Of all the gifts God has given to us, prayer is one of the most important as well as the least utilized. During the ministry of Jesus, we can see the emphasis that He placed on prayer, spending many nights crying out to His Father. Certainly, His disciples must have seen a direct correlation between the prayer life of Jesus and the power of His ministry, for they asked for help on how to pray. We do not see any similar requests from the disciples in the New Testament regarding other aspects of the Christian walk. For example, do any of the disciples ever ask Jesus to “teach us to teach,” “teach us to heal,” “teach us to perform miracles,” or “teach us to cast out demons?”
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
Luke 11:1-4
Without constant communication with God, we can lose sight of what He wants us to accomplish for Him. We must understand that the battlefield is changing all around us as we speak. For those who have soldiered in war, or more commonly, for those who have seen a movie involving war, we can picture the hurried communications between underlings and the generals in charge. If a general gave a command based on the situation at hand and the young lieutenant turned off the two-way radio immediately after receiving the order, what would happen if the situation on the battlefield altered? Days later, should the lieutenant continue following the same order, or should he check in for new orders?
Prayer is only one side of the communication chain, involving our words and thoughts addressed to God. Yet to keep the lines of communication open, we must be able to hear God’s instructions, too. His instructions come by reading His Word, as the Holy Spirit will teach us all things and bring to remembrance all He has taught us (John 14:26). Sometimes, God can speak to our hearts, but if His words do not involve Scripture, be careful that you are not listening to your own heart or listening to the enemy. Satan is willing and able to pull verses out of context to trick us. Yet Jesus demonstrated to us how to fight that battle:
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
Matthew 4:1-11
As Christians, we are soldiers in God’s army. Similar to any army, there is a chain of command, and the instructions for battle come from the commander-in-chief. Outside of the walls of Jericho, Joshua was confronted by an Old Testament appearance of Jesus, and there we learn one of His many titles:
13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” 14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.”
Joshua 5:13-14
In prayer, we should lift up our fellow soldiers in the battle for this world between God and God’s enemy, who has been given dominion here for a time. In that ongoing prayer, we should ask for instructions of where and how He desires to use us as soldiers. We should ask for His strength, support and leadership, and most importantly, for His guidance. When we speak to God, we get much off our chests, but without hearing from Him, any battle we fight is misguided. Search the Scriptures daily to hear what communication God has for you! Without both aspects of that communication, prayer and Bible study, we are cut off from the Commander of the Lord’s army! Additionally, keep praying for your fellow soldiers. Your battles might be different, but you are a part of the same war, facing the same enemy!
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Ephesians 6:17-20
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 121:1-4
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