians 6:18,19)
 
WHAT IS PRAYER?  
·         “Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul.
Man is at his greatest and highest when upon his knees he comes face to face with God.” 
·         The essence of prayer is simply talking to God as you would to a beloved friend-without pretense (insincere effort), or flippancy (not serious enough).
·         For Christians prayer is like breathing and every believer must be continually in the presence of God, constantly breathing in his truths to be fully functional.
Prayer is the closing theme of Ephesians, and though closely related to God’s armor, it is not mentioned as part of it because it is much more than that.
Prayer is not merely another godly weapon, as important as the whole armor is, prayer is the very spiritual air that the soldier of Christ breathes.
-Jesus urged His disciples to pray always and not to lose heart (Luke 18:1).
“And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
-Jesus is the one who made it possible for us to come into the presence of a Holy God.
·         “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”
(Eph.
2:18)
·         “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
·         Joh 10:7  “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”
·         Joh 10:9  “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
·         Joh 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
·         Rom 5:1-2  “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”    
·         Acts 4:12  “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
·         Heb 7:25 “Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
·         Heb 10:19-22  “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Since Christ has made it possible for us to come into the presence of God, prayer should be second nature to the child of God.
That’s the picture of prayer we have in the Scriptures: steadfast, constant, ceaseless, continuing, praying everywhere we go, praying about everything that happens.
Prayer should be like breathing.
One crucial reason the early Christians were on fire for God was that they “continued steadfastly . . . in prayers” (Acts 2:42).
The New Testament Epistles, written to those first Christians and to us, persistently instruct believers to pray.
·         Rom 12:12 “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
·         Eph 6:18 “Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”
·         Phil 4:6 “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
·         Col 4:2 “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”
·         1 Thess 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”
With this in mind and knowing that “in Him you have been made complete” (Col.
2:10), and “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3), lets look at the closing verses of Ephesians and see the emphases Paul makes on prayer.
THE GENERAL INSTRUCTION
“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
The four “all’s” introduce the five emphases Paul makes regarding the general character of the believer’s prayer life: the variety, the frequency, the power, the manner, and the objects of prayer.
Equipping ourselves with God’s armor is not a mechanical operation; it is itself an expression of our dependence on God, in other words of prayer.
Moreover, it is prayer “in the Spirit” prompted and guided by Him, just as God’s Word is “the sword of the Spirit” which he himself puts to use.
Therefore, Scripture and prayer belong together, “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4) as the two chief weapons which the Spirit puts into our hands.
THE VARIETY OF PRAYER: “all prayer and supplication”  
·         Proseuche (prayer) – refers to general requests while deesis (petition) refers to those that are specific.
The use of both words points to the idea that we are to be involved in all kinds of prayer, every form of prayer that is appropriate.
The soldier’s communion with his General – the believer’s fellowship with his God – should not be of just one kind – “always asking for things.”
Our prayers should include not only cries for help but also confession of sin, profession of faith, adoration, thanksgiving, intercession.
The New Testament, like the Old, mentions many forms, circumstances, and postures for prayer but prescribes none.
Jesus prayed while standing, sitting, kneeling, and other positions as well.
We can pray wherever we are and whatever situation we are in “I desire then that in every place the men should pray” (1 Timothy 2:8).
Every place becomes a place of prayer for the faithful, Spirit filled Christian.
·         DANIEL – Daniel was faithful to his God in all that he did.
“When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem; and he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously” (Daniel 6:10).
*/He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed;/* kneeling is a prayer gesture, a token of reverence and humility; this was done three times a day, morning, noon, and evening;* *Ps 55:17/, /*“*/Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”
/In the morning, before he went out about the king's business; at noon, when he returned home to dinner; and at evening, when all his work was done, and he was about to retire to bed; the hours of prayer with the Jews seem to have been the third, sixth, and ninth; that is, at nine in the morning, twelve at noon, and three in the afternoon; see #Ac 2:1,15 3:1 10:9:
 
! THE FREQUENCY OF PRAYER –The “when” of prayer
!
·         Thanksgiving Day comes just once a year.
This day was set aside by the National Government.
The book of Proverbs tell us that we are to acknowledge Him in all our ways, not just on Thanksgiving Day (Prov.
3:6).
/Jesus /said, /“Keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are to take place” /(Luke 21:36).
/As /noted earlier, the Christians in Jerusalem /“were continually devoting themselves . . . to prayer” /(Acts 2:42).
/The /God-fearing Cornelius, to whom the Lord sent Peter with the message of salvation, /“prayed to God continually” /(Acts 10:2).
/The /Apostle Paul prayed for Timothy /“night and day” /(2 Tim.
1:3).
·         Only through a regular and sincere prayer life can God’s Holy Spirit add spiritual wisdom to our knowledge.
D.
Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote, “our ultimate position as Christians is tested by the character of our prayer life.”
The more we learn about God and the things of God should drive us to know Him more personally.
/Jesus’ /deepest prayer for His disciples was not that the simply know /the truths about God/ but that /“they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” /(John 17:3).
Studying and learning God’s Word and growing /“in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” /should always drive the believer to /“know” /Him more intimately and to commune with Him more faithfully in prayer.
/ /
/To /*pray at all times *obviously does not mean “always saying prayers.”
We are not heard for our /“much speaking” /(Matt.
6:7), if our prayer are mechanically recited, or ritualistic this amounts to no more than /“meaningless repetition.”
/  
/To “pray without ceasing” /(1 Thess.
5:17) says to us, “always be in communion with the Lord.”
Never have to say “Lord, we come into Your presence,” because you never left His presence.
* */ /
/To /*pray at all times *is to live in a Continual God-Consciousness, where everything we see and experience becomes a kind of prayer.
1.
/Temptation – /When we are tempted, we hold the temptation before God and ask for His help.
2.      /Thanksgiving – /When we experience something good and beautiful, we immediately thank the Lord for it, /“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” /(1 Thess.
5:18).
3.      /Evil –/ When we see evil around us, we pray that God will make it right and be willing to be used of Him to that end.
4.
/Witnessing –/ When we meet someone that does not know Christ, pray for God to draw that person to Himself and to use us to be a faithful witness.
5.
/Trouble –/ When we encounter trouble, pray to God as our Deliverer.
/To /*pray at all times *is to constantly set our minds /“on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” /(Col.
3:2).
*/THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF OUR SALVATION IS TO GLORIFY GOD AND TO BRING US INTO INTIMATE, RICH FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM/*
/“What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you,” /John said, /“that you also may have fellowship /
/with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ”/
(1 John 1:3)
Our fellowship with God is not meant to wait until heaven.
God’s greatest desire, and our greatest need, is to be in constant fellowship with Him /“now,” /and there is no greater expression or experience of fellowship than prayer.
*/THE POWER OF PRAYER/* – “/in/ the Spirit”
When we pray are prayers are directed to the Father, through the Son, and /“in the Spirit.”
/To pray *in the Spirit *is to pray in the name of Christ, consistent with His will.
To know the will of God is to know the Word of God and to know the Word of God will only come by the study of the Scriptures daily.
/ /
/Romans /8:26-27/, /tells us that only in the Spirit’s power can we pray in the will of God; /“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.
And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”  /
/The/ Old Testament Tabernacle
There was a small golden altar standing before the veil, and here the priest burned the incense (Ex.
30:1-10; Luke 1:1-11).
·         The incense is a picture of prayer being mixed according to God’s plan or (His will).
·         The fire on the altar is a picture of the Holy Spirit, for it is He who takes our prayers and “ignites” them in the will of God.
As the /“Spirit of grace and of supplication” /(Zech.
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