A couple of friends and I have been studying Ann Graham Lotz’ “The Daniel Prayer” together—and it has been both timely and amazing.  I have, for a very many years, felt the desire and call to be an intercessor.  The only downside is that I am just not very good at it—primarily because I allow distractions to get the better of me, because I’ve been attempting to do it in my own strength (making prayer a bit of a “work of the flesh” instead an enablement of the Holy Spirit); and the big one, I have not always grasped how dedicated the enemy is to keeping me from praying!

There are a few things I have learned about prayer, though:

• When I don’t know how or what to pray, do what the disciples did:  Ask Jesus!

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of his disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples…” (Luke 11:1)

• Jesus intended prayer to be personal, not formal!

“…And He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your Name…” (Luke 11:2)

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”

“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’  So, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:6-7)

• I must not allow the enemy to waylay me with fear or discouragement.

I believe that it is significant that God’s strategies for the Israelites varied with each battle.  And there is no other formula for victory in the midst of spiritual battles other than worship and refusing to give in to fear or discouragement—however, it often seems that the spirits of fear and discouragement precede the enemy into the fray to weaken our defenses.

I love this account recorded in 2 Chronicles 20:15-18, where the king (Jehoshaphat) was confronted by enemy armies:

“And he [Jahaziel] said, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not your but God’s.  Tomorrow go down against them.  Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz.  You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel.  You will not need to fight in this battle.  Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed.  Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.’  Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.”

Interesting that the apostle Paul, when writing to the church at Ephesus about spiritual warfare, charged them to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might…” and “having done all, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:10, 13)

Moses counseled Joshua as he was about to lead the Israelites into the promised land of Canaan, “…Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it.  It is the Lord who goes before you.  He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8)

When Joseph was faced with a dilemma concerning his betrothed, Mary, who was pregnant while they were not yet married, “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” (Matthew 1:20) I love this story because sometimes the Holy Spirit does radical things, and it is exciting to recognize what He is eager to do in us and give birth through us.  We do not need to be afraid of the Holy Spirit!

These words of Jesus are enlightening, encouraging, and include a good reminder for prayer: “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.  So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known…” (Matthew 10:24-26)

We mustn’t allow the enemy to waylay us from standing confidently in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, equipped with the armor of God, and “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep[ing] alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesian 6:18)

Battle lines are being drawn—it has become increasingly obvious, and the enemy’s strategies include bullying, intimidation, and attempts to destroy our relationship with God, particularly our communication with Him.  Satan wants us to see giants standing in formation against us and cower in fear like the Israelites when faced by a giant and his accompanying army—the enemy’s taunts can do that.  …or they can cause us to rise up and declare, “them’s fightin’ words!”  And we will pick up our God-designed armor, worshipping God, and remember that “He who is in [us] is greater than he who is in the world!” (1 John 4:4)