For the Win: Unleash the Power of Prayer!

For the Win 4

For the Win: Unleash the Power of Prayer!

By Andy Borero

We are in a spiritual battle. 

Every single day, we find ourselves facing our own enemies. The Devil never fails in taunting us in every waking moment and if our guards are down, he is free to strike and cause our defeats. 

The past blog articles have discussed what we needed in order to defend ourselves, which is the ARMOR OF GOD. But there's one final element that we shouldn't forget- 

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.

Ephesians 6:18

In order to win the battle, we should unleash the power of PRAYER.

The word prayer derives from the Greek word proseuche (Pros meaning to come near; Zuche meaning desire/passion). Prayer simply means drawing near to God as we present our thoughts, desires and requests. 

You might be wondering how prayer can serve as a tool in the battle. 

Perhaps, some of us have considered using it as a weapon against the Devil but find ourselves sadly disappointed with the results. We pray and pray everyday but for some reason, nothing is happening. There's none of the miracles we expected. None of the results we wanted. Nothing at all!

So what gives?

Why are some of us still living defeated lives despite the fact that we have used prayer?

Why is the weapon ineffective?

1. Prayer is often misused.

Sad but true. Because it's so common in a country such as the Philippines, prayer has been taken for granted. People keep on babbling words unto God, expecting Him to do something like a genie when it's not like that at all. 

Sometimes, when we pray, we pray with the wrong motives in our hearts. Instead of using prayer to help others, you utilize it for your own gains. Remember praying that God would drop a big rock on your enemy's head? God will surely not acknowledge prayers conceived from selfish and wrong desires. 

3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James 4:3

There are others who pray but deep inside, doubt the capability of prayer. Uncertainty is one of our biggest road blocks when it comes to fully trusting in the power of God. We have heard that He hears us but some of us find it hard to believe. We encounter huge trials along the way and as we're calling out to God, all of a sudden, we think that the problem is too big for Him.

23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Mark 9:23

Don't put your God in a box. God is God. He is bigger than anything in this world. If you ask Him through your prayer for guidance, He will surely provide it for you. Although, you will have to understand that His ways are not our ways, therefore, we can misunderstand God and think that He is not doing anything at all. Trust God! :>

2. Prayer not used as a weapon...at all.

PRAYER is a weapon. 

Unfortunately, most of us treat it as rubber ducky rather than a sword we can use to fight. We take it for granted, thinking that it's just saying stuff and no one's gonna hear. 

It's more than that. Prayer is a big deal, especially with God.

If I had cherished sin in my heart

the Lord would not have listened

Psalm 66:18

Remember guys: prayer will keep you from sinning but sinning will keep you from praying.

Whenever we commit a sin, there's this guilt feeling that keeps us from calling out to God. We are so ashamed of what we have done that we dare not face it, let alone, confess it all to God. So, instead of praying, we just hide it. We don't talk to God because of our sins. This goes on till we forget to pray completely.

Unresolved issues also play a part in misusing prayer.

25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Mark 11:25

So, how do we pray?

How can we make our prayers effective?

1. Pray in the Spirit!

Listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit! The Spirit is basically like our personal Jimmy Cricket, even more.  He guides you wherever you need the guidance, especially in prayer!

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Romans 8:26

When we pray, let's not forget that we are talking to our Heavenly Father. It's best to acknowledge the fact that we share a relationship with our God. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus shows us how to pray. He begins by 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name...' Exalt God first in all your prayers. Give Him the praise. Thank Him :>

Also, when we pray, pray with a SINCERE HEART. Pray without pretension. God appreciates it when He sees that we are calling out to Him with genuine sincerity. No one likes being faked at. Surely, God doesn't want that either.

22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10:22

Be honest with God. Tell Him how you really feel. Don't fake it. God will appreciate your sincerity :)

2. Pray at ALL TIMES!

When you enter a relationship with someone you've liked for years, you feel like you're living in cloud nine.

You just can't stop thinking about your boyfriend/girlfriend! 

Because you're so attached to him/her, you just want to spend every waking moment with that special someone. Just the thought of him/her is enough to excite you for the whole day.

We should have the same attitude towards prayer.

Yes, it seems boring but it would only seem boring if you don't understand its worth.

We should be excited when we pray because guys, we're talking to the One who created the heavens and the earth! It's a great privilege to have the chance to communicate with the God who made everything, including you. As much as possible, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

You don't have to be bending on your knees or bowing. As you walk to school, you can share a conversation with the Lord, thanking Him for what He has done and for another day. 

3. Pray with prayer and petitions!

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6

Humbly present your requests to God. Don't worry, He'll look through it. Just ready your heart for whatever response He will give you. 

PRAYER is important. It may just seem like words, but it's not. There's more to prayer than what we see. We shouldn't take it for granted. Whenever we ask ourselves 'Why should we even pray?' be reminded of Ephesians 6:12.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

We are constantly under attack and we need all the help we can get. On our own, we cannot defend ourselves from our enemy. We are most likely to fall under his trap. Prayer is our one-way link towards God, who can help us fend the devil off. 

Don't forget to include others in your prayers too because like us, they too need help.

PRAYER reveals to us the wonderful and magnificent things about God:

- His unlimited potential

- His unquestionable truthfulness

- His beautiful purposes

PRAYER UNLEASHES GOD'S POWER!

So, be amazed and see how awesome our God is! In our war, it's best to be reminded of the big I AM who will help us win the battle against the enemy :)

Don't wait anymore.

PRAY AND SUIT UP!

Written by: Ashley Petallano (c) 2013

FTW: Suit Up! (The Armor of God) 2

For the Win 3

Suit Up!

(Put on the Full Armor of God) Part 2

By Daniel Carandang

For better appreciation of this blog entry, it's highly encouraged to read the first part. 

If you already have, then let's get going :)

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:13-17

In the book of Ephesians, we can find our defense against our enemy in this intense spiritual battle: SATAN. The first three parts of the armor have already been discussed in the previous entry. Now, it's time to get to know the remaining three items on the list.

When one is preparing himself against a battle, it's good to be fully equipped. You can't just run towards the enemy with a sword. Though the sword will do a good job of attacking the opposition, plunging without protection is dangerous. In order to protect yourself while you fight, the SHIELD plays a vital role in keeping you alive.

The typical shield in the early days was as big as a door. It was able to cover the entire man. 

In Ephesians 6:16, Paul talks about a shield- the SHIELD OF FAITH. 

What is faith?

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.² This is what the ancients were commended for.

Hebrews 11:1-2

FAITH requires complete trust.

When you read the label off an insect repellent spray such as Baygon and it says 'Do not drink,' you don't just take the lid off and immediately gulp the whole thing. We don't drink Baygon because the warning said so. We trust that and therefore, we obey it.

When you have faith in God, it means that you have complete confidence in what He says, in His character and in His promises. You trust that His judgement is better than ours, therefore, when He tells us to do this and that, we should obey Him. We do so because we trust Him. 

Genuine faith = OBEDIENCE.

Take a look at Eve.

God commanded Eve and her husband Adam to eat the fruit of any of the trees, except from the one found in the Tree of Knowledge. But, as we all know, Eve chose to disobey. The Snake attacked using his ability of persuasion, causing Eve to let her guard down and fall into the biggest mistake of mankind. Her disobedience reflected her minimal faith in God's Word.

Whenever we sin, we believe in the lies of the devil and doubt God's character. It goes to show that we don't have absolute confidence in who God is (*insert heart break here*)

In 300, there's the final scene involving Leonidas facing thousands of arrows aimed at him. He chose not to raise his shield up and allow himself be killed. This illustrates the defeat we Christians face when we put our shields down. 

Exercise your faith! Do not put your shield down. It serves as our protection from the lies of the devil. When you have faith in God and you believe with confidence that He knows the Way, rest assured, you will not be mislead by the enemy.

Put on the shield of FAITH!

Whilst the shield protects its owner's body, not much is left for the head. This shouldn't be taken lightly because our heads are undeniably one of the most important parts in our bodies. For one, it contains the brain: an organ that basically controls all our movements. 

When the head is off, it's definitely GOOD BYE.

Life is definitely filled with disappointments and hardcore distractions, especially for Christians. The enemy is always on the look-out for us and whenever he has the chance, he terrorizes us with lies that make us doubt our identity in Christ.

Don't be swayed by the devil!

⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

If you have truly accepted Christ, willing enough to give up everything and carry your own cross for Him, we find comfort in the salvation He has given us. When we surrender our lives to Him, we find forgiveness for our past, protection from our present desires of the flesh and assured that Jesus will return for us in the future.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Focusing on your eternal destiny will protect you from the deceitful lies of the enemy.

Put on the HELMET OF SALVATION!

Now, we have come to the end of the list.

Majority of the parts we have discussed involves our protection from the enemy. This remaining piece of the armor is meant for offensive purposes. Protecting ourselves will never be enough. We must stake our stand and FIGHT! With what?

 and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...

Ephesians 6:17b

The Sword of the Spirit- our weapon against all attacks.

We are to be the bearers of Light- the ones who hold the Truth about God. The truth, undeniably, shall set those trapped underneath the lies of the devil, FREE. 

¹⁴ Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:14-15

Fight the lie with the truth via the guidance of the Spirit. Reflect on your standard of truth, first. Make sure that your grasp of the Word is in line with God. Be steady with your obedience to Him. The Word contains the truth we can use against the Devil so we better make sure that we will use it indefinitely and fight with confidence in the Lord. It is a big benefit whenever we believe and practice what our Father tells us to do.

Use the Sword of the Spirit!

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Ephesians 6:10-11

Ultimately, we can never face this battle alone. We need the guidance of our God. If He is for us, then who can stand against? Feeling scared in facing the battle of life? Never fear for the Lord is here! We should put on the armor He has provided for us and rest assured, He will fight the battle with us. When you have God on your side, you can be assured of a victory for His glory.

When you sense the enemy prowling nearby, don't waste time.

SUIT UP!

Written by: Ashley Petallano (c) 2013

FTW: Suit Up! (Put On the Full Armor of God)

For the Win 2

Suit Up!

(Put on  the Full Armor of God)
By Jeremy Sanchez

In the last blog entry, we discussed the importance of knowing one's enemy. Superheroes such as Iron Man and Batman usually check out the opposing side first before they involve themselves into battles. Same goes for us Soldiers in the Army. We can't just rush at the enemy without knowing their strengths and weaknesses.

So, we now know that our enemy is Satan and his minions.

What's next?

It is never enough to just know about the enemy and do nothing.

It's time to suit up.

Put on the full armor of God.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Ephesians 6:13-15

Satan, the enemy, the father of lies, constantly attacks us every day. In order to stand his evil schemes, we must put on the armor of God. If we do, the path to victory is clear.

Put on every piece. Not just a part. EVERY PIECE.

We must put it on ourselves. Don't wait for someone else to do it for you.

In order to tighten our armor, it's vital that we have the belt at all times.

In the armor of God, the belt of Truth represents the Bible, which possesses the necessary truths we need.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

2 Timothy 3:16

How are you studying your Bible?

Do you consider mere browsing as studying already?

It is better to equip ourselves with the truth so that we are protected from the enemy's barrage of lies. 

There's a big difference in waking up and praying and waking up to pray.

There's also a big difference in waking up and reading God's Word to waking up to read God's Word.

Make some effort, soldier! You can't defend yourself if you continuously consider stocking up in the Word as a ritual you have to fulfill. Think high of it. It's just not your typical reading. It's equipping, defending yourself against any attack of lies.

But whose delight is in the laws of the Lord

and who meditates on His law day and night

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruits in season

and whose leaf does not wither-

whatever they do prospers

Psalm 1:2-3

Surround yourself with the the Word of God every morning. Put on the belt of truth!

God made him who had no sin to be sin^[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

When we were in the world, God's righteousness was not with us. We loved the ways of the world: partying, swearing, drinking and all that. But when we were in Christ, things began to change. No longer were we part of the world; we were destined to part from its ways. God's righteousness settled upon us.

As mentioned in Isaiah 64:6, our good deeds when we were in the world were nothing but filthy rugs. But the good deeds we do out of love for Christ are viewed as efforts out of devotion and servitude to the King.

Are we living righteous lives? When faced with compromise, do we ask ourselves: 'What would Jesus do?'

or are we living lives dedicated to sin?

Put on the body armor of righteousness every day!

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Ephesians 6:15

There is peace with the Good News of Salvation. Of course, it's one of the greatest piece of news this whole world has received.

In order to fight off the temptation of the devil, remind yourself of the Cross: the sacrifice that was done due to the unconditional love of a Father whom we have wronged so many times yet chose to save us from damnation.

In that way, we will be reminded of the cause...of the enemy.

Put on the shoes of the Gospel! Fight the lie with the peace of the truth. 

Never forget to don on the full armor of Christ. As you run into battle, you are assured that you are well protected from the enemy.

It's time to suit up!

Written by: Ashley Bernadette Petallano (c) 2013

FTW: Know Your Enemy

For the Win 1

Know Your Enemy

By Daniel Carandang

Let's face it.

Most of us love watching superhero movies. Doesn't matter if it's Marvel or DC. Those guys in capes and those girls in sleek body suits are amongst the best of entertainment offered. 

Recently, the third installment of Iron Man was released and as expected, people rushed to watch. There's this undeniable surge of excitement whenever we watch Tony Stark dashing to his lab and donning his amazing red suit, becoming our iron hero in an instant. We love watching him win the battle against the villains. 

Sometimes, we can't help but think: 'Gee, it really must be awesome to be Iron Man. Facing battles and winning them!'

But you see, you and I are actually part of a battle. It may not be like the ones Stark faces (involving terrorists, weird robotic dudes, mind-controlling, etc.). In fact, it's much more than that. We are part of a spiritual battle between the forces of good and evil. Our mentor and guide on the good side is none other than our Heavenly Father, aided by His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Pitching for the opposite side however, is none other than the Prince of Darkness: SATAN. 

In every battle, it's vital for us to know our enemy. Have you ever seen any of the superheroes such as Batman or Iron Man not at least gather any information about the guys they're up against?

One thing we need to know about Satan, he is not the red, ugly-faced guy holding a pitchfork and sporting a sharp tail. In the beginning, Lucifer (as he is also known) was the best of God's angels. He was good-looking and favored, possessed the best of qualities. His name meant 'the morning star.' However, he wasn't contented with what he had. He wanted more...he wanted to be God.

But God did not allow Him. He was banished along with the other angels who followed him. 

It's vital that we know about our enemy so that we can defend ourselves! How can you rush into a battle when you do not know what you are facing?

Satan is a formidable enemy and he shouldn't be taken lightly. HE IS REAL. He should not be made fun of or else, we might suffer the worst of consequences.

Here's what we need to know about him:

1. He blinds unbelievers

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.^[a] He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

Ephesians 2:1-2

Satan is the leader of those who are disobedient. It's easy for Him to catch those who do not believe in God because they don't need as much persuading as Christians do. They are easily persuaded by this world and they need not refuse its whispers. They may not notice it but those who do not accept God and His ways, they follow the Prince of this World.

We have friends who are unknowingly being lead away from the Light by Satan. They are easily blinded by his lies. Knowing this, we should protect our friends who are still unaware of the truth and living to the ways of this world. We should enlighten them with the Word and keep them away from the reach of our enemy.

2. He lies and deceives

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44

Satan is the father of all lies.

Have you ever felt like you are nothing? That you're worthless? That when you've done something wrong, you have no chance to make it right forever?

THEY ARE LIES.

Satan whispers them in your ear so that you would be discouraged. When you are, you have the highest chance of drifting away from God because you believe the lie. He uses lies against us to make us believe that we are nothing in the eyes of our Lord, that we have no chance, that everything is hopeless. He wants us to feel weak and to depend on ourselves, to pull ourselves away from God. 

Don't let him get in your head. He has this uncanny ability to make us believe in what he says. He feeds on our disappointments and discouragements. Keep in mind that God is truth and Satan is all lies. 

These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 11:13-14

We are warned of Satan's false nature. Let's not kid ourselves! Stand firm in the truth by saturating yourself in the Word of God. The Bible is filled with truths from God. It's our defense from all the lies Satan is throwing at us. If we know better, then we do better. Don't allow the enemy to think of you as ignorant. Fight back with God's word.

3. He lives to destroy

Like all superhero villains (such as Loki, the Sandman, Penguin and all those other bad guys), Satan lives to destroy us all. Every plan he conceives is for our destruction because we are the Children of his number one enemy: God. So you can bet your life that he will never want what's best for you. 

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

The word 'prowls' is in indicative form. As written above, it means that you can be sure that he will never stop until he gets you. He and his minions are always on the lookout for souls that they can capture. That's why we should always be on guard. The enemy is always watching us. 

You can be sure that he's there, just waiting for you to stumble or fall.

Knowing all these traits, we should always be on guard. However, it's understandable if we feel vulnerable or unsafe. Satan is everywhere. But that doesn't mean that he can win easily. 

How can we defend ourselves?

Tony Stark has his trusted Iron Man suit to run to when things get tough.

We too have our own.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we^[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:10-13

The Armor of God is our best defense against Satan. The breastplate of righteousness. The shoes of the gospel. All the pieces making up the armor are our chances of winning the battle against the enemy. If we do not have the armor, refuse to wear it, we will find ourselves being beaten up by our weaknesses: more procrastination, seeking of vengeance, lying and all that. 

With the Armor, you are defended against Satan's ultimate weapon: LIES. The Bible holds the truth and is a part of God's armor for us. 

In this world, the enemy is everywhere. He is watching us from afar, whispering into our ears, hoping that we would fall in his trap. Don't take him lightly cause he means serious business and it's up to us if we're going to consider this as monkey business or genuine spiritual warfare. Now that we know him, it's up to us to decide on our next move. Are we going to allow him to trick us and be dubbed as weak? Or are we going to strap on the Armor of God and fight?

Get ready.

It's time to suit up.

Written by: Ashley Petallano (c) 2013