New Covenant Prayer: Session 4 – Room Service or Battle Communications

Notes:

Room Service or Battle Communications?    See Session Slides Here

Paul asks for prayer for himself. ‘Brethren, pray for us’ (1 Thes.5:25). He proclaimed the gospel of grace but he knew that prayer is the hand that wields the Sword of the Spirit ‘…but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word’ (Acts 6:4). We sow and water but God gives the increase.

John Piper says prayer is like a walkie-talkie on a battlefield, not an intercom for room service. The Christian life is spiritual warfare. We need this wartime mentality. What do we ask our Commander in Chief for?

  1. We ask for reconnaissance and surveillance to open doors

The Holy Spirit is the One who opens and closes doors for ministry, Acts 16:6-9. ‘…meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains’ (Col.4:3). We knock on doors, but God opens them. Knock; don’t kick!

In evangelism the Bible speaks not of people but ‘peoples’, i.e. nations (ethne). See Psalm 67. ‘Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession’ (Psa.2:8). ‘And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,  so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us’ (Acts 17:26-27).

 Troop deployment

  • Getting the right people to the battle scene. ‘Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest’ (Matt.9:38). The right people in the right place at the right time. Acts 13:1-3.
  • It requires prayer. ‘…without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established’ (Rom. 1:9-11). ‘…meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you’ (Philem.1:22).
  • Pray for those whom God has anointed for the task. ‘Furthermore, when I came to Troas topreach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,  I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia’ (2 Cor.2:12-13).

 Aerial cover

  • Whenever there is an open door there is opposition. ‘But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost.For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries’ (1 Cor.16:8-9).
  • We pray for aerial cover that we might have boldness in the face of opposition. ‘Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word’ (Acts 4:29).
  • Pray for boldness for the Word to be proclaimed by those who are called to preach and teach it and by all Christians. ‘Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints’ (Rom.15:30-31).
  • Pray that we are not muzzled or sidetracked by issues and agendas within the church. ‘Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may runswiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith’ (2 Thes.3:1-2).
  • Pray for favour from our civil leaders, 1 Tim. 2:1-4.
  1. Healing for wounded soldiers

‘Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.’ (Jas.5:16). Healing from offences, moral failure, and discouragement.

  1. Supplies

‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God’ (Phil.4:6). Resources. Finances.


# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.