Prayer Is Not A Thing You Do, It’s A Battle You Fight

Prayer Is Not A Thing You Do, It’s A Battle You Fight

Don’t be discouraged if you find yourself struggling with the discipline of prayer! Pastor Joseph Gonzalez discusses a key component of spiritual battle in part three of our “Enrich Your Prayer Life” series.

If you’re like 99.999% of Christians, actually, I don’t know if that’s a real statistic, but if you’re like most Christians, prayer is one of those things that you never really get around to and that you end up feeling guilty over, year-in-year-out.

Have you ever begun a crusade to pray more? You set your alarm earlier… Buy a daily devotional . . . Try to convince your spouse, “I’m really going to do it this time!” While they, beaming with confidence, release a heavy sigh and encouragingly say, “Yeah, you can do it, babe.”

How can you have a prayer life that’s rewarding and more fulfilling?

What made the difference for me was finding out that (1) prayer is not a thing that you do, it’s a battle that you fight. Ephesians 6:12 says,

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world.”

This fast-paced, performance-based, easy-access to pretty much anything culture will eat your family for breakfast, the moment you’re not paying attention. You’ve got to make a conscious decision that your children, your grandchildren, your husband, your wife belongs to God! We go to battle for them on our knees every day.

Also (2), find trusted Christian friends to pray with. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says,

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

When you find a Christian brother of sister you can trust, keep that person in your life! They’re worth more than gold. Through this pandemic, I can’t tell you how I’ve relied on a couple fellow pastors for strength.

Finally, know that (3) in prayer, God accepts our praises as well as our pain. No one has it all figured out. Not even the Christians that try to make it seem that they do! God knows we have frustrations, that life is hard, and so he doesn’t reject us when we’re angry, when we hurt, have doubts, or feel lost.

  1. Prayer is not a thing that you do, it’s a battle that you fight.
  2. Find trusted Christian friends to pray with.
  3. God accepts our praises as well as our pain.

These will be sure to get you on your way to an enriching prayer life.

Prayer Tip: “When you are in conversation with someone that has a need, and you say, ‘I’ll be praying for you,’ stop and pray at that moment with the person. I think it helps them deal with the stress they are feeling when you are talking with them—and you don’t forget to pray later.” —Vala Wood, IT

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