Battle Prayers- Boastful and Proud

 Greeting Sisters, June/July 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: 

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. But we join this battle because our God loves us, and we are called to love others the same way. We now have his heart that no man or woman shall perish but can come to a relationship with him for eternity.

OUR BATTLE PLAN:

1. 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 coming together.

2. We come freely, boldly and faithfully into his presence with our prayers of petition because we now know each other. We know each other's voice.

3. After we meet up with him, we get dressed in our armor for battle with our intercession prayers. We are praying on behalf of another with our faith activated because we know who our God is and what he can and will do in his will, we have an intimate relationship with him.

4. We may be given an extra assignment which is fasting. If the Holy Spirit is guiding you to fast, then something is going down. In Matthew, Jesus told us some prayers are answered only through the fast. Through fasting, this self-sacrifice, God will release His power in our life, our prayer requests and petitions, in all situations we bring before Him. Because we are proclaiming through our fast, that we are now truly dependent on him. Everything is now in his control. We give him our total reliance. 

BATTLE ACTIVATION:

 Paul wrote letters to Timothy, 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. And in this battle, we need God's power to loosen and destroy the chains that trap, bind and ensnare all those we love and are called to love. To free those that are oppressed, enslaved and burdened by the weight and shame of their sin. This is the battle.

”It’s time to Battle Pray.” 

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 money, boastful, covetous…. Digging a little deeper- People will love oneself above all, focused on their selfish interests; loving money by gaining and hoarding all to the point of coveting (desiring what another has), presenting themself as an empty pretenders, showing oneself above others ...

Self-love is the foundation for all the other rebellious sins that follow in this letter. Next is lover of money and now three and four are boastful and proud. Here the building of self is being built in a way that will be acceptable to the world and the world's standards. The lie: we will have a nice and cozy life if we follow the world's rules. So let show everyone what we think they want to see and we want them to see, that everything is going great, i have it all together, my family, my job, my house, my fun vacation and I will even add to that, I have it all together better than you do. In the game of life, I am coming out on top over you. I win. So the enemy's strategy has been... "It's all about them" and "It's never enough for them". This week it is, "they are not who I thought they were or if you only know them the way I know them" and 'they always think they are better than everyone. 

These are all sins that really do go hand in hand as we take a deeper look at the big picture strategy of the enemy. These are all lies that feed the evil in our souls. We were born into evil through the Adam but that is not where we have to stay because we are delivered from evil through Jesus. We need to be mindful in our battle prayers for others. This means not to dance around but call out the sin in our prayers. God already knows what the sin is that has our loved one in bondage. Our job is to intercede through our faith for them. We are fighting for them. 

So, what is my battle prayer going to be them? 

(Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.)   Father show them that they don't need to try to fit into this world, they don't need to pretend to get head, to get popularity and love. That the opinions of this world do not matter, only you do, only eternity with you. Transform their mind to yours, pour out your nature and spirit onto them. As your word says, let them taste and see that you, Lord, are good. 

(Philippians 3:2 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.) It is said that pride goes before the fall, but Lord, I am praying that you protect them from themselves as well as the enemy of their soul. Pride is the first lie of the enemy and is trying to take control of them and their lives. Protect them from this. Send your merciful grace to cover them. They have not earned this nor do they do deserve this, but you love them and want to see not one perish. They are your most excellent creation. Let them not depart from your mind but continue to hold them in the palm of your hand all their days. 

(1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.) Father, bring others to them so that they may see what your love truly is. That it is not boastful and proud but that it puts others first. Give them a renew heart that they will want to put others ahead of them for your glory. Bring the needed correction to show them that what they are saying and doing is not love but is a destroyer of people and relationships. Bring them into repentance and a turning away from themselves and a turning to you.

Lord, these are my battle prayers for them. You are a kind, merciful God, slow to wrath but rich in blessings and love. Continue to work in their lives and help me know what to say and do to show them your love. Guide us both in the direction you would have us live a meaningful and worthy life in your name. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Sins to Battle Pray for:

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

2. Lovers of money- philargyros: loving money, avaricious- greedy of gain, seeking to hoard riches, covetous

3. Boastful- alazōn:  Vain glorious: self-assuming; valuing themselves beyond all others. an empty pretender,

4. Proud- hyperēphanos: proud, showing oneself above others, overtopping, conspicuous above others, Airy, light, trifling persons; those who love to make a show-who are all outside