Are you a "Prayer Warrior"?

What does that mean? What is your definition? Sometimes we just like to use the latest catch phrase.

Prayer Warrior!! "Hey, that sounds cool - sure - where do I sign up?" Warrior implies someone who is involved in a war. Are you ready for the coming battle? It is coming whether you are ready for it or not.

We are told to "Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) That means to be in constant communication with God - like on a conference call. Don't break the connection. Don't "hang up" on Him!!! Ask God for guidance and He WILL show you what to do. In a real war situation, you would not think of doing anything without receiving new orders from your commander. You must hold your ground until your orders change. You would never just do what you thought should be the next move. God is the One who is in control, not us. We follow His commands. We submit our requests to Him.

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (James 1:5-8)

God has 3 answers to our requests: "Yes", "No" and "WAIT". We are not to have plan B ready in case we don't like God's answer!! (We hate to wait!!) We are to believe in faith and then leave it with Him. He will not change His answer because of our pleading for Him to see it our way. God can not be manipulated or pushed into a corner to answer as we would like. And don't promise that God will do something unless you have heard directly from Him that He will do it that way. God WILL stand behind His word and His answer. Let's stand with Him to carry out HIS Plan, not to fulfill our own desires in a situation.

Pray with Simplicity: "And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. (Matthew 6:5-8)

Seek God for HIS answer. When we seek His heart in a matter, we will begin to understand why He answers as He does. We learn to recognize His consistant characteristics and how to identify when something is out of character for God. We get to know Him through prayer and spending time with Him.

"Warriors" learn more about one another when they are fighting together in real battle situations (not just in training for them). They learn to fight as a team and they will form a tighter bond through the difficult times. They learn to trust their leader as well as one another. As we "battle" with and for God, we will develop a closer bond with Him - we will know Him more intimately.

God does want us to become Prayer Warriors for Him. Are you ready? He is looking for those who are willing to make a commitment to Him. Be sure you know what you are signing up for, but also be assured that it is God who will prepare you for every assignment He gives you. You won't fight alone, but only you can "volunteer" to be one of His Prayer Warriors.

Selah Y