DAY 10 - BATTLE

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

On March 9th, I received an email from a member of our church regarding the spiritual battle we were facing. Like it or not, we are engaged. I really didn't realize this notion until I read the first sentence of her final paragraph: "You've started a war Ryan and for the duration of the next 40 days we will be in battle." Who is ready for a battle?

To be honest, her words shook me into a sense of reality. The reality that God has asked us to stand in the gap and pray. This is how we engage in the battle...face forward without fear or hesitation, but in prayer. As it was so eloquently portrayed to me..."there is no (spiritual) armor for our backside so if we tuck tail and run, we will get arrows in our hindsides." Isn't that a great picture! No need to run...just face the enemy and pray.

Let me finish this devotion with a bit of encouragement. Ephesians 6:10 says "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." Not our strength...His! Not our power...His! I can't, nor can you, fight this spiritual battle without God's strength and power. When we do this, verse 11 says we will can "take our stand against the devil's schemes." So if you try to battle in your own strength or power...stop! Use the power of the Holy Spirit! Remember one last promise from the book of James as we engage in battle...

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."Do you hear the promise? Submit to God, Resist the enemy...and he will "Tuck tail and run!"

APPLICATION TO MY LIFE
1. How do we engage in Spiritual battle?
2. Who are you fighting against? Answer this one honestly...is it flesh & blood (people) or the enemy?
3. What can you do in order not to "Tuck tail & Run?"
4. Repeat the promise in the book of James.

DAY 9 - EPITAPH - HOUSE OF PRAYER - PT. 4

James 4:2b-3 You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Lets talk religiously for a moment. What will you epitaph read? Will it be something for your family like "Good husband and father?" Or maybe scriptural like John 3:16? Want to know the one which grieves me for the church? "You do not have because you do not ask God." Frightening, isn't it to know we do not receive from the Lord because we don't ask. Its my hope our church won't have this as their epitaph! Here is the religious part...when you read this, its really easy to jump up and say, "Hey, it wasn't God's will!" Sounds like a great religious answer. But let me implore you, don't use this theological viewpoint to excuse a lack of prayer. God's desire is to pour out His blessing on us, we just aren't asking for His will!

Let me put it to you another way. As I was preaching this message (House of Prayer), God began to reveal to me the spiritual state of His church. Our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, is now His dwelling place! Its where His Spirit lives. Not a temple made of brick and mortar, but an actual living, breathing temple who God created. And you know what...God desires for His new home to be a House of Prayer! Even if it means turning over the tables and chairs in your life and revealing the things He wants to change! My house will be a house of prayer! Are you getting this? Lets not wait until we are physically dead to find this out!

APPLICATION TO MY LIFE
1. What will your epitaph read?
2. Have you ever used theology to excuse your lack of prayer or not receiving from God?
3. Is your house a house of prayer?
4. What does God need to reveal in your life to make sure you are a house of prayer?

*Devotional thoughts inspired by sermon of Pastor Jim Cymbala and his book "Fresh Power"

DAY 8 - HOUSE OF PRAYER - PT. 3

The last few years has been really interesting to me in terms of pastoral counseling. My schedule could be completely full each day with opportunities of this type of ministry. Every once in awhile I have to question why? As a trained counselor, I realize the need for people to come and express their thoughts, emotions, and spiritual concerns. But my question in all of this is have we lost the ability to go to the One with all the answers?

Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Notice it doesn't say, "Let us come boldly to the pastor", or "boldly to the therapist office." Its implies we need to come boldly to Jesus because He knows what we need, long before we even ask it! Where are you going for your answers? Whose counsel are you seeking? Let's not ever lose sight of who the Great Counselor is!

The table (Psalms 23:5) is set before us and God is speaking (Psalms 34:8) come and taste and see that I am good. Everything we could possibly need is there, set for us. Now just grab a chair and pull up! How do we pull up a chair and eat? PRAYER! Are you hungry? Are you receiving from God? Maybe it is time to eat from His table.

APPLICATION TO MY LIFE
1. Who is your counselor?
2. Are you looking for answers elsewhere beside from God?
3. When life is troubling, where are you going to obtain your needs?
4. Are you hungry? Where are you eating at?

*Devotional thoughts inspired by sermon of Pastor Jim Cymbala and his book "Fresh Power"

DAY 7 - HOUSE OF PRAYER - PT. 2

Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"

I find it interesting when I think about church today. What have we made it into. Does it really have the aroma of prayer? Are we flocking to be a part of prayer times? Do we listen when the pastors call us to fast and pray? As I said yesterday, have we made it into a House of Preaching or a House of Music? Neither or wrong or unbiblical, but if they become the focus of church life, are we missing it's true intent?

Did the revival in Acts begin while someone was preaching? Nope. Acts 2 records those gathered in the upper room where praying and waiting on the promise of the Father. It was during that time when God's Holy Spirit was poured out. How about Joel 2:28, those two words, "And Afterward." And afterward He will pour out His Spirit. After what? People returning to God in prayer and fasting. Even the revivals of the past, they occurred because people where praying!

Let me finish with this thought...if I told you to choose between coming to the free prayer meeting or paying $20 to see your favorite Christian Artist in concert, what would you choose? And be honest about it! Have we come in a place in the history of the church where we would rather be entertained rather than to entertain the throne room of Christ? Only you can answer that question. God is truly calling His church to Wake Up. Are you listening?

APPLICATION TO MY LIFE
1. Prayer Meeting or Concert? Why
2. Does my church have the aroma of prayer?
3. Go and study the revivals of the past. How did they start? Was it prayer or preaching? How did they continue? Was it prayer or good music?

*Devotional thoughts inspired by sermon of Pastor Jim Cymbala and his book "Fresh Power"

DAY 6 - HOUSE OF PRAYER

Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'"

When each of us picture Jesus in our mind, most of us have a calm, gentle, and loving shepherd. Rarely do we picture our savior, engaged in righteous anger, overturning tables and chairs, and driving out those who were buying and selling in the temple. But the question I ask is "what got Him so upset?" The answer comes when we read what Jesus said: "My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers."

When churches lose the focus of prayer, they lose. How can we engage in the battle against the enemy without it? We can't! How can we effectively reach those who do not know Christ? We can't! How can we worship and enter into God's Holy Presence? We can't! As I said in my sermon, God has not called church to be a house of music, nor did He call it to be a house of eloquently spoken sermons...He called it a "HOUSE OF PRAYER". Without prayer as our focus, we will miss the table God has set before us! And what does He say..."Taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8)."

So what does your house look like? Is it a House of Prayer? Does our church look like a House of Prayer? If not, what should our reaction be? What do we need to overturn? What needs to be driven out?

APPLICATION TO MY LIFE
1. Is my house a house of prayer? Why?
2. Does our church have the focus of prayer?
3. How can we make it our priority?
4. In our home and in our church, what needs to be driven out and overturned?

*Devotional thoughts inspired by sermon of Pastor Jim Cymbala and his book "Fresh Power"

DAY 5 - HOW TO PRAY

Matthew 6:9-13 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"

The Lord's prayer is one of the greatest examples and patterns of how we should pray. Its almost like a recipe of how to pray and Jesus gave us the ingredients.

"Our Father in Heaven" teaches us who to address our prayers to - the Father. "Hallowed be your name" is our opportunity to exalt and praise Him. "Your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" is praying for God's will in our lives, not our own. "Give us today our daily bread" is Jesus' encouragement for us to ask for those things we need. "Forgive us our debts" is a reminder to confess our sins to God and to turn from them. "As we also have forgiven our debtors" persuades us to forgive others as God has forgiven us. "And lead us not into temptation" is asking God to help us become victorious over sin. Finally, "but deliver us from the evil one" is praying for protection from the attacks of the enemy.

How many times have you recited the Lord's Prayer without even thinking about what you are saying. Remember yesterday's devotion? Its almost the same as babbling. Now its okay to memorize it, but lets know what we are praying as we pray it! My encouragement to you today is to pray this prayer everyday, but add your ingredients into the recipe that Jesus gave us.

APPLICATION TO MY LIFE
1. What did you learn through this devotional?
2. Have you ever recited this prayer without knowing or even meaning what you said?
3. How will you use this prayer in your daily life?
4. Does prayer make a difference? Why?

DAY 4 - HOW NOT TO PRAY - Pt. 2

Matthew 6:7-8 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

My youngest son, Elijah (22 months old), is now at the point in his speech development where he is starting to string words together. These cute little sentences are hard to make out at times. I often wonder how my wife is able to discern what he is speaking. At times, if either one of us doesn't understand what he is saying or asking right away, he gets a little upset or can tend to talk louder. I think this is his attempt to be understood and heard.

Do you ever feel like a little kid when you speak to God? Each of us have wondered at times if He actually heard us? Do you ever pray louder so He can hear you better? Have you ever had those times while praying when you think you need to say more or even use elegant words? How many times have you found yourself praying in "King James" language? When thou prayeth in King James, thee beginist to useth words that doth not maketh much senseth. Some of my favorite prayers are the ones where you add an "ah" after the name Jesus-ah or God-ah or when extra syllables are added to words so they sound more Evangelical! You know what I am talking about...

Here is the point: Don't babble when you pray. Don't go on and on and on. In fact, you don't have to even yell at God. Jesus refers to that kind of prayer as paganistic. The wonderful thing is this...it's His promise to us: He already knows what you need before you ask Him! That overwhelms me with a sense of peace and adequacy! We can do this...

APPLICATION TO MY LIFE
1. Do you know how to pray? Are you learning?
2. Have you ever felt inadequate when you pray?
3. Does knowing that God knows what you need before you even ask it bring you comfort? Why?
4. Are you released from burden of praying to elegantly or extravagantly?