Prayer Warrior: Praying Your Way To Victory - Session 6- Condition Yourself To Be All You Can Be Cont'd

The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study Group is going through

Prayer Warrior The Power Of Praying Your Way To Victory by Stormie Omartian.  For a copy of the book, click or touch this LINK or the image, of the book at the end of the notes.

No one can sit on the sidelines today when it comes to spiritual matters. A war is going on between good and evil, and every believer is involved. For every Christian who wants a meaningful prayer life that is more than just asking for blessings.  Bestselling author Stormie Omartian shows how to pray with strength and purpose―prayers resulting in great victory, not only personally but also in advancing God's kingdom and glory.

These are my notes for the study. The audio of the study is at the end of the notes.

Last week in chapter 5 “Condition Yourself To Be All You Can Be” we said we need to do these things to stay in condition as prayer warriors.

• Spend time with God in Prayer
• Live in a way that pleases God
• Acknowledge God’s call to holiness

This week:

Get Rid of Anything in Your Life That Is Not Glorifying to God

Things of the flesh don’t glorify God.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 NLT

We can further define these things, as Stormie did, as bad habits, stubbornness, inflexibility, bondage, bad influences, unhealthy practices, or possessions that are not glorifying to Him. These things can be in our lives and we don’t even recognize them.

Here is something else that she says;  “Separating ourselves from things that do not glorify God is a matter of reverencing Him. It means we have the fear of God in our heart. And having the fear of God means we know there are consequences for not having it—the greatest of which is separation from God.

The Bible says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
Proverbs 9:10 NLT

No one who has felt the love,  peace, and transforming presence of God wants to ever experience any distance from Him”.

“Corruption enters in the hearts of people who have no fear of God. When people feel they don’t have to answer to God for what they do or possess, they are courting a rebellious spirit.

We see that a lot in the accounts of the Prophets in the Old Testament.

This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand in the gates of Jerusalem, first in the gate where the king goes in and out, and then in each of the other gates. Say to all the people, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord , you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day. Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors, but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept my discipline.
Jeremiah 17:19‭-‬23 NLT

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other. “Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was so angry with them. “Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to me, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert.”
Zechariah 7:9‭-‬14 NLT

There’s something in the New Testament about that too.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
2 Timothy 4:3‭-‬4 NLT

If you see a Christian violating the will of God blatantly and arrogantly, you can be sure that person has shut out the voice of  Spirit to his heart a long time ago.

However, as prayer warriors,  it’s our responsibility to warn them.  

“If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”
Ezekiel 3:20‭-‬21 NLT

Warn, not bagger.  After the warning let God take over.  You can’t change anybody.  Jesus is the only one that can make a new creature.

“Get rid of any bad attitude, destructive habit, wrong mindset, unhealthy practice, or forbidden activity that hinders your spiritual growth and development. This is not to be legalistic. It is to be aware of the leading of the Holy Spirit as you seek His guidance. Say, “Lord, show me if there is anything in my life that should not be there, or anything that displeases You and hurts me physically, mentally, or spiritually.”  When He shows you something, ask Him to help you rid your life of everything that is not of Him”.

Refuse All Pride

Pride is the main characteristic of the enemy. That is what caused Satan’s downfall.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths.
Isaiah 14:12‭-‬15 NLT

When we fall into pride, we align ourselves with the enemy.  We must never think of ourselves as worth less than God sees us. Nor should we think of ourselves as worth more than anyone else.

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Romans 12:3 NLT

Pride causes us to compare ourselves to other people when we should only compare ourselves to God’s standards.

If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
Galatians 6:3 NLT

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18 NLT

The truth is that we are not worth more because of what we do but because of what Jesus has done.
     
Ask God to reveal any pride in you. When you see it, resist it by confessing it to God and ask Him to help you get free of it.

Fulfill God’s Command to Love Others

This doesn’t mean that you have to hang with everybody, but it does mean that you must care about their welfare, not talk about them or ignore them.  Even with those of us that are the most unlovable.   We can’t change people but we can pray for them.

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Matthew 22:34‭, ‬36‭-‬36‭, ‬38‭-‬39 NLT

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.  Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34‭-‬35 NLT

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
1 John 4:20‭-‬21 NLT

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord .
Romans 12:17‭-‬19 NLT

Don’t Be Careless with Your Body

Now we know that we all age and with age come some limits on what we can physically do.  We also know that because we live in a fallen world that sickness and death are facts of life.  But we shouldn't do things that we know cause sickness or break down our bodies. We know what those this are so we don’t need to talk about that today.  We need to do what we can do to protect the temple of the Holy Spirit.   

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
1 Corinthians 3:16‭-‬17 NLT

Separate Yourself from the Ungodly

If you hang around the ungodly you can be contaminated.

This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough!
Galatians 5:9 NLT

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord . Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.
2 Corinthians 6:14‭, ‬17 NLT

On the other hand, while we are not of the world we are still in it.  It is our witness that the Spirit uses to convict and the bring others to Christ.

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.  I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.  They do not belong to this world any more than I do.  Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.
John 17:14‭-‬17 NLT

Plus we have something that we are to do.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18‭-‬20 NLT

So while we are to separate ourselves from the ungodly, as prayer warriors we are not to forget about our orders to go witness to them.

Don’t Dwell on What You Are Not

Too many believers don’t know what God says about them. They think about what someone else has said about them, or what they keep telling themselves in all their self-criticism. Don’t let this happen to you because this is not of the Lord and it only weakens you.
     
Don’t allow the enemy to put thoughts in your head of all that you aren’t. Instead, think about what you can be. Don’t dwell on what you think you should be. Think about what God says you are.

Walk in a Way to Produce the Fruit of the Spirit

We talked earlier about being filled with the Holy Spirit and as the fruit of the Spirit grows and develops.  We become more and more conformed to the image of Christ.    

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:28‭-‬29 NLT

Be Renewed in Your Mind

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2 NLT

That’s pretty self explanatory, but how do you renew your mind?   How do we filter out all the negative things from our past,  and deal with all the things we are bombarded with constantly every day?

Be filled by the Holy Spirit and pray so that you can do this;

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:25‭-‬32 NLT

Be Forgiving at All Times

In the Lord’s Prayer we ask God to forgive us just like we forgive others

and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
Matthew 6:12 NLT

Unforgiveness is a sin and if we have unconfessed sin we have a problem.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14‭-‬15 NLT

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
Psalms 66:18 NLT

Here’s how Stormie addresses the subject of unconfessed sin;

“It’s not that the Lord cannot hear our prayer, but He chooses not to”.

It is true that our prayers can be hindered.

In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
1 Peter 3:7 NLT

While Peter is talking to husbands here the point is that there are some things that can hinder our prayers.

“You don’t want to hinder your prayers from being answered and stop up your life from receiving the blessings God has for you. You don’t want to be weakened in your spiritual battle. You want to be empowered by the all-powerful God you serve. Ask God to reveal any unforgiveness in you so that you can be rid of it.
     
Jesus gives us complete forgiveness for our sins, so we must lay down all guilt and receive it. Not being convinced that you are completely forgiven of your sins means you have to carry around heavy baggage of condemnation. That’s just as bad as unforgiveness  which is a heavy burden your shoulders were not built to carry. It doesn’t allow you the freedom to be the person you are called to be. Because He has forgiven you, you must forgive others.”

Watch What You Say

I don’t believe Stormie is talking only about foul language, although the Bible says don’t use it;

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
Ephesians 4:29 NLT

She’s talking about everything that comes from you mouth.

A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers.
Proverbs 20:19 NLT

For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.
2 Corinthians 12:20‭-‬21 NLT

Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.
James 4:11 NLT

Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
Proverbs 10:19 NLT

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Proverbs 18:21 NLT

There’s lots more scripture about running your mouth too much.  

I agree when Stormie says “There is a connection between what we say—whether it is evil or not—and answered prayer God hears our prayers when our words reflect His truth”.

Where is His truth?  In His Word.

Here’s Stormie’s list of the things we need to do to stay in condition as prayer warriors;

• Spend time with God in Prayer
• Live in a way that pleases God
• Acknowledge God’s call to holiness
• Get rid of anything in your life that is not glorifying to God
• Refuse all pride
• Fulfill God’s command to love others
• Don’t be careless with your body
• Separate yourself from the ungodly
• Walk in a way to produce the fruit of the Spirit
• Be renewed in your mind
• Be forgiving at all times
• Watch what you say

We must constantly train, just like any soldier, otherwise when we are attacked or sent on a mission as a prayer warrior we will not be prepared.

Paul had it right.

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24‭-‬27 NLT

Bible Study Audio