VICTORY AT THE ALTAR OF PRAYER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2023.

SUBJECT : VICTORY AT THE ALTAR OF PRAYER!

Memory verse: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4 vs 7.)

READ: Ephesians 6 vs 10 - 13:

6:10: Finally, My brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

6:11: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

6:12: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

6:13: Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

INTIMATION:

Prayer is the greatest privilege and ministry available to all Christians. It is the greatest asset for the believer because of the inherent power in it. It is the power in prayer that keeps every Christian at the vanguard of spiritual warfare. Indeed everyone who seeks to take his or her place in the kingdom of God should seek to engage the power in prayer by learning how to pray effectively. 

Prayer is not optional to the believer because it is one of the vital covenant responsibilities of the believer. That is why the Word of God admonishes us to pray always. Prayer has a latent power available to the believer when approached scripturally. It is one of God's covenant tools for the realization of the believer’s glorious destinies in Christ.

Everything contrary to good in the life of a believer is the work of the enemy. The devil is the believer's greatest enemy, and the Bible warns against him, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." (First Peter 5 vs 8.) So, behind all those troubles experienced by the believer is "the enemy."

Resisting the devil is on the altar of prayer where you engage the latent power of prayer; that is, the power of Holy Spirit which enables you to say no to the trying of the devil to win you over to his cause. The power of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer who engages God in fellowship through prayers. 

A prayer-less Christian is an ineffective believer and a playground of the devil. To engage that power requires your rising up to the occasion in prayer. It takes knowledge to have victory in any conflict of life. The first thing you need to know in the war against the thief of your glorious destiny is that you must arise.

The Scripture says in Psalm 68 vs 1, "Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them that hate Him flee before Him." If enemies will not scatter until God arises, how then do you think they will scatter in your case without you rising? You can't keep watching that unpleasant situation in your life go on; you must arise! No matter how great the revelations you have received from God, if you don't build up a resistance against the enemy, you will never have a breakthrough!

God has spoken some things to you and you are sure of His leading and instructions, but the enemy is standing on the way, saying, "You won't get in there." Therefore, you need to arise to the challenge, because if you do nothing, you will get nothing. If you fold your hands at the opposition, you will end up in stagnation and deprivation. 

The Scripture is clear on the need to arise and engage your altar of prayer, it says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war in the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” (Second Corinthians 10 vs 3 - 4.) We war against devil and his demons over whom he has control. They are not mere fantasies—they are very real. 

The weapons of our warfare are “the whole armor of God”; the truth in what Christ wrought for us in redemption, righteousness, knowledge of the gospel, faith in God, acknowledging the Lord Jesus as your Savior (salvation), and the Word of God which the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6 vs 14 — 18). The weapons enable the believer to stand against the wiles of the devil. With these indispensable weapons of God, we engage the devil in our prayer altar always, and being watchful to the end. We need supernatural power to defeat the devil, and God has provided this by giving us His Holy Spirit within us and His whole armor surrounding us.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for providing us with Your whole armor that enables us effectively stand against the devil. Give me the grace and power to effectively employ these indispensable weapons in my prayer altar at all times, that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, in Jesus’ mighty name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!