Battle Plan for Prayer - Week 6

Teaching using  The Battle Plan for Prayer by Stephen Kendrick & Alex Kendrick. Chapters 11 & 12.

How: The Locks of Prayer

Because God understands everything and because of his Holiness, God directs how we pray rather us directing it. God has graciously given us prayer that we may wage war on the battle fields of this world.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 

but against the rulers, against the authorities, 

against the powers of this dark world and against 

the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

Ephesians 6:12

God has not left us alone to fight the wolves without anyone to care for us and lead us.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 
John 14:18

God has given us guides to allow us to become battle ready in the difficult times we face. We have a great teacher who wants us fully prepared moving bravely though this world.

The author organized these biblical principles into locks and keys for prayer. Ten principles are locks which hinder us in prayer and make our prayers less effective. Another ten are keys which open up our prayers and push us beyond the limits we envision. We begin with the locks, the things which hinder prayer.

1. Praying without knowing God through Jesus.  Anyone can pray at anytime and it is an obvious response when terrible things happen. Many people turn to prayer during a tornado, or health crisis. God can and does answer any prayer he chooses from any person. But knowing God through Jesus and walking with God through our daily lives opens communication between us and God. As people with little in common may have difficulty communicating, people who never accepted Jesus may find God not listening. Even though God always hears everything we think or say there are times he chooses not to listen.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me. 
John 14:6

We know that God does not listen to sinners. 

He listens to the godly person who does his will. 
John 9:31

2. Praying from an unrepentant heart. God knows what is in our hearts. He knows when we are not broken because of our sins. If we are cold and indifferent towards God’s word and consider our sins of no consequence God does not listen to us. We cannot force God to answer our prayers without regard for how we behave.

If I had cherished sin in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened; 

Psalms 66:18

3. Praying for show. If our prayers are for compliments from others then that will be our reward. We will not receive an additional reward from God by answering our prayers. Public prayers should still be addressing God and not the people around us.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, 

for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and 

on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, 

they have received their reward in full. 

Matthew 6:5

4. Praying repetitive empty words. Prayer comes in many forms. It may be a short immediate prayer or a heartfelt prayer with few words. It may be a written planned prayer that is read. It may be a repeated prayer that we have prayed many times. But when prayer becomes meaningless words that are uttered without thought or emotion this will prevent prayers from being answered.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, 

for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 

Do not be like them, for your Father knows 

what you need before you ask him. 

Matthew 6:7-8

5. Prayers not prayed. It should be obvious that the least effective prayers are the ones we never stop to pray. Someone is sick and we never stop to pray but we wonder why God did not heal the person. How many times in life do we forget to ask God for guidance. We think about praying but we become too busy to stop and pray,

You desire but do not have, so you kill. 

You covet but you cannot get what you want, 

so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 

James 4:2

6. Praying with a lustful heart. Sometimes we ask God for what we want because we believe it will bring us peace and joy, when we should be looking to God for peace and joy. If lust, greed, bitterness, or pride are leading us to pray God will not answer our prayers.

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, 

that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
 James 4:3

God does delight in giving us good gifts. But like a good parent he knows when we are asking for the wrong reasons.

Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4

7. Praying while mistreating your spouse. When you treat your spouse without love and respect God considers this a obstacle to prayer. God addressed men on this subject. But it seems reasonable that it applies to women also.

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, 

and treat them with respect as the weaker partner 

and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, 

so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 

1 Peter 3:7

8. Praying while ignoring the poor. There are many scriptures expressing God’s compassion for the poor, helpless, and voiceless. If we do not hear the cry of the poor, our prayers will not be answered. If we look down our nose at the poor and desperate this will be a hindrance to our prayers.

Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor

will also cry out and not be answered. 

Proverbs 21:13

9. Praying with bitterness sin your heart towards someone. God tells us we are to forgive others their sins as God has forgiven us. Bitterness grows from unforgiveness. It is a poison to us spiritually, emotionally, and physically. It is also a hindrance to our prayers.

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything 

against anyone, forgive them, so that your 

Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” 

Mark 11:25-26

10. Praying with a faithless heart. Faithfulness towards God includes trusting him to answer our prayers with what is best. If we do not trust God and do not believe he has our best interest at heart then we are offering God weak prayers.

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, 

because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, 

blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not 

expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

James 1:6-8

How: The Keys of Prayer

While the locks hinder our prayers, the keys open up a vibrant and rich prayer life, leading us to know God better.

1. Pray persistently by asking, seeking, and knocking. Sometimes we forget to keep asking God to answer our request. We pray once then go about our lives without realizing that persistence pays off. God tells us to keep asking, seeking, and knocking. As with any discipline persistence is important.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives;
the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks,
the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

2. Pray in faith. God is pleased when we trust him and express that trust through our prayers. Faith and prayer are not a magic lamp that we can rub and what we want will appear. Prayer is based on a loving relationship between the God of all and his children. The closer we draw towards God the more we will pray in accordance with his will and the more he will answer our prayers. The more we pray according to God’s will the more we are able to believe God will answer the pray. The more faith we have when we pray.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24

3. Praying in secret. Always praying for others to hear is to pray in the flesh. But to pray in secret when only God can hear is to focus more fully on God and our relationship with him. The more we draw close to God in relationship the more he will hear and answer our prayers.

But when you pray, go into your room, 

close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. 

Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, 

will reward you. 

Matthew 6:6

4. Praying according to God’s will. God has given us the ability to know his will. When we allow ourselves to be transformed by God we become more able to discern God’s will and pray for it in our lives. When we genuinely seek God’s will and pray for it we are more likely to receive what is prayed.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—

his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

Romans 12:2

5. Praying in Jesus’ name. This is honoring Jesus and what he did for us on the cross. We honor his power and authority and freely apply then to our lives. We do not approach God based on what we have done but rather on what Christ did for us.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, 

so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

You may ask me for anything in my name, 

and I will do it. 

John 14:13-14

6. Praying in agreement with other believers. One way to increase the power of prayer is to pray together with other believers. It pleases God for his children to pray together in unity. As others pray we should have a yes and amen ready on our lips. We should approach our Father together in regular and spontaneous pray. We can begin this by praying with our families.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, 

it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” 

Matthew 18:19-20

7. Praying while fasting. Going without food for a decided time period to focus more fully on God. Jesus prayed and fasted. Esther prayed and fasted. Nehemiah prayed and fasted. Paul and Barnabas would appoint ministers in churches after a time of prayer and fasting.

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, 

with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, 

in whom they had put their trust. 

Acts 14:23

8. Praying from an obedient life. Intimacy with God is increased by an obedient life. When children are obedient to their parents they have greater honor and freedom in what they do. Our prayers will be honored as we increase our obedience to God.

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, 

we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, 

because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 

1 John 3:21-22

9. Praying while abiding in Christ and his word. To abide in Christ is to stay in close fellowship with him. This requires staying in God’s word, receiving his love, and pouring it out onto others. It also means staying clean before God and being obedient to him. This will create a greater vibrancy in our prayer life.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. 

If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; 

apart from me you can do nothing. 

John 15:5

10. Praying while delighting in the Lord. When God becomes our first love, and our greatest delight then we have positioned ourselves for him to give us our hearts desire. When we delight in honoring his desires then he will delight in honoring our desires.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

Psalms 37:4