Prayer Warrior's Guide to Spiritual Battle

John Bornschein

Description

We are in the middle of a spiritual war, and prayer is our most powerful weapon. So why do we often treat it like a last resort? Why do we struggle to prioritize our prayer life? God wants us to speak to Him, to draw closer to Him, to gain His wisdom and understanding, and even to change the world through our prayers.A Prayer Warrior's Guide to Spiritual Battle, edited by John Bornschein, the vice chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force and an executive member of the National Prayer Committee, explores the depth and power of a praying life. Contributors discuss obstacles to prayer, include inspirational stories, and provide resources to help everyone gain a greater understanding of this powerful tool God has given us.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Prayer in Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Lexham Press
• Date de parution: 27 avril 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781577996972
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

A PRAYER WARRIOR’S GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL BATTLE
The Front Line
JOHN BORNSCHEIN
EDITOR
with
Ashley Bornschein, David Butts, Kathy Branzell, Dion Elmore, Linda Rutzen, Kara Schwab, Brian Toon, and Robert Velarde
A Prayer Warrior’s Guide to Spiritual Battle: The Front Line
2nd Edition
Copyright 2016 John Bornschein
Kirkdale Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225
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You may use brief quotations from this resource in presentations, articles, and books. For all other uses, please write Kirkdale Press for permission. Email us at [e-mail] .
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked ( AMP ) are from the Amplified ® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked ( KJV ) are from the King James Version. Public domain.
Scripture quotations marked ( NASB ) are from the New American Standard Bible ® , Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked ( NKJV ) are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked ( NLT ) are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Print ISBN 9781577996897
Digital ISBN 9781577996972
Kirkdale Editorial: Elizabeth Vince, Abigail Stocker
Cover Design: Patrick Fore
Back Cover Design: Brittany Schrock
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
— Acts 4:31
CONTENTS
F OREWORD
I NTRODUCTION
C HAPTER 1
Call to War
John Bornschein
C HAPTER 2
The Baseline
John Bornschein
C HAPTER 3
Enlisting: Understanding Prayer
John Bornschein
C HAPTER 4
Basic Training: The Fullness of Prayer
John Bornschein
C HAPTER 5
Advanced Training: Sustaining a Relationship
John Bornschein
C HAPTER 6
Recruit Training: The Intercessor
Kathy Branzell
C HAPTER 7
The Home Front: Prayer and the Family
Robert Velarde with John Bornschein, Ashley Bornschein, Linda Rutzen, and Kara Schwab
C HAPTER 8
Boot Camp: Mobilizing the Church
Dion Elmore
C HAPTER 9
Strategic Planning: Approaching Prayer Intentionally
Dion Elmore
C HAPTER 10
Preparing for Battle
John Bornschein
C HAPTER 11
The Whole Armor of God
John Bornschein and Brian Toon
C HAPTER 12
The Weapons of Our Warfare
David Butts
C HAPTER 13
Everyday Combat Readiness
David Butts
C HAPTER 14
Weapons Training: Application of Prayer
Kathy Branzell
C HAPTER 15
The Warrior: Answer the Call
John Bornschein
S PECIAL S ECTION
A Field Guide for Family Prayer
Robert Velarde with John Bornschein, Ashley Bornschein, Linda Rutzen, and Kara Schwab
F OR F URTHER S TUDY
R ECOMMENDED M INISTRIES
R ECOMMENDED R ESOURCES
FOREWORD
O n a small ranch in Wyoming a man went out to protect his cattle from an approaching tornado as his wife and child looked on. With a sudden turn, the tornado moved directly toward him. His wife excitedly turned to their son and said, “Johnny, quick! Get on your knees and pray!” Johnny instantly fell to his knees and began to say: “Now I lay me down to sleep …” It was the only thing he had ever said to God! This fictitious story should remind us of the importance of teaching our children to pray. Without proper understanding, they cannot pray effectively. Many of them learn to recite a model, but don’t comprehend how to communicate with Jesus Christ. We need to help them realize that God desires a relationship with them—and it is not just our children who need to understand the power of prayer. The foundation of nations is built on prayer; therefore, we as adults need to learn how to pray. America is in need of revival as perhaps never before, and only in prayer will we find restoration and revelation.
Relationship is the core of effective prayer. Each of us has been given the ability to come before God’s throne of grace ( Heb 4:16 ) at any time to communicate with our Creator. This is one of the truths that makes our faith unique, but it can be difficult for our minds to grasp. On an earthly level, we are not accustomed to this kind of unlimited access to those in authority, but God is different. We can approach Him in an instant. He wants to hear from us and is pleased when we call! He will never put us “on hold,” tell us He will respond later, take His “phone” off the hook, or let an answering machine take our message.
Jesus Christ wants a relationship with us that is built on time spent in His presence and reading His Word. On a personal level, we can speak to Him about anything and everything. And yet, although prayer is simple, its principles must be learned. Even the disciples asked their Master to teach them to pray.
There is no underestimating the importance of prayer in a family or its influence and vital importance in our nation. I feel this very strongly because it was so decidedly absent from my own early childhood experience. The little girl that I once was grew up in a troubled home where daily prayers were unknown and the sounds of joyful praise were never heard. I’m aware of what family-centered spiritual training can mean to a child because I “discovered” it for myself when I was about eight years old. What a contrast to the rich spiritual heritage of my husband’s family! He has often told me how his grandmother used to gather the six children around her for daily devotions. She prayed, “Lord, it is my most urgent request that each of these children will come to know You personally. If one of them fails to make that commitment, it would have been better that I never had been born.” This is the priority she gave to her spiritual responsibility. Her prayers made such an impression on Jim’s dad that he referred to them throughout his life. This is the example our children need to see in us. But it is more than a model. Prayer and reverence for God must permeate every aspect of our lives and become a natural part of our lives.
We need to learn how to become a people of prayer once again. Then—and only then—will God hear us from heaven and restore and heal our land.
Shirley Dobson
Chairman, National Day of Prayer Task Force
INTRODUCTION
A t this point, you have probably picked up a book or two on prayer. Perhaps dialogue with the Almighty is something that you are seeking to learn more about, and deep down you know you’ve only scratched the surface. Well, you have taken a bold step. This book will both challenge and empower you, and through the journey, you will gain a greater understanding of the weapons of our warfare on the spiritual battlefield.
The front line is the threshold where the battle is won or lost. It is the turning point for victory or defeat, where the will of the mind prevails over flesh through faith and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Just as Gideon and his 300 warriors stood firm in the face of the enemy, we must be bold for truth in a society of moral relativism. Courage under fire requires a necessary balance of prayer and Scripture study within the church body—harmony between order and discipline. It is the fortitude of knowledge and unity to bring down barriers and move mountains in our culture.
Preparation for battle requires advanced training for men and women of faith. Scripture tells us that “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” ( Heb 5:13–14 ). The battlefield is real, and the devil is very aware of you. In fact, he is a roaring lion looking for someone to devour ( 1 Pet 5:8 ), and he has you in his sights. Why? Because if you are a Christian, you are a child of the living God. You have power that the human mind cannot fully comprehend, and this power is unleashed through prayer. The adversary knows your potential, and he will stop at nothing to prevent you from accomplishing your mission here on earth. He will strike at every area of your life to bring you down. But “count it all joy” ( Jas 1:2 NKJV ), for once you know what the devil knows about who you are in Christ Jesus, you will stand boldly at the front lines, seeing only victory, not defeat.

PRAYER IS THE WORK
Someone once said that we make a mistake when we think of praying for God’s work to be done. “We don’t pray for the work,” he said, “prayer is the work.” You have a lot of tasks ahead of you, but they all pale in importance compared to the priority of prayer. Remember John 15 —we’re the branches on the vine. Branches don’t work and strive to produce fruit; that happens naturally as a result of their connection to the vine. Don’t let your “to-do” lists—as important as they are—sever your connection with the Vine. Work in a context of prayer. Plan in a context of prayer. Make your contacts in a context of prayer.
The authors who contributed to this resource have spent decades studying prayer in depth and have compiled this book as a field manual to prepare you for spiritual warfare. The battlefield is multidimensional and must be fought on several fronts. There are times to get your hands dirty and there are times to get your knees dirty. On your knees, you will wage a war that is not bound by the borders of the sea, air, or land. These battles must be fought simultaneously, for physical strongholds are spiritually sustained one way or another. In the a