PRAYER IS WARFARE

PRAYER IS WARFARE         

1.      1 Tim 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;     KJV

2 Cor 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;     KJV

       There’s a book is recorded in the fifth century… Recorded around 505 BC by a man named Sun Tzu… This book has been read by Napoleon Bonaparte this book has been read by Gen. Patton this book has been read by Fidel Castro…

This book has been read and consulted by Gen. Douglas MacArthur this book has been read by Joseph Stalin…

This book has been read as recently by the US Marine Corps Gen. Paul K Van Riper it influenced of planning of operation Desert Storm… This book by Sun Tzu; the Art of War was adopted as a handbook for guerrilla warfare by many that could be listed…

In fact Roger Ailes who recently passed had this to say…

Roger Ailes… In a memory box that Mr. Ailes created for Zachary his son to open after he died, the father left his child a pocket edition of the U.S. Constitution, biographies of Ronald Reagan, articles about Mr. Ailes’ career, $2,000 in cash (“the allowance I owe you,” Mr. Ailes wrote), and a copy of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” inscribed with this advice: “Always stand for what is right. If absolutely forced to fight, then fight with courage and win. Don’t try to win . . . win! Love, Dad.”

       There is skill in warfare… Sun Tzu says, that the art of war is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin…

THE FIRST THING TO KNOW IS THAT YOU ARE INVOLVED IN A WAR… YOU DIDN’T START IT… BUT YOUR IN IT…

WE ARE IN A WAR… WHETHER WE AS CHRISTIANS REALIZE IT OR NOT… WE ARE IN A SPIRITUAL WARFARE…

THE LOSS OF THEIR PLACE IN HEAVEN HAS PULLED US INTO THE BATTLE… WE AS HUMANITY HAVE BEEN BORN INTO IT…

THERE IS WARFARE… AND ITS THOSE WHO ARE SKILLED IN BATTLE THAT KNOW THEY ARE IN WAR…

Sun Tzu says, that the art of war is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin…

·        PRAYER IS WARFARE… PRAYER IS THE MEANS BY WHICH ALL WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE WORK…

·        LIFE AND DEATH… PRAYER THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE… IF WE WERE CONVINCED OF IT I BELIEVE WE WOULD PRAY MORE… MORE PASSIONATELY AND FERVANTLY THAN EVER… THAT PRAYER SAVES SOULS… THAT PRAYER CHANGES THE COURSES OF LIVES WHO ARE ON WRONG ROADS AND WITH WRONG DECISIONS…

 

THINK ABOUT IT… WHAT WOULD SATAN DO TO A SUPERIOR AND BETTER TRAINED ARMY OF SOLDIERS THAN WHAT HE ALREADY HAS???

·        HE WOULD KEEP THEM FROM RECOGNIZING HIS ATTACKS… HE DOESN’T ATTACK THE WEAPONS THAT WOULD BE FUTILE…

·        HE ATTACKS THE MINDS OF THOSE WHO KNOW THEIR WEAPONS...

·        TO CONVINCE THE ARMY FROM GRABBING THEIR WEAPONS HE WOULD HAVE TO ATTACK IN SUCH AWAY TO KEEP THEM FROM WORKING THE WEAPONS THEY ALREADY HAVE…

DEVIL’S DESIRE IS TO TAKE AWAY PRAYER AND MAKE ONE PRAYERLESSNESS…

·        WHAT GOOD IS THE SOLDIER IN BATTLE IF HE STANDS ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE WITH WEAPONS BUT NO BULLETS???

·        HE CAN PRETEND ALL HE WANTS BUT THE EVENTUALITY THE ENEMY WILL RECOGNIZE THERE IS NOTHING THERE TO DEFEND OR KEEP HIM TAKING AND DESTROYING WHAT HE WISHES…

A ROCK MAKES A POOR SUBSTITUTE AGAINST A HAND GRENADE… LIKE BRINGING A KNIFE TO A GUN FIGHT…

THE DEVIL WANTS TO DEFEAT YOU NOT JUST ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE; BUT BEFORE YOU EVEN GET THERE… TO CONVINCE OUR WEAPONS ARE USELESS…

·        IF THE DEVIL CAN KEEP YOU FROM PRAYING HE HAS WON…

·        IF HE CAN MAKE YOU BELIEVE THAT YOUR WEAPON IS IN INFERIOR TO HIS; THEN HE HAS YOU…

·        IF HE CAN GET YOU TO DOUBT THE ABILITY OF THE GENERAL… (THE HOLY GHOST)

·        DOUBT THE ABILITY OF THE WEAPONS… (THAT WHICH THE SPIRIT HAS GIVEN…)

·        DOUBT YOUR SKILL AND TRAINING TO USE THE WEAPONS… (WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING TO THE CHURCH…)

HIS CAUSE IS TO BRING DOUBT IN YOUR COMMITMENT TO PRAYER…

THIS IS WHERE HE STARTS BECAUSE PRAYER IS THE PLACE THAT SKILL IS DEVELOPED IN THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE… WE MUST BECOME AN EXPERT IN THE SKILL OF PRAYER…

WHY???

THERE ARE SKILL LEVELS OF EVERY MAGNITUDE… FROM SPORTS, TO LAWYERS AND DOCTORS… SKILLS IN CARPENTRY, TO WELDERS, TO ABOUT EVER FIELD OF LABOR KNOWN…

BUT THE DEVIL KNOWS IF HE CAN CUT COMMUNICATION OFF WITH YOUR SOURCE HE HAS WON… BECAUSE PRAYER IS WHERE THE SKILL OF THE ONE CALLED IS ABLE TO HAVE THE MOST IMPACT…

WE HAVE HEARD IS SAID, “PRAYER MOVES THE HAND THAT MOVES THE WORLD…”

·        ISRAEL FADED INTO THE WILDERNESS FOR 40 YEARS BECAUSE THEIR ENEMY INTIMIDATED THEM BECAUSE THEY SEEN THEMSELVES AS GRASSHOPPERS…

THE PROBLEM ISNT SEEING YOURSELF AS A GRASSHOPPER SO MUCH AS NOT SEEING YOURSELF POSSESSING THE PURPOSE AND PROMISE GOD HAS DESIGNED FOR YOU TO POSSESS…

SEEING YOURSELF AS THE GRASSHOPPER IS SEEING YOUR GOD INCAPACITITATED AS THE ONE TO GIVE US ANSWER TO OUR PRAYERS…

NOT SEEING THE PURPOSE AND PROMISE IS TO DENY THAT GOD HAS EQUIPPED TO THE TASK AT HAND…

SEEING THE TASK OF THE CHURCH AS BIGGER THAN OUR GOD WHO GAVE US THE TASK TO BEGIN WITH, PUTS US TO THE BELIEF THAT WE ARE GOING TO FAIL… THAT WE’RE ILL EQUIPPED…

BUT GOD CANNOT FAIL AND NEITHER CAN THE CHURCH THAT OPERATES IN PRAYER…

IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CHURCH, INDIVIDUAL TO FAIL IN THE TASK OF THE CHURCH WHEN WE OPERATE IN THE SKILLS OF PRAYER…

·        ISRAEL’S ENEMIES CUT OFF THEIR PREPARATION AND CUT OFF THEIR ABILITY BY THE CREATION OF DOUBT IN THEIR GOD…

·        THEY DID NOT SEE WHAT THEY COULD HAVE SEEN; AND HAVE WHAT GOD WANTED THEM TO HAVE…

WHAT WAS THEY’RE SKILL AS SLAVES ESCAPING WITH OUT THE MEANS OF BEING A SKILLFUL ARMY???

ONLY ONE SKILL NEEDED…

ONLY 2 OF THE 12 SPIES HAD THE SKILL BECAUSE THEY COULD HEAR WHAT GOD HAD ALREADY SAID…

In the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ… There is a special call to each of the seven churches… this is what Joshua and Caleb knew…

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.   KJV

Num 14:1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.

2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron:

·        NEVER ONE TIME DID THEY CONSIDER THEIR DELIVERANCE OF WHAT THEY JUST WALKED AWAY FROM WITHOUT A STRUGGLE…

·        NEVER ONE TIME DID THEY CONSIDER THE SPOILS THAT THEY WALKED AWAY WITH…

·        NEVER ONE TIME DID THEY CONSIDER EACH PLAGUE THAT CAME TO EGYPT BUT DID NOT TOUCH THEM…

·        NOT ONE TIME DID THEY CONSIDER THE GOD THAT HAD DELIVERED THEM…

THE ONLY TIME THEY CALL ON GOD IS HERE…

and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!   KJV

·        THEY’RE INVOKING; THEY’RE PRAYER TO GOD WAS THAT HE WOULD KILL THEM; BUT NOT THEIR ENEMIES… THAT THEY WOULD DIE IN THE WILDERNESS…

They were closed to the truth, for they would not hear…

WHAT WAS THE SKILL THAT THEY NEEDED???

THE ABILITY TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE…

·        GOD HAD ALREADY SPOKEN…

·        GOD HAD ALREADY GOT THEM THERE…

·        GOD HAD ALREADY A CHOSEN LEADER IN MOSES…

GOD’S WORD WAS HEARD BUT THEY WERE NOT IN A SPIRITUAL MIND TO FOLLOW IN FAITH SO THEY CHOSE TO DISOBEY IN FEAR…

ITS NOT OUR SKILL TO DO… ITS IN OUR SKILL TO BE IN A SPIRITUAL PLACE TO HEAR HIS VOICE… WHEN WE HEAR WE CAN DO… THE POWER IS NOT IN THE DOING IT IS IN THE HEARING AND OBEYING…

ASK GIDEON… WITH LAMPS AND PITCHERS AND TRUMPETS AND A SHOUT THEIR ENEMY WAS DEFEATED… WHERE IS THE SKILL IN THAT???

PREPARATION TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD IS THE SKILL NEEDED…

GIDEON AND HIS ARMY OF 300 MEN WON BECAUSE THEY HEARD THE VOICE OF GOD…

HAD THEY NOT HEARD GIDEON AND WHAT WAS 30,000  IN HIS ARMY HE WOULD HAVE LOST…

THE VICTORY WASN’T IN THE TRUMPET, THE CANDLE, NOR THE PITCHER… THEIR VICTORY WAS IN THEIR HEARING AND THEN DOING THE WILL OF GOD…

Too often we are the ones unprepared… Sun Tzu said, “He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared…”

SUN TZU… Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted…

 

AFTER PREPARATION THE WORD IS GO…

·        BE THE FIRST THERE… THAT WAY YOU WILL BE FRESH FOR THE FIGHT…

·        IT WILL BE THEM THAT WILL HAVE TO HURRY TO FORMATION…

·        THEY WILL BE THE CONFUSED…

·        THEY WILL BE OUT OF POSITION…

·        THEY WILL BE TIRED…

·        THEIR CONFIDENCE WILL SUFFER

·        THEY WILL NOT FIND THEMSELVES FIGHTING FORWARD TO GAIN THEY WILL BE FORCED TO FIGHT TO KEEP...

DON’T WAIT FOR ATTACK TO PRAY… DON’T WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING OR SOMEONE IS TAKEN FROM YOU UNTIL YOU PRAY… GET THERE FIRST…

SUN TZU… The clever combatant the one who shows wisdom imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemies will to be imposed upon him…

HOW CAN THIS BE IN THE SPIRITUAL SAVE IN THE WAY OF PRAYER???

·        AUTHORITY IS THE EXERCIZE OF PRAYER…

·        TAKING DOMINION IS PRAYER…

·        BUT KEEPING AUTHORITY AND DOMINION CAN ONLY BE KEPT IN PRAYER…

WITHOUT SKILL IN PRAYER RESULTS IN INNEFFECTIVENESS OF UNREACHED LEVELS OF FAITH AND LEVELS OF DOMINION AND AUTHORITY…

PRAYER ONLY WORKS WHEN WE WORK IT…

THEY ASKED JESUS (TEACH US TO PRAY… IT WASN’T TEACH US HOW TO PRAY…) WE NEED TO WORK IT AND AS WE WORK IT THE SKILL IN PRAYING AND YIELDING TO GOD WILL BE PROFITABLE TO THE CHURCH…

Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:

(BUT THE SKILL KICKS IN… THE HG TEACHES US… THE HG GUIDES US… WHEN WE PRAY…)

but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.     KJV

SIN TZU… Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; March swiftly to places where you are not expected…

HOW CAN WE CONQUER??? ONLY BY PRAYER…

·        WHAT CAN FIX OUR WORLD??? ONLY PRAYER…

·        WHAT CAN FIX MY ATTITUDE??? ONLY PRAYER…

·        WHAT CAN FIX MY WRONG PERCEPTIONS??? ONLY PRAYER

·        WHAT CAN CONQUER EVERY DISEASE??? EVERY SICKNESS???

·        WHAT CAN CONQUER THE TERROR AND THE VIOLENCE IN OUR WORLD AND AMERICA??? ONLY PRAYER…

·        THE ARGUMENT IN THE HOME???

ONLY PRAYER CAN GO WHERE WE CANNOT GO

ONLY PRAYER CAN TAKE US WHERE NO MAN HAS BEEN BEFORE…

MY PRAYER CAN ONLY HAVE THE RIGHT EFFECT NOT JUST WHEN I PRAY… BUT WHEN I PRAY SKILLFULLY… WE HAVE PREPARED THEN I CAN HEAR FROM GOD???

PREPARATION FOR PRAYER BRINGS TO PASS IN KNOWING WHAT TO PRAY… HOW TO PRAY…

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;     KJV

THIS EQUIPS US… THIS IS THE HOW WE DO IT… REVIVAL IS AND CAN ONLY BE BIRTHED IN THE LEARNING AND APPLYING OURSELVES TO PRAYER…

EVERY GREAT MOVE OF GOD… EVERY REVIVAL… EVERY PLACE OF SALVATION DISCOVERED… EVERY DISCOVERED PLACE OF AUTHORITY AND DOMINION IS ONLY FOUND IN THE SKILLFUL PRAYER WARRIOR…

PRAYER IS WARFARE… HEAR WHAT HE SPIRIT IS SAYING…

I borrow the words of the late Roger Ailes to his son…

Mr. Ailes wrote, within the copy of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War,” inscribed with this advice: “Always stand for what is right. If absolutely forced to fight, then fight with courage and win. Don’t try to win . . . win! Love, Dad.”

 

I SAY TO US… DON’T TRY TO WIN… WIN!!! WIN!!!

 

WE WERE MADE TO WIN AND WIN WE SHALL (WHEN) WE PRAY SKILLFULLY… THAT IS IN THE SPIRIT…

 

Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.    KJV