HAVE YOU CHECKED INTO BOOT CAMP YET? (7)
We now come to the last of the 7 pieces of armour as recorded in Ephesians 6 11-18. As stated in my first blog in this series, the first six pieces the Apostle Paul uses the armour of a Roman soldier to relate the awesome truth that God has provided us with a complete set of armour, and we must learn to put each piece on and learn how to use it. The last piece of armour Paul changes the analogy and simply talks about prayer and the power and necessity of it in the Believer’s life. We read in verse 18 NKJV Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
Modern discipleship tries to suggest that you can teach prayer to a new Believer simply in a single class. The reality is, a person will not learn to pray by attending a single class. They must check into Boot Camp, and someone walk with them (for as long as it takes, until prayer becomes a lifestyle).
So Paul begins praying ALWAYS, prayer must be a daily discipline, especially seen as “The intimate Communication between two lovers”. When we fall in love with a person, we want to be with them and talk and share with them constantly, this is how it MUST BE in relation to prayer.
Then Paul goes on and says ALL PRAYER, without Boot Camp, prayer will be very hit and miss, and we will not know and have all the ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS, and our prayer life will be unbalanced and not as effective as it could be. I list the essentials for you:
Repentance & Confession 1 John 1:9
Surrender (constantly) Romans 12:1
Thanksgiving Psalm 100:4
Praise Psalm 100:4
Worship John 4:23
Intercession (others) Ezekiel 22:30
Petition (ourselves) 1 John 5:15
Listening to the still small voice within, and God in His Word. Learning to read systematically, study, and particularly to meditate on the Word of God, letting the Holy Spirit illuminate (speak to us)
The first 5 ingredients are all about us and Jesus, 6 is all about others, 7 is all about ourselves
Jesus FIRST, yourself LAST, & OTHERS in between.
All the above can only become a lifestyle if someone walks closely with you for a considerable time, and these 8 ingredients become part of your life.
The AMP. N.T. expresses it this way, To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).
Boot Camp will train you to have a DAILY QUIET TIME, to set aside time exclusively, just to spend time alone with the Lord, this takes discipline, but the results can be beyond our wildest dreams. May King David’s prayer in Psalm 27:4 NKJV be the desire of our heart.
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
So these past 7 blogs have been a simple overview of the spiritual armoury that God has given us, against our known enemy the devil, I have also sought to help and encourage you to put them on, and help you know how to use them. May the Holy Spirit use this series, to be a blessing to many, and help take Believers to a new level of victory.
