Battle Prayer: Lover of Self

Greeting Sisters, June prayer focus is Battle Prayers. Our instruction for prayer for our family friends, fellow believers, strangers are found in Ephesians 6:18: And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Battle Prayers:

1. As long as we are living in this world, we are fighting a battle, one that our enemy wants us to believe is not real.

2. We build our relationship with God through we communion with him: our praise and worship, our quiet meditation of the Word, sitting in His peaceful presence. We come to know his voice.

3. We come freely in his presence.  This is when we come to prayer in petition. We come boldly, we come faithfully. We know who we are, we are his and he hears us. 

4. We put on our armor and we go to battle. This is when we come to prayer in intercession. Our intercession is prayer on behalf of another. These is were are faith is activated because we know who our God is and what he can and will do in his will. 

5. We join this battle because our God loves us, and we love others the same way. We now have his heart and that is one were no man or woman shall have to perish but can come to a relationship with him also.

In these 5 steps: through prayer the Armor of God is activated. Through the Holy Spirit, we have spiritual strength. Prayer now puts us on the offense in this war that is happening right now, at this moment. The final bonus step is fasting. If the Holy Spirit is guiding you to fast, then something is going down. Some prayers are answered through the fast. When all is in place now  ”It’s time to Battle Pray.” 

In my dream, I touched on 2 weeks ago, there is a part when I was told the number 21, which when I looked into the Hebrew, is represented with Sinful Rebellion. In further study, Paul wrote letters to his protege Timothy and in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, he lists 21 rebellious sins that man with do and especially in these last days. This is what we are battling against, in our prayers for our loved ones, everyone. 

Verse 1: “But know this: Hard times will come in the last days.” Digging a little deeper- But mark this: the time, nearest the return of Christ from heaven and the consummation of the divine kingdom will be dangerous, troublesome and hard to bear. 

Verse 2: People will be lovers of themselves….

Lovers of self- philautos: loving one's self, too intent on one's interest, selfish

Self-love is the foundation for all the other rebellious sins that follow in this letter. From the time of childhood, we are taught to have good esteem, take care of yourself first, love yourself unconditionally, accept who you are, you were born this way so love it, etc. We learn self love first so we can have everything we want and need in life. This is a lie of the enemy in this battle, it’s one of his battle strategies. Do you know someone where "its all about them?"

But on our side of the line, our commander tells us repeatedly to love others with an affection and adoration of a selfless sacrificial love for our family, friends, coworkers, fellow brothers and sister in Christ, unbelievers. To love others with His love. So we are going to pray that we and those we are led to pray for will have the heart of Jesus, to die to by putting Jesus and others first, and to live sacrificially even when it hurts or we don’t want to because we are a walking testimony of His love. It’s not about us and others, it’s all about Him not us, we are not to be a lover of self but of Jesus. 

Let's pray:

(John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.)

Thank your Lord for showing us true love. Your love that is sacrificial to death. Please open their eyes, show them what true love is, show them that it is putting others first. 

(John 14:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another”) 

Take away the selfish love in their hearts and replace it with your love. Teach them to serve others with love, compassion and peace. 

(Galatians 5:24-25 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.)

Help them to daily die to their selfish desires so they may live life abundantly in you and only you. Holy Spirit guide, teach and instruct them in your holiness so they become more like you, your character and nature. Turn their hearts off this world and onto heaven. 

Thank your Father for you our the lifter of our souls, our light, our direction. May we be like cities on the hill that when people look up, they see your light shining from us. That ourself is behind and you are in front. Thank you for your forgiveness and sacrifice for us. Thank your for showing us what real love for ourselves and others really is. Amen.