#100 Intercession Protects Us

C. Peter Wagner tells us, 
in his book, PRAYER SHIELD:

"I see two specific lines of
protection 'against principalities,
against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this
age, against spiritual hosts 
of wickedness in the heavenly
places' Eph. 6:12 that Paul
addressed.

The first is our individual protection, the whole armor of God Eph. 6:11-17. 

Each one of us has the responsibility to put on the whole armor of God day by day.

Pastors and other Christian leaders who fail to do this either through ignorance or indifference make themselves unnecessarily vulnerable to 'the fiery darts of the wicked one' Eph. 6:16.

The second line of protection against the enemy is intercession.

In my Bible version, (New King James Version) the prayer passage beginning with Eph. 6:18 is separated from the last verse of the whole armor of God passage, verse 17, by only a semicolon.

Prayer is not simply a polite and appropriate closing formality in the epistle of Ephesians, but it is an integral component of the weapons of spiritual warfare.

Paul requests, first of all, general intercession, which he calls 'supplication for all the saints' Eph. 6:18. 

Second, he becomes much more personal and asks them to pray 'for me' Eph. 6:19.

He does not stop in this instance with a rather vague request for prayer as he does when writing to the Thessalonians: 'Brethren, pray for us' 1 Thess. 5:25.

Rather, he wants the Ephesians specifically to pray 'That utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel' Eph. 6:19.

Here we see Paul as the leader requesting his personal intercessors to pray for effectiveness in his ministry.

Paul's ministry was essentially evangelistic. He was a cross-cultural church planter. His primary task was to make known the gospel.

Other leaders have other primary ministries according to their spiritual gift.

The prayer partners pray for the leader's ministry whatever it might be. To the degree our intercessors pray for us, we gain protection against the fiery darts of the wicked one, over and above the whole armor of God we ourselves are responsible for using."

#100 Intercession Protects Us,

in the series  taken from C. Peter 

Wagner’s book, PRAYER SHIELD, 

How to intercede for pastors,

Christian leaders and others on the

Spiritual frontlines. (pgs. 180-181) 

By Regal Books

PRAYER SHIELD  ChristianBooks - offered for $9.69 There are many of Wagner's books offered. Type in the title of this book at top of page. It is the fourth one down…

Let’s pray for our pastors: “Pray for a fresh divine anointing on your pastor’s ministry. Pray that God’s working will be powerfully evident both in his personal life and in the spiritual life of the congregation. 1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 15:18-19a

Let’s pray:

   Help us realize that to the degree
we pray for our leaders, they will be
protected against the fiery darts of
the wicked one.

   Thank You for the description and
urgings of the apostle Paul in the
importance of praying for others
who are in authority.

   May we understand our responsibility there.

   I ask for Your guidance, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Today’s awesome Bible promise:  Prov. 3:3-6 NCV "Don't ever forget kindness and truth. Wear them like a necklace. Write them on your heart as if on a tablet. Then you will be respected and will please both God and people. Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don't depend on your own understanding. Remember the Lord in all you do, and he will give you success."

Today’s quote: Our Daily Bread 3/14/13

“For Your holy Book we thank You;
May its message be our guide,
May we understand the wisdom
Of the truth Your laws provide. –Carter

God’s warnings are to protect us,
       not to punish us.”

Some thoughts today: How do we develop a strong character?

We'll need some pressure to tenderize us.
Find in the Bible how to create a Christ-like character.
Discover the reasons we do what we do, that aren't Christ-like.
Keep focused on Jesus, and find out what He wants us to do.
Know our worst fears and needs, and get control of them.
What secrets am I hiding? Confess them to a trusted friend.
Deal with past issues, and let them come under Christ's Blood. 
Recognize your favorite passions and talents, and develop them.
Surrender everything to Christ for His usage. 
Trust Him to help you develop a strong character. 

12th- Saturday’s post:  Thoughts  Nancy Lucas Cady

13th- Sunday's post:  How Do I Love You? (God asks)  James Cagle

13th- evening's post:  A Door for Hope  Kathy Cheek

15th- Tuesday's post:  #101  Leaders Do Receive Intercession  C. Peter Wagner

A popular post: Elijah's Fervent Prayer #9  Dutch Sheets tells us, “In 1 Kings 18 we find the story of God needing and using a person to accomplish His will through prayer. It is the account of Elijah praying for rain after three years of drought…"

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