Prayer Warrior - Prestonwood Network

SERIES: THE REAL SECRET “Prayer Warrior” Matthew 6: 13 May 13, 2007, Sunday 11:00 AM – Dr. Jack Graham [applause] Okay, go ahead and pass the Kleenex. Take time to do it. Let’s all clear our eyes because what a moving experience it is to remember the prayers of our mothers… those who pray today. And while that is certainly a sentimental theme, it is more than sentiment; it is the strong faith that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ that we be “Prayer Warriors”. Jesus taught us to pray. It is THE REAL SECRET. And in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 13 there is a sentence there which describes our war, and that we are called to worship and to war for the Lord Jesus Christ, even in the prayers that we pray. The secret to life is knowing God and experiencing His presence and His power in your life. Jesus taught us to pray this way when He said: 13) “And

lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Or more accurately stated) … deliver us from the evil one.” We face a very clear and present danger in our generation. We are fighting battles every single day. And the only way to win this war is to prepare, and yes, to pray. In fact, prayer is the battleground in this invisible war. Behind the scenes a battle is being fought for the very heart… the very lives of men, women, boys and girls across the planet. Some of us remember back in the 1960’s a very unusual television show by the name of “The Twilight Zone”. And Rod Sterling [Serling] with his melodious voice would introduce us to this scary world beyond the curtain, beyond the scenes, and bizarre tales and stories of the supernatural, and the strange incidences and coincidences that people experienced. It was a walk into the unknown. It was to enter “The Twilight Zone.” Well, I don’t know if Rod Sterling [Serling] knew it or not, but he was speaking about something very, very real. What is very real is behind the curtains… behind the scenes there is a cosmic war of massive proportions. And this war between the forces of evil and the forces of good, between God Himself and a created being known as Lucifer or Satan. This war is a terrible war and the reality of this war is that what is happening invisibly, behind the scenes is more real and more lasting and more permanent than what we see. Now the Bible gives us a very clear view of this world and of this world… of this world… war. And this is our biblical world view and if you believe the Bible… that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God, then this world view that we are caught in the crosshairs of this powerful, ballistic, terrible war… that we as believers and followers of Jesus Christ are in this battle and we’re in it to the very end. That’s why the Bible calls us soldiers. We are not tourists on a vacation in this world if we’re following Jesus. We are soldiers on a mission for Him. That’s why the Scripture says that we are to endure hardness as good soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately many believers are oblivious to this war, walking around in a spiritual fog, not knowing that behind the scenes that all this stuff is happening around us! It’s happening to ourselves, our families, our friends, our world… that behind all of this is a dangerous enemy.

“Prayer Warrior”

2

I received this photo on the internet that I wanted to show you because I think it’s ah… demonstrative of what we’re facing. And this isn’t a touched up photo according to… ah… those who passed it out. It actually was taken off the coast in Australia. Here’s a guy, thinking he’s having a good day [laughter] just paddling away on still waters, not knowing that on his heels is a terrible destructive force. Simon Peter who knew a little bit about dealing with the devil himself and spiritual wickedness and… and the evil one, said [1 Peter 5:8], 8) “The devil is like a roaring lion (or a swimming shark) seeking whom he may devour.” This is why to be forewarned is to be forearmed. And to be prepared is to pray diligently and faithfully, to fight the good fight of faith! The Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 11 and 12, spoke of this battle. He said: 11) “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” He said in 2 Corinthians 10:4 and 5… (listen to the word of God): 4) “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” The Bible speaks of strongholds ah… of the enemy, and we are destroy this… these arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ! Yes, this is a frightening world. It’s a dangerous world in which to raise a family, to bring up our kids, to be a mom, to be a dad. Jesus said [John 16:33), “In this world you will have tribulation.” But then He added, thank God, “But be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” He taught us to pray and to overcome temptation and the work of the enemy… the work of the evil one. And that when we pray, we are protecting our faith, we are protecting our future, and, yes, we are protecting our families. Jesus said, “Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from evil.” We’ve stated clearly that this is a prayer… this Lord’s Prayer, this model prayer, that we can personalize. We can make it our own and pray it personally and individually. But in reality there’s no “I” or “me” or “my” in this prayer. It is “Our Father who art in heaven.” It is: “Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from the evil one.” And so we are to include not only ourselves, but certainly others when we pray. At the top of our prayer list, no doubt, would be our families and our children… to pray for them. You know it’s more and more difficult in this generation, I think, to be a parent and to be a mother. I didn’t realize that mothers were being defined and described in such unusual days… ah ways until I read an article the other day talking about Alpha moms and Beta moms. Alpha moms and Beta moms. Maybe you need to learn with me, what is an Alpha mom and what is a Beta mom? Well an Alpha mom is high-achieving parent. We have a generation of women that are very high-achieving woman. And therefore they want to be high-achievers in their parenting. And so they tackle parenting with… with extreme frontal force. It’s extreme parenting, and getting after it. And sometimes it leads to overparenting. And… and we think… we have this illusion that “I’m going to raise a perfect baby and I’m going to have perfect teenagers.” [laughter] “And I’m going to have perfect young adults and” Well we all know we can have perfect grandchildren, right? But… [laughter] but this thing about raising kids and… You know when you’re an Alpha mom you… you… you… you want to commit to this in such an important way and it becomes almost a sport… a competition. I mean… “I got to be the best mom! The best mom possible!” And you’re working your fingers to the bone trying to do it all; trying to be the perfect mom. That’s an Alpha mom. I’ve met a lot of Alpha moms in north Texas, I tell you. And your motives are all good. Not a criticism. It’s just a description of the way many young mothers and wives are trying to get it all done in this generation.


3

And then there’s the Beta mom. The Beta mom has decided that, “You know what? I’m not gonna be perfect. Ah… I’m not a super mom, I’m a slacker mom. [chuckle] I’m just going to do what I can and leave the rest.” And if you want to know if you’re a Beta mom… this comes from ah… a gentlemen… ah… a woman, actually… Rene Syler who wrote a book called Good Enough Mother. So maybe the good enough mother describes you. Here’s some characteristics: “You’re a good enough mother if you bought something from the grocery store, removed the plastic wrapping and passed it off as your own at the school bake sale. [laughter]” Beta. “Or you used a stapler to hem your daughter’s pants as she’s walking out the door for school. [laughter] Beta mom. Or you’ve lost all copies of your school directory. Ditto… all copies of your child’s report card before signing it. Ditto… karate uniform. Ditto… credit card. Or you know you’re a Beta mom if your biological clock is chronically 15 minutes later than everybody else’s. [laughter] Or you’ve been to Taco Bell for at least 2 consecutive meals in the last 3 days! [laughter] Or you’ve been known to visit Starbucks or the Coffee Bean or any combination of the two more than twice in the course of our day! Or you have to save up the energy to watch the last episode of 24 and Lost.” Oh, and I made this one up myself. “You know you’re a Beta mom if you’re sleeping in church right now.” [laughter] Well I don’t know if you’re an Alpha mom or a Beta mom… high achieving, high-octane mom or a less than perfect mom. But let me tell you what every mom and every dad needs to be and that is a praying parent. Quit worrying about all that stuff that doesn’t matter. [We] Spend so much time, so much energy, and start praying about the things that really matter. So many moms today are worried about their kids and their kid’s future, and they’re wringing their hands. The Scripture says [Philippians 4:6]: “Don’t worry about the future. Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything, with thanksgiving in your heart, letting your request be made known to God.” Be a praying mom. So if you’re under a lot of pressure as a parent today what you need to do is take a deep breath and get on your knees, and begin to pray, and God will teach you what really matters. You say, “Well, okay, what really matters? How should I pray for my kids?” Deb and I have prayed for our children all their lives and we’re blessed with wonderful kids who follow Christ. Some of the ways that we have prayed I would suggest to you.       

Pray that your children would come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior early in life, as soon as possible; that they would walk in a personal relationship with Him through their youth and into their adulthood. Pray that your children would have a hunger for the things of God, for the word of God; that they would be a disciple and follower of Christ. Remember this, God doesn’t call us to be… to raise perfect children, but to raise responsible adults who will one day follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that God will bring godly friends into the life… life of your child, including a church where your children can thrive and flourish in their spiritual lives. Pray that your children will have strength of character and conscience to resist temptation and to be strong against the work of the enemy. Pray that your children will make wise decisions, developing discernment and wisdom and responsibility in their lives. Pray that your children will have a heart full of love and compassion,[1 Corinthians 13:13] “for the greatest of these is love.” Pray that your children will grow up and have the love of Christ for people in their hearts; that they will learn that life isn’t about me but life is about serving Christ and serving others.


   

4

Pray that your children will be emotionally and mentally and physically strong. That they will grow even as Jesus grew in wisdom and statute and favor with God and man. Pray that your children will one day meet a godly man or a godly woman that will be their spouse and prepare them for their marriage and their home and their family. Or pray that your child will glorify God in their singleness, if God chooses singleness for their child. Pray that your child would leave home with an eternal spective… perspective in Christ; that they will not live for just now and the pleasures of today, but live for the glory of Christ. And pray that your children will sense God’s call upon their lives; that they will live their lives with a purpose, knowing God’s plan for every step of the way.

And if you will pray like this and prepare your children and protect your children by covering them with this shield of prayer, God will bless your children, and God will use your children for His glory! But it’s all in the midst of this fight for our lives, isn’t it; this spiritual battle and spiritual struggle? And we need to understand this! We need to understand that it’s not just me against the world, but it is rather in prayer the power of Jesus Christ in me [Philippians 4:13], “and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Every day we fight these battles. Ah… Stu Webber said, “The Christian is a walking battleground.” We are. But you know sometimes we fight our battles in the flesh, rather than in the power of God and the power of prayer. We have rampant divorce in our culture, even in the church some couples divorce. And so what do we do? We have more seminars and more study groups about marriage and how to have a happy marriage. Drug abuse is rampant among teenagers, and alcohol, and immorality and so… so what do we do? We tell our kids, “Well, just say no… just say no.” And we educate them. Ah… we see today a proliferation of pornography on the internet and in other ways, so… so what do we do against this evil? Well we have accountability groups and we promote counseling for the sexually addictive. And churches fight and split, devour one another and cannibalize themselves, destroying and disrupting their witness for Christ. So what do we do? We … we hire church arbitrators and arbiters and we seek conflict resolution. Christians are depressed and anxious and fearful… even suicidal, so what do we do? We medicate them more and more with the latest drugs. Now please hear me this morning. I am not… I… I believe in marriage seminars and instruction. I… I… I believe in… in ah… helping children to “Just say no”. I… I… believe in… in accountability groups and counseling for addictions of all kinds. I… I believe in helping churches in any way that we can in counseling them… Ah… I believe in… in medication when it is essential and necessary. But so often we run to the world for our solutions and we fight the best we can with our flesh and we do everything but pray and ask God to deliver us! We’re fighting a spiritual battle and we must win the battle with Spiritual weapons because God has provided… God has promised deliverance for His children if we pray, “Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” And in this world with devils filled, we can find security and safety… a stronghold against the enemy because our God is a deliverer. He specializes in deliverance! Our Savior is a mighty warrior who has conquered sin, death and hell! And we can defeat the enemy with the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit. We can resist temptation in the power of Jesus Christ! We can overcome evil in our lives and in our families in an… in our world! We can overcome the works of man. There are all kinds of… of attacks in our generation… the attacks of… of men and there are the attacks of ideologies. But behind all of this is the attack of the evil one. That’s why Jesus said, “Lead us not into


5

temptation; deliver us from the evil one.” Behind evil things and evil doings and evil men is the evil one! Pray for the power of Jesus Christ in your life to deliver you! Think about people who have been delivered in this unseen, immortal battle. Moses, delivered by the providence and the hand of God out of the bulrushes… Saved to become the prince of Egypt. Think of the children of Israel delivered from the cruel hand of Pharaoh. Think of Esther… in the grace of God she came to the kingdom for a very strategic time and God delivered her from the hand of Haman, that terrible one who tried to destroy the nation of Israel. Think of David who was delivered from the hand of the Philistine. He said, “God will deliver me from your hand, O Philistine.” Think of the demoniac, filled… infested with demon spirits, and Jesus spoke, and he was delivered. Think of Simon Peter… in the power of prayer he was delivered from prison just before his execution. Think of the Apostle Paul who was delivered of… of all manner of peril in his life. Why? Because our God is a God who delivers us. [tap, tap, tap] He has promised that when we pray, we will be protected. We will be secured! [tap] You say, “Always? Do we always find deliverance?” Yes, yes! How so? I know someone who prayed and died. I know someone who prayed for a son, that son was lost. How so? We shall all be delivered? I remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, those 3 fine Hebrew young men who lived for their faith in ancient Babylon, a pagan nation. They were told along with all the others to bow down before the idol of Nebuchadnezzar, the pagan king. And they said everyone will do it at penalty of death. And when that time came and everyone bowed down, the music played, the trumpet sounded… everyone bowed down except these 3 strong men… young men… teenagers who stood. They called them in and said, “Maybe you didn’t understand. Maybe you didn’t get it the first time. We’re going to give you another chance. When the trumpet sounds… when the music plays, you bow down, you worship the king and all will be forgotten.” And those 3 young men with one voice said, “Listen to us, king. We don’t have to discuss this. We don’t have to talk about it. We’ve already talked about it. We’ve already purposed in our hearts that we’re going to live for our God. And we will not bow down to the image of you… you… your image. And our God is able to deliver us out of the hand of the fire of the furnace!” And then they said, “But if not … but if not… if we burn like a worm in hot ashes, we’re still not going to bow down to your stinkin’ idol!” (Loose translation, but that’s close.) [laughter] So when we pray, “Lord, deliver me from the evil one.” We are praying, “Lord, I’m trusting You in life and death. I’m trusting my faith, my future, my family. I am giving You my entire life knowing that either in life or in death I will be delivered into Your glorious kingdom, and I will pray to that end every day of my life.” Yes, He will deliver you! The Apostle Paul said [Philippians 1:21], “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” You can’t defeat a man like that! He… he said, “Look, to live… I’m gonna live for Jesus Christ full out… full throttle! If I die… if you cut off my head for my faith, then I’ll go to be with Christ!” Heads, I win! Tails, I win! You can’t beat [strike] a man like that! Why? We’re praying and therefore our future and faith, and yes our families are secure. We’re told, as we mentioned earlier that we’re to fight fire with fire, and not with flesh. So we need to understand a little bit about our enemy. What does Satan do? What are some of these tactics? What are some of these strategies? How does he operate? Well, this is clear from Scripture. One, is domination… domination. Satan is not down in hell shoveling coal in a red suit and a pitch fork. Satan is described in the Bible as the god of this age. He’s the prince of the power of the air. So Satan is not in hell. Satan is here. He is leading the strategy of these invisible powers and these invincible powers to dominate the world… principalities and powers! And did you know the Bible tells us that those that do not know Christ are in the terrible grip of Satan; that they have been taken captive by Satan? That’s domination… which ultimately becomes termination. Even believers can find their minds oppressed and


6

obsessed with sin, behaviors and addictions that control their lives! This is domination! Satan wants to dominate your mind, your heart, your soul! But then, of course, there’s temptation. “Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from evil.” Temptation is the solicitation to do evil. To fulfill… listen to this… to fulfill a God-given desire in a God-forbidden way. We all have natural desires given to us by God that will be fulfilled in God’s time and God’s way. But Satan comes along with a temptation, even as he did Christ when he said, “Turn these stones into bread and you’ll be filled. And he asks… he invites us… he solicits us to fulfill a God-given desire… whether it’s pleasure or sex or whatever it is to fulfill a God-given desire in a God-forbidden way. And, of course, there’s not only the temptations of dissipation, but there are temptations of… of… of the spirit. Temptations of disposition. Temptations of dissipation; temptations of disposition. That of anger and… and… and fear or… or guilt or whatever the temptation may be. Whether of the spirit or of the flesh, Satan… he is the author of temptation. Now remember, it’s not a sin to be tempted. But it is a sin to yield and to say yes to temptation. So there’s domination, there’s temptation. But a third tactic of the devil is accusation. And most everyone who’s listening to me right now… you understand that because he is the accuser of the brother. He’s an accuser. So what happens? When you sin… when you break God’s commandments… when you fulfill a God-given desire in a God-forbidden way, Satan invites you and welcomes you to do, then he comes along and says, “Ah-ha! Look at you! Look how filthy you are! Look how dirty you are! You’re not a child of God! How could you be a child of God?” Now, he’s accusing you before God Himself! And the guilt covers you. And rather than causing you to run to God for forgiveness and grace and healing and mercy, you run from God because the accuser of the brethren… of brothers and sisters he has gripped your heart. That’s accusation! And then there’s confrontation. He’s not only described as the accuser and the tempter and the dominator… the controller, but he is the adversary. The word devil means the one who opposes. So what does he do? His tactics are… are the same as in every generation. He opposes us at every end. He opposes the work of the church and the proclamation of the Gospel. He opposes the advancing of the Gospel in communities and on mission fields. We should pray for our missionaries and those serving Christ around the world because they’re facing incredible persecution even in these days… especially in these days! But the devil is at work… teaching error! He stands in pulpits and masquerades himself as an angel of light! And preaches error and untruth. He shows up in seminaries and Christian universities and distorts and disturbs the peace and brings people down because he distorts the message and pro… proclaims a gospel that is a false gospel. The Apostle Paul knew this. He said, “There are many open doors and many adversaries. So men and women, moms and dads, boys and girls, we are in a terrible fight! And we should have a healthy fear of Satan! You know there are 2 real ah… misunderstandings regarding Satan. One is that he is a myth and doesn’t matter. The other is that he matters too much and that we have no victory over him. As believers we have victory in Jesus! Why? Because if He’s the de… denominator… if He is dominating your life, what does the Bible say? [John 8:32] “The truth shall set you free.” Jesus will rescue us from the kingdom of darkness and take us into the marvelous kingdom of light! He has rescued us! Amen? [Amen] He has rescued us! He has saved us from the clutches and the grip of the evil one! And then in temptation, don’t say that you can’t say no to a temptation. You have the power in Jesus Christ in you. When you pray, you have the power to resist. The Bible says [James 4:7] “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Jesus taught us how to do this when He went into the desert and there with the word of God in


7

prayer and fasting He overcame the power of Satan and the temptation of Satan that came at Him again and again! So for domination… we are set free in Christ, and temptation… we can resist the power of temptation, and then when accusation comes… when the devil shows up knocking at your door and telling you you are worthless and you are filthy and you are vial, and you can never go back to church again, and you can never be a dad again, or you could never be a mom again… When Satan comes to accuse you, remember [strike], you [strike] have [strike] an advocate [strike] with the Father [strike] and His name is Jesus! He is our heavenly lawyer and He defends us at the justice throne of God [strike]! I love Romans, the eighth chapter! Ah… One man said, “I would rather live in Romans chapter 8 than in the Garden of Eden.” Because in the Garden of Eden man sinned and fell out of… out of the Garden. But in Romans chapter 8 it begins with “No condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” And it concludes with no accusation… that is, “If God be for us, who can be against us.” And no separation… “That nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ.” And so the next time… the next [strike] time [strike] that Satan tells you about all of your sin and accuses you, you just go tell Jesus on him, and Jesus will defend you. When he reminds you of your past, you remind him of his future [strike]! And then there’s confrontation. How do you defeat confrontation? In the power of the Holy Spirit. In the power of prayer! We have prayed. Jesus said to Simon Peter who was about to face a terrible dark time in his life of denial of the Lord. He said [Luke22:31-32], “Satan wants to have you and sift you like wheat, but you, don’t be afraid because I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail!” Pray that for your kids! Pray that for your family! The prayer of Jesus that their faith will not fail! Pray that the Gospel will advance! Satan tried to destroy this church a number of years ago. But people got down on their knees and prayed. We’ve been a praying church from that moment forward. No doubt about it! And people prayed and God delivered His church by the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and the power of His presence! And God [strike] is building His church [strike] and gates of hell [strike] will not [strike] prevail [strike] against [strike] it!” in this generation [applause] or every generation. And one day… one day the battle will be over and there will be no more sin and no more sorrow, no more death, no more temptation and no more terrorism because God, when Christ comes again, will crush [strike] Satan under His feet! No wonder the Apostle Paul in looking at the end of his earthly life, said [2 Timothy 4:7-8], “I’ve fought the good fight; I’ve kept the faith. I’ve run the race and therefore, there is laid up for me a crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness which the Lord will give to me, and not to me only, but all who love His appearing.” So if you know the secret of prayer and you can live in victory everyday and you can share in His glory that day! We win. Satan is defeated. And until that day we stand solid and strong and safe and secure along with our families because we’re going to pray and say, “Lord, all of us are going to follow You and we’re going to do it together. We’re not going to leave anybody behind. And a praying mom and a praying dad… a praying grandparent can change the course of history by praying your kids and your family to know and follow Christ. And that is the real secret! Would you stand with me, please? Everyone standing together.


8

Maybe you thought you were coming to a… all sweetness and light Mother’s Day service. [laughter] That I… I didn’t know I was going to be called to a battle. But yet, it is battle, but life is blessing when you win that battle in Jesus’ name. So I want to invite some of you today for the first time to come forward and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. [music begins] To pray a simple prayer… Have… have… have the… the faith to simply say: Lord Jesus, be merciful to me, a sinner. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sin. I believe You rose again. The Bible says whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved, so just simply but sincerely … where you stand… receive Jesus Christ into your life. And in just a moment when we sing this hymn of decision, come forward. I’ll be standing right here to meet you. I want you to come and stand with me. And the act of coming forward will be saying, “I’m trusting in Christ as my Lord and Savior.” For all of you upstairs in the full balcony today, we have ministers there, there and there. And we’ll wait for you there. No need for you to come all the way here. Just leave the place you’re standing and go to the landing area and a minister will meet you. And tell that man you want to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. You’re praying and trusting in Christ today. And those of you on the lower levels, you come and stand here with us today. As you make that decision to follow Christ. There are others who need to lead the way by joining this church today. You’ve been praying about a church home and a church that’s committed to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. And you feel led here… you feel led to bring your family here, your children, into this congregation. So why don’t you come today and set the example by coming first and coming forward and standing here with us, and we’ll receive you as we receive members today. Lord, how we thank You for the powerful word that came from Your lips to pray “Our Father who is in heaven. Hallowed be Your name.” We pray for Your kingdom to come in our lives, for Your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven this very moment; that You would provide for our needs and give us this day our daily bread and all that we need for life. And Lord, when we have enough, that we will give to others. And Lord, that You would forgive us of our debts and our trespasses, even as we have forgiven and been forgiven. And Lord, that You would lead us not into temptation but deliver us and deliver our families… our husbands, our wives, our kids… Lord, deliver them from the hand of the wicked one. Help men, women, boys and girls to say an eternal Yes to Christ right now. May Your Holy Spirit in answer to prayer, move in this place, in this moment, in Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN Upstairs, we’re waiting for you there; right here, come and follow Christ. On the lower level, make your way right now. Come.