Is it Spiritual Warfare or Discipline

A non-praying church never knows what God is doing in their midst. The Lord could be sending chastisement or judgment and the members, due to a lack of intimacy through lack of prayer, may not respond in repentance. Some churches react wrongly to circumstances, thinking the enemy is attacking, when in reality he has already sidelined the church's ministry through the people's lack of prayer. A common error is to label as "spiritual warfare" everything bad that happens to a church. Spiritual warfare does occur in many cases, but so does God's discipline. If we mistake discipline for Satan's attack, God will not be able to get our attention and call us to repent. In this context, I think of Pastor Marshall. He went the normal college and seminary route. He came to his first church with a master of divinity degree in his pocket but little experience. He could not easily recognize the church's spiritual condition. He soon learned that this one-time large church had shrunk to a small one; that though live (barely), it needed a resurrection if it wanted to accomplish anything in the name of Jesus Christ. Pastor Marshall learned the greatest problem was the community's opinion of the church. It was bad, and no one was about to become a part of it. He also realized a tremendous amount of discouragement had infected the body itself. Seeking God and reading the Scriptures for answers, Pastor Marshall came to an understanding of James's text, "You do not have because you do not ask." He also discovered God had something in store for this church if its members would pray. He and his wife were convinced God wanted them there, so they both began to pray, crying out to God. Pastor Marshall poured out the needs of the people before the throne of grace. As time went on, members began to notice something different about him and to catch the vision for prayer. They began opening the doors of the church at 5:30 in the morning for prayer. And the members came! Five mornings a week people came to the altar throughout the morning to pray. Through prayer, they recognized their cold hearts and God's readiness to embrace those who returned to Him. Another discovery followed: The members found if they prayed for an hour before a church business meeting the meeting would last five or ten minutes! Now that's the kind of answer I can relish! At the same time, prayer grew in their worship on Sunday mornings. Visitors sensed a unique spirit of God in that place. The church began to grow and the prayers continued. The church bounded from a mere fifty people to two hundred in the first year. Now, ten years later, the church averages more than sixteen hundred simply through God's leadership in prayer. When I asked for the meaning he saw behind it, Pastor Marshall told me, "Prayer is the lubricant that lubricates the machinery of the church. Not praying is like not breathing. Christians die! but when God builds into the hearts of our people a passion for prayer, we live." I can't emphasize it enough. If you have problems or your church has problems, pray. God will answer, and you will live again--joyously and fully! Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Why We Don't Pray

The theme of prayer runs through the Bible like a silver cord. Despite that truth, saints in the church do not pray today as they ought. There are many reasons, but the main reason is the simplest: Believers are too lazy to take time to pray. It takes energy and discipline to pray; but to not pray, and not regularly, runs against the command to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Sometimes believers don't pray for the needs of their church because they are afraid to pray. We come boldly (not fearfully) to the throne of grace, according to Hebrews 4:16, but at times I find Christians who fail to pray because they're afraid God might start to work in their church and they might have to do something! Again, such fear traces back to laziness. Then there are those believers who do not believe prayer will have an impact. "How can my prayers make any difference?" they ask. They are examples of James's statement, "You do not have because yo do not ask" (James 4:2). These are in some ways the worst sort of members, as deep down they my not know God. Or they my doubt that God would be concerned about their little church-or even their big church that seems to be doing just fine with all its programs. Such church members forget that their church, like them, is not dealing with a schedule or an agenda of activities, but with a spiritual journey that Satan wants to detour. At other times I've seen pastors who do not encourage their people to pray. Maybe they have a belief problem themselves, or they have prayed in the past and saw no change occur. They've given up. Part of equipping the flock, though, is teaching the people how to pray. Another common reason is that some believers do not know how to pray. Even Jesus' disciples didn't, so it's nothing to invoke shame. However, people who aren't sure what they can pray about or what methods to use should just say one thing: "Please teach me!" Then there are those whom Satan has hindered in their prayer lives. When we commit sin, or treat our family or spouse wrong, our prayers will be hindered, according to 1 Peter 3:7. To remove that barrier, clearly sins must be confessed and forsaken. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

How Great Thou Art

“How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears” (II Samuel 7:22). As a teenager I attended a youth fall retreat at a Bible Camp. I remember hearing the sound of "How great Thou art." sung by a hundred voices. The message of that song remains with me today. The day is coming in glory when we will hear the same words sung by the saints of all ages. There is no doubt God is great. He is certainly great beyond human comprehension. How great is dependent on how we see Him. I have found the bigger (more Biblical) I see God the smaller my problems become. The transverse is also true, the smaller I see Him, the larger my problems loom. We can be certain that God is Sovereign over the affairs of the universe. He works all things according to "The counsel of His own will." We are not to be shocked at His workings. I remember the Vietnamese War and wondered where God was in that seeming disaster. Years later I found out that a multitude of Vietnamese people accepted Christ during that terrible war. There was a revival going on, God, through the Holy Spirit was working in the midst of it, calling the lost into His kingdom. There is no God like Him, He is the only true and living God in existence. All other gods are make believe or demonic. The enemy is always seeking worship, and he receives worship through sin and false worship. We are seeing the partial destruction of the god of materialism in America today. People tend to worship that which gives them security, purpose, pleasure and protection. Only the True and Living God can do these things. I think this is the time for God's children to start praying about their praying. God was quite serious when He said in II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." We have become an exceedingly wicked people who have forgotten God. America has never been so much in need of revival. Historically revival always starts with intense prayer. Difficult times bring great opportunity for the gospel. The hearts of people tend to open when they see the destruction of their objects of worship. I remember making a hospital visit on an educated woman who had the reputation of "Eating preachers." I went there on the request of her godly sister. I walked into her hospital room and found a woman whose heart was open to the Gospel and she accepted the Lord. What happened was the cancer that was destroying her body, brought her to the place of desperation. She turned from her sin and whatever gave her security and called on the Lord. I believe the Lord has set before us a great opportunity for the gospel, Lets not waste it. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Anxiety and Prayer

We are living in a time of economic instability that I have not experienced in my lifetime. I visit with people daily who are genuinely anxious and fearful about the future. The Lord has some great encouragement for those who fear the future. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6-7). When Paul set forth the marks of a spiritual Christian he used words like joy, prayer, thanksgiving, peace. Such lives are further marked by gentle forbearance and no anxiety. We live in a post-Christian, postmodern world, which has generally lost its bearings because it has almost totally abandoned its God. Its in this culture that we have the key to effective evangelism. Our world is characterized by fear rather than joy and peace. We as believers should be characterized by joy. And as we are living out true peace and joy by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the privilege to point others to the source of this peace and joy. How can we live free of anxiety? We do so because the Lord is near. He indwells us by the Holy Spirit who turns our present circumstances into joy and peace. Have you noticed the Disciples experienced times of anxiety. They weathered more than one storm. However whenever Jesus showed up, their life circumstances came under the power of the Lord. He has the authority to say "Peace be still." The Spirit who indwells us also prompts our prayers and Thanksgiving. He teaches us to trust, pray and give thanks. Prayer and thanksgiving set up a guard (garrison) around our hearts and minds. This enables us to gaze on our Savior and only glance at our troubles. Why worry when you can pray is not a trite saying, its a biblical truth. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Our Permanent Priest

Please read Hebrews 7:18-28. The writer of Hebrews declares that Jesus Christ came onto the scene "According to the order of Melchizedek," meaning that He followed in Melchizedek's unique way, rather than following the path of the Levitical priesthood, therefore, His priesthood is superior to the priesthood established in the era of the Law. This passage builds upon that foundation and points out that Jesus, our high priest, greatly exceeds all other priests in His character, permanence and work. First, note an important contrast. On the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness, and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. What is true religion? Answer, know God and having access to Him. The writer operates from a basic premise that we need access to God. His words reveal that he hopes to help his readers come into the very presence of God without fear. How do we reach God? The gap between man and his Creator is too great, and sin prevents man from reaching God on his own. Therefore, there must be something to span the gap between sinful man and a holy God. Thus the need for a priest. The good news is that there is One and only One who can open the way to God permanently and perfectly. Second, Jesus Priesthood explained. Note a series of contrasts. These contrasts point out that if we choose an earthly pontiff as our bridge-builder to God, we will have one who lacks God's oath of approval, one who cannot be a guarantee, and one who will die. The following verse gives us a brief wrap-up of what has been presented so far. "He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for us." There are three reasons for Christ's superiority. First because He is sinless. Second, because His sacrifice was offered once for all. That sacrifice was Himself. And third He is Superior because He is the perfect Son of God forever. Third, lets make application of Christ's Priesthood for today. Only through Christ are we able to know God (His thoughts, will, precepts, and Word). Through Christ only are we able to reach God. Have you spent time with your heavenly Priest today? Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Prayer as Worship

Many people do not pray. The self-sufficient do not pray, they merely talk to themselves. The self-satisfied will not pray, they have no knowledge of their need. The self-righteous cannot pray; they have no basis on which to approach God. In contrast note the words of the Psalmist “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,”- Psalm 95:6-7. Psalm 95 is a model for approaching God in prayer. It begins with praise and thanksgiving. The apostle Paul seldom mentioned prayer in the New Testament without conveying an attitude filled with gratitude. "I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers" (Ephesians 1:16) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). The Bible speaks of three levels of communicating with God in prayer. Each level is saturated with praise and thanksgiving. At the beginning of our Christian walk, we tend to make prayer lists and present our requests to God. There is certainly nothing wrong with this. The leaves of my first Bible are filled with hand written prayer requests. James 4:2-3 says, "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." David expands this point by saying, "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened" (Psalm 66:18). We come to the Lord with confession, praise, worship and petition. We will struggle in prayer if we do not get beyond level one. This is the level at which the communication is only one way. The second level of prayer is a level of personal and two way communication. Have you ever tried to build a relationship when you did all the talking? Prayer is the language of our relationship with our heavenly Father. We need to hear His voice as we personally and humbly approach Him. The word hear means to listen so as to obey. Knowing God's ways leads to His rest. There is no rest in a hardened heart. "Learn from me and you shall find rest in your souls" (Matthew 11:29). God's prayer list will probably not be the same as ours. The first items on God's list are issues that concern our relationship with Him. So if there are unresolved moral issues that we have never confessed to God, rest assured they will be at the top of His list. That is why the psalmist cautions us not to harden our hearts. We should actively deal with whatever comes to our minds during prayer. There is nothing we can't talk to God about because He already knows the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. When prayer becomes personal, we begin to pray more. Intercessory prayer, the third level of prayer, then becomes possible. There is a great need for true intercessors. Intercessors are Christians who are intimate enough with God to hear His voice and obey. Intercessors hear from God, sense the burden to pray and continue in prayer until the burden lifts. Seldom, if ever, is intercessory prayer undertaken in public. Intercessors usually pray in the privacy of their homes. often late at night, sometimes praying through the night. God accomplishes much of His work through these dear saints who know how to intercede for others. I believe God wants us all to intercede on behalf of one another. Consider asking the Lord to "teach you to pray." Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Prayer God Can't Refuse

In the first chapter of Nehemiah, he learns that the walls of Jerusalem are broken down and its gates had been destroyed by fire. Nehemiah came face to face with a situation that was too big for him. Prayer has been called the greatest force on earth. Preaching my stir the hearts of men, but prayer moves the heart of God. For prayer to be effective it must be preceded by a knowledge of a need. For Nehemiah the walls of the city of his fathers must be rebuilt. Thus Nehemiah went to prayer. Prayer is not merely prattle; it is warfare. Nehemiah did not expect God to answer his summons the moment he prayed. He instead recognized his subordination to his Sovereign and respectfully persisted until God answered him (James 5:16-18). Not only does prayer aid in bringing our lives into conformity to the will of God, it also prepares us to receive an answer. Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, it is laying hold of His highest willingness. Prayer gives us a new perspective. True prayer opens the eyes to things not seen before. Prayer establishes our priorities. Prayer gives us a sense of purpose, God's purpose. Our "groaning which cannot be uttered" are the prayers which God cannot refuse (Romans 8:26-27). Daily prayers really do lessen our daily cares. Why? Because we learn to "cast all our burdens on the One who cares for us." It is prevailing prayer that makes a difference. The reasons Nehemiah became so burdened for the walls to be built, is they were the holy cities protection. In the Scriptures the walls of Jerusalem symbolize protection and her gate praise (Isaiah 60:18). Nehemiah prayed and intermittently fasted for 120 day, the walls were built in 52 days. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Living a Vertical Life

Every cross is made up of a horizontal and a vertical beam. Both are needed to make a cross, but the vertical beam is the most important, since it always supports the horizontal beam. If the vertical is defective, then the horizontal will collapse. This same principle holds true for the Christian life. Just as the vertical beam of a cross holds up the horizontal beam, so the vertical dimension of our lives (our personal relationship with God) holds up the horizontal dimension (our relationship with others and our daily walk in the world). If I'm not living as a servant to the Master, if my passion for Christ has eroded, if I'm not glorifying God in word and deed, then the rest of my life is placed in enormous jeopardy. Here is where our personal prayer life comes into the picture. Prayer becomes a source of power for victorious living. This truth is expressed in the following acrostic: P-rayer R-eases A-ll our E-ternal R-esources. God has a "warehouse" in the heavenlies for every believer. Out of these designated warehouses, with our names inscribed on them, flow all of His eternal resources, everything we need for life and godliness, but only if we become faithful practitioners of prayer. Wouldn't it be awful to arrive in heaven and find we used very few of the resources God provided for us while we were on earth. When we begin to develop our prayer life, our enemy Satan will respond. His principal mission is to attempt to neutralize the power, peace and purposes of God by preventing them from becoming reality within our lives. How does he do this? Invariably, Satan's first point of attack is directed at the "life-support system" the power of prayer. He does everything possible to sever this "supply line" in order to render us ineffective and defeated. We must grasp and maintain a high and holy view of life. If we don't Satan will be able to neutralize the power of prayer by smothering ones biblical vision for life. Jesus taught us in (John 16:33) "In this world you will have trouble, But take heart. I have overcome the world." When trouble comes, go vertical, "Look to Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith." We are to gaze on Jesus and glance at our circumstances, if we gaze on our circumstances they will obscure our vision of life and we will stop praying. Prayerlessness always leads to defeat. Are you feeling defeated today? Go vertical, cry out to God, look up in prayer and grasp God's view of life. Nothing dispels defeat like spending time at the throne of God. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

God's Cure For Fear

The Scriptures tell us that "Fear has torment." How easy it is to get our eyes off the Lord and on to our circumstances. When Peter was walking on the water he was doing just fine until he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the storm. When we focus on our circumstances, we begin to sink, just like Peter did. The truth is God is sovereign over every detail of our life. Nothing escapes God, there is nothing that surprises God. And believe it or not we can't teach Him anything, for He has nothing to learn, he knows everything. I am amazed how segments of the theological world will try to get rid of God's sovereignty. There is a new view call "Open Theism or open Theology" being taught (in some circles), that God knows little more of the future than we do. So He just hangs around with us and grieves with us when things go bad. The truth is God sees the future as clearly as He sees the past. He controls the future, He is Lord, the one in charge. He is still the Potter, and we remain the clay. I Sam. 2:3 states God is the God of knowledge. He knows everything. We read that "God searches the heart and understands all it's intents and thoughts" (cf. 2 Ch. 16:9; Heb. 4:12). Acts 2:23 tell us "Jesus was delivered to the Jews to be crucified by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God." In Matt. 24:36 we learn "No one but God knows the day and hour of judgment." Being the creator God, God knows when he made you and when you will die, and every detail between those times. "Before you were born I knit you together in your mothers womb." This is how we can be assured that God is who he says He is. He is the Alpha, the Omega the beginning and the end. I put my trust in Christ because I am sure of my salvation, because I have put my trust in a God who is Omniscient and Omnipotent. Because God is all knowing and all powerful we can agree with Paul who said "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7). What about fear, we learn from the Lord that fear is the opposite of faith. When the disciples were in the boat in the middle of a huge storm they were fearful. The problem was not the boat in the storm, but the storm in the boat. The water had nearly filled the boat and these seasoned fishermen believed they were going to drown. They overlooked one factor, they had God in the boat. What was he doing, sleeping. They woke Him up and rebuked Him for not caring. He simply stood up and said "Peace be still." and the storm stopped. He looked at His disciples and asked this piercing question, "Why do you fear, why do you have no faith?" When God is in the boat there is no reason to fear. He has power over the storm, God can stop the storms in our life any time He chooses. He can say "Peace be still." and the storm will stop. How often do we rebuke the Lord when we feel He is not helping us? The song writer of old said "Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer." Note the Lord did not stop the storm until the Disciples spoke to Him. Speaking to God is called prayer. Have you been talking with the Lord about your current storm? What was He doing with His disciples, the same thing He does with us, teaching them to trust Him in the storms of life. Each of them would preach the gospel to a hostile world. All would be put to death (with the exception of John) because they would name the name of Christ. I believe there is a "spirit of fear", but it is not the Holy Spirit. As believers we have the Spirit of power, and of love and of a sound mind. The cure for fear is faith, who or what are you trusting in today?

Crying Out To The Lord

"But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer. . ." (Judge 3:8-9). I often receive requests to help someone whose life is in a difficult place. After a few questions I am able to discern if the Lord has called me to get involved. Sometimes the Lord doesn't want me to get involved. Many times I find this person has not experienced enough pain to want to do anything about their situation. Until they are really ready to cry out to the Lord for a solution to their situation, they will simply talk about desiring change but never take the necessary steps needed for change." If you invest time into someone who has not yet come to the place of wanting a spiritual solution to their problem, you will become emotionally exhausted. The apostle Paul understood this principle when he actually turned such people over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh (I Cor. 5:5). It has been told that a young student came to Plato and asked to learn wisdom. As the story goes Plato took him into a river and then held his head under water for a couple of minutes. The young man thrashed about wildly and finally was allowed to breath again. When the young man caught his breath Plato said "When you desire wisdom as much as you wanted air you will find it." The recognition of desperation changes a man. The greatest need in our world today is the recognition of need. The people of Israel were finally in enough pain to cry out to God for relief from their oppression. Like so many times throughout the scriptures, God answered by raising up a deliverer. "But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died (Judg 3:8-11)." Are you in a difficult place in your life? Are you only talking about changing or are you really ready to cry out to the Lord for a solution? Start now the process of letting the Lord to change your situation for the better, and this begins with crying out to the Lord.

What Good Does Prayer Do

In 35 years of ministry I have heard the following question many times "What good does prayer do?" Why should a Christian pray? One well meaning believer choose not to pray because he believed it would put God on the spot. His reasoning is as follows. God said He would answer our prayers. Thus if we pray and God's doesn't answer, we make God look bad. Further more God knows what He is going to do anyway, why not just let Him do his thing and be grateful when things go our way. So rather than pray, he would thank God when something good would happen. The problem was this fellow was a pastor, and he taught this hearsay to his people. Some of them ended up in spiritual despair, feeling disconnected from God and entirely without hope. In Mark we read of Jesus who "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, got up, left the house and when off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Mark 1:34-36. Jesus walked with the Father through out his earthly life. The God/Man depended on the Father for instruction and the Holy Spirit for power. The context of Mark 1:34-36is ministry. This was a time of preaching the gospel and casting out demons. In the midst of an extremely busy time of ministry Jesus prayed. Communion with the Father was more precious than sleep. He arose "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark..." I have been amazed at how many really big "He men" get pinned by the sheets. I have been involved in a early morning prayer time with a number of men. Our group started out 10 strong, in a few months we ended up with 2 or 3 each week. The power of the sheets won out over the desire to pray. When the Apostle Paul came to Christ other believers stated of Paul "Observe he prays." What happened, in salvation the Holy Spirit puts the desire to pray in our hearts. Just about every one I have ever seen get saved began to do several things. They began to pray, read the Bible and tell others about Christ. This brings us back to the question why pray? Answer because God commands us to "pray without ceasing." He said "we have not because we ask not." Simply put, we fellowship with God through prayer. Every greatly used of God man or woman in church history was marked by being a person of prayer. Martin Luther said "I have so much to do today, there is no way I can get it all done without spending at least 4 hours in prayer." Prayer moves the hand of God. Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, it is getting hold of His highest willingness. Nehemiah prayed 120 days in order to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem which took 52 days. Jesus told the Disciples to "pray to the Lord of the Harvest that he might send forth labors into the harvest." As they prayed they became aware that they were some of the labors God was preparing to send. God conditions us through prayer. How often we miss the prayer part when we quote "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanks giving let your requests be made known to God." We seem to get the worry and being anxious part down well. An old saying "why worry when you can pray, still works today." Are there Biblical examples of prayer making a difference? God was going to destroy Israel and start over with Moses, Moses petitioned God in the strongest of prayers not to destroy them. God answered Moses prayer and spared Israel. Elijah prayed and it rained, he prayed and God sent down fire from heaven to consume the wood, rocks and water on Mount Carmel. Jesus prayed for His disciples and us in John 17: the Father answered and is still answering the prayer of John 17. Why don't we pray? Prayer is a form of spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6 say the two offensive weapons a believer has is the Word of God and Prayer. Prayer takes discipline and concentration, prayer must be purposeful and must be a priority. George Mueller prayed for two men for 42 years. When asked why he still prayed for them, he answered, because God had not told him to stop. One of the men came to Christ at Mueller's funeral service, the other was saved 2 years after Mueller's death. A song writer wrote these words years ago. "Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, draws me from a world of care..." In my years as a counselor the lasting victories came through prayer. The prayers of those being counseled and the prayers of those who loved them. When the Disciples asked Jesus "Teach us to pray." they were praying about their praying. Don't have a passion for prayer, pray until the passion comes, then keep praying. Trust and prayer go together, the more we pray the greater our trust, the greater our trust the more we will pray. Can it be said of you "Observe, he/she prays?"

Spiritual warfare & Prayer - Copley

I read somewhere that Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, it's laying hold on His highest willingness. In spiritual warfare prayer is one of the two offensive weapons God gave us for battle. A quick look at the use of prayer in Scripture is in order. In prayer God is asked to: Save unbelievers (Romans 10:1). Give them boldness to proclaim the Gospel (Acts 4:29; Eph. 6:18-19). Perform signs and wonders (Acts 4:30), including healing of the sick believers (James 5:14-15). and nonbelievers (Acts 28:8). Deliver them from oppression (Acts 12:5). Guard those sent out to do His work (Acts 14:23). Give them discerning minds (Philippians 1:9-10). Enable them to know Him better (Col. 1:10; Eph. 1:17). Make themselves worthy of God's call (II Thes. 1:11). Strengthen them with His power (Col. 1:11; Eph. 3:16). You can count on the enemy to do whatever he can to keep us from praying. I learned this saying as a child "Satan trembles when he sees even the weakest believer on his knees." The evil one has come up with a list of lies about prayer that I believe are common to all believers. Satan's lie. Prayer is only for those who feel close to God. God's truth. Prayer is the means by which we draw close to God. (Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest"). Satan's lie. I feel that God is not responding to my prayers. God's truth. God is the One who would rather die than live without you. Though the circumstances which make us feel forsaken are unique, the feeling of being forsaken is universal (even Christ had to face this). Jesus said "I will never leave you or forsake you." Satan's lie. Prayer is a luxury that I cannot afford. God's truth. Prayer is the stuff out of which heroes are made, prayer is not a luxury; it is a necessity. We are to "pray without ceasing." Satan's lie. Everything is predetermined-why pray? God's truth. Prayer is not just asking for answers; God has asked us to commune with Him through prayer. Further, God has promised to respond to the prayers of His people. That is why He said "You have not because you ask not." Satan's lie. Prayer is mostly talking. God's truth. Prayer is talking and listening (through God's Word, through music and quiet meditation). Psalm 1:2 "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does he meditate day and night." Satan's lie. "Real" prayer is long and difficult. God's truth. Real prayer varies from isolated times to quick "bullets." All communication with God is prayer, whatever its length or difficulty. The thief on the cross prayed "Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom." That short prayer brought him to Christ who said "today you will be with me in paradise." Satan's lie. There are too many distractions to pray effectively. God's truth. The distractions we face are opportunities for prayer about the distractions themselves. Paul exhorts us in Phil. 4:6-7 "Be anxious about nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Here is a prayer of protection for contemplation: By the authority of Almighty God, please surround me with the blood of Christ, and seal me from demonic deception. In Jesus name, amen.

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