Praying for Life, Praying Toward Vision Part 2 (Luke10:17; Eph 6:10)
Psalm 23:5 The word “table” here has as its first meaning, a kings table, can also mean a sacred table
o But the idea behind it is provision, blessings.
• The Lord will not only bless us with great provision, a banquet table, He will do it right in front of the enemy.
• We have to learn to be okay with receiving our provision and blessing with the enemy staring us down.
• Here is the best part, the enemy can’t touch what is on our table, unless we let him!
Luke 10:17 Isn’t it interesting that they come back saying that demons submit to them in Jesus’ name?
• He didn’t tell them to go defeat the enemy. He told them to heal and proclaim the Gospel
o Do you see how if we heal and proclaim the Gospel we are defeating the enemy?
• Jesus goes on to say that He has given us authority over the enemy.
o And over all of the power of the enemy.
• Then Jesus ends by saying that because of this authority nothing will harm us. Triple emphatic here.
Ephesians 6:11 Paul clearly warns us that the devil is scheming against us.
Verse 12 Paul starts off telling us that this struggle is not against flesh and blood, not with other with humans.
• This struggle is in the spiritual realm. Although humans are the victims of the demonic realm.
Verse 18 In this fight against the enemy, one of the weapons Paul reminds us of is prayer.
• The first use of prayer is actually a noun in the Greek.
o NASU 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit,
• But the second use of to pray here is a verb, and guess what? It is in the middle voice!
• Grammar definition: “The middle voice is that use of the verb which describes the subjects as participating in the results of the action.”
• In this situation here in Eph 6:18 what is the result we are looking for?
o Victory over the attacks of the enemy. Seeing the attacks and schemes of the enemy stopped.
• But that result was already given to us at Calvary.
o So, we are just participating with the results Jesus already won for us.
Continuing…With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
• Paul now reminds us to be alert.
o This is in the active voice. It’s our job, our responsibility to be alert.
• It can be hard to stay at this level of alertness. (Many things working against us)
o Military watchmen serve only short shifts, because it is hard to stay alert for a long period of time.
o But as the church we are always on duty, we are always on the watch.
Continuing…and always keep on praying for all the saints.
• Paul ends by saying keep on praying for all the saints.
o The emphasis here is actually on the word perseverance
• NASU be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.
