Gen 25:21, And Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. 
	This morning we continue with our series on effective intercessory prayer. By effective, we are concentrating on the prayer which is honoring and pleasing to God for the sake of His glory and His praise on this earth. We are using the example in this passage with regard to the heart of Isaac toward Rebekah his wife. He did not pray on her behalf because he would receive any benefit. He prayed solely from his love for her and all that she was undergoing in her society as a result of being barren. He prayed for the sake of her fruitfulness. This is what we need to take to heart as we pray for others. We are seeking their divine fruitfulness in the midst of the spiritual barrenness of this age. 
	In this regard, let us turn to one of the great expositions of true and fruitful intercessory prayer as delineated by the Apostle Paul in Eph 6:18-20. We will be dealing with the instructions in this scripture in terms of what is part of our responsibility as prayer warriors. Let it be clearly understood that our study is not in terms of a formula for our humanity to make God do anything. That was never the intent of the Apostle Paul. Neither should it be the intent of any Christian who is seeking to do that which is utterly pleasing to God. 
These days we are beset with all those methodologies which promise instant gratification and easier means of being successful. Everything is categorized into easy to practice formulas and techniques which promise immediate success. This is something that we can never espouse as those who wait upon the Lord to do His good will in His timing. Yes, God can and does answer prayer even before it is uttered. But He also can take years, decades, centuries, and millenniums as He so chooses to fully answer the prayers of His people. He definitely will answer but always in His time and in His Sovereignty as His people wait before Him. 
So then, Eph 6:18-20. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 
The Apostle Paul sets before us several keys to prayer which are vital to us in terms of complete intercession for the sake of the Lord’s will in our lives and in the lives of others. This is, in fact, a spiritual battleground upon which the Lord has placed us. We are putting ourselves at the forefront of that battlefield when we give ourselves over to prayer of this magnitude. 
Again, with all emphasis, we are not able to win any battles of our own accord. We are never, ever to think that we are able to stand against the tide of spiritual oppression in any power of our own. We are on that battlefield only because we have responded to the call of our Lord. We are so engaged because we have given ourselves wholly to Him to do with us as He deems best to His glory, Alone. 
	In the remarks on this passage, The Bible Exposition Commentary introduces the fact that prayer is the means by which God’s people receive the vigor to go forth as the Lord so directs and guides. Quote, Prayer is the energy that enables the Christian soldier to wear the armor and wield the sword. We cannot fight the battle in our own power, no matter how strong or talented we may think we are. When Amalek attacked Israel, Moses went to the mountaintop to pray, while Joshua used the sword down in the valley. [Please turn to Ex 17:8-16 in order to read this account together] (Ex 17:8-16, Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us, and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." And Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial, and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." And Moses built an altar, and named it The Lord is My Banner; and he said, "The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation). It took both to defeat Amalek-Moses' intercession on the mountain, and Joshua's use of the sword in the valley. Prayer is the power for victory,... End quote. (from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
	One of the main realities to take to heart is that prayer is not just an occasional thing that we do in times of need or seeking of comfort. Prayer is to be the constant communication within our hearts and spirit which is as reflexive as breathing is to our physical body. 
Again quoting The Bible Exposition Commentary, This obviously does not mean "always saying prayers." We are not heard for our "much speaking" (Matt 6:7, "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words). "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17) says to us, "Always be in communion with the Lord..." Never have to say when you pray, "Lord, we come into Thy presence," because you never left His presence… End quote. (from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
	This is the most crucial aspect of intercessory prayer. This is the most crucial reality of our walk on this earth! It is the absolute realization that we are always in the presence of God in Jesus Christ! Think about this for a moment. If we truly believed this, how would it affect our daily lives on this earth? What a difference it would make if we took to heart this spiritual absolute that we cannot leave the presence of God! We are forever, in Jesus Christ, before His wondrous throne of grace and mercy! If this was the conscious awareness of our mind in every situation in which we find ourselves, would we react differently and with more care and candor in our behavior? Our prayers, and our lives, would reflect a complete humbleness and graciousness filled with respect and awe at the fact that we are always in the very presence of the Lord God Almighty. 
If it be, let this be the single truth that penetrates our hearts this morning, we are always in the presence of God in Jesus Christ! We can never leave that honored and sacred holiest place! Therefore, we are always in communication with the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit. We never have to beg or plead to be heard. Just as we breathe oxygen on this earth to sustain our physical beings, so are we to learn that prayer is the substance of our spiritual health and growth in the abiding presence of God. 
This brings us to the next reality of prayer as encouraged by the Apostle Paul. It is the fact that our prayers must not be limited to asking for things for ourselves! There are many different aspects of a healthy prayer life that far supersede ourselves as the focal point. 
With respect to this, The Bible Exposition Commentary states the following, quote, Pray with all prayer. There is more than one kind of praying: prayer, supplication, intercession, thanksgiving (Phil 4:6, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; 1 Tim 2:1, First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men). The believer who prays only to ask for things is missing out on blessings that come with intercessions and giving of thanks. …"Praise changes things" as much as "prayer changes things." Intercession for others can bring victory to our own lives. … (Job 42:10, And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold). End quote. (from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
So very often, when we are troubled and depressed and riddled with anxiety, if we will take the time to intercede for others, to lift those even less fortunate than ourselves humbly before the throne of God, we will find our minds and our hearts are encouraged and uplifted. This is not a how-to. It is a reality of truly taking the burdens of others upon our hearts and bringing them before the mercy seat of God. In so doing, our attention and our focus is forcibly removed from our sorrow and set upon the glorious face of Jesus Christ for the sake of others. 
This then leads to the next encouragement of the Apostle Paul, in Eph. 6, Pray in the Spirit. The Apostle expounds upon what this means in Rom 8:26+27, And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God… 
Again quoting the Bible Exposition Commentary, …only in the Spirit's power can we pray in the will of God. Otherwise, our praying could be selfish and out of the will of God. In the Old Testament tabernacle, there was a small golden altar standing before the veil, and here the priest burned the incense ... The incense is a picture of prayer. It had to be mixed according to God's plan and could not be counterfeited by man. The fire on the altar is a picture of the Holy Spirit, for it is He who takes our prayers and "ignites" them in the will of God. It is possible to pray fervently in the flesh and never get through to God. It is also possible to pray quietly in the Spirit and see God's hand do great things. End quote. (from The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
	Effective prayer is always in direct connection with the Holy Spirit. Otherwise it is simply the speaking of memorized words or statements or repetitive phrases that amount to mere babbling in the ears and minds of mankind. Any real prayer is a communion set in the heart of God by the Holy Spirit. It may be but a few words spoken heart to heart and spirit to Spirit, but those few words uttered under the direction of the Holy Spirit will affect such a response from the throne of grace that is beyond any human comprehension. 
This brings to mind the tremendous response from God to Daniel. After Daniel had prayed for God’s revelation, the arch angel was sent to deliver the very message from God. Dan 9:27, Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. God always responds to those prayers which He, the Holy Spirit, stirs and directs and ignites under His tutelage and will. Be it the simple, yet eternally charged Sinner’s prayer or the blood sweated prayer of Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane, the prayer that is infused by God, The Holy Spirit, will elicit response from the heart of God, The Father. 
	As that is the case in our prayers of intercession, so will we then be found in earnest watching as to the subject and the direction of our prayers. As the Apostle so indicates With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view… There is a responsibility in place for praying Christians that must never be neglected. We are to be diligent in our prayers, watching the course of our lives with regard to prayer. 
If we are truly committed to prayer, our lives will show forth that dedication in the manner in which we honor God. We cannot expect God to listen and to respond to our prayers when we do not listen and respond to Him. It is not a matter of earning the right to be heard, but rather being so in tune to the Holy Spirit, that our walk on this earth reflects that constant communication with God. It will never be a matter of self-righteousness, but simply that we are watching and attentive more and more earnestly to the way of God in our lives.    
	This is so delineated by our Lord in Matt 26:41, "Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. We know that our flesh is weak, therefore our prayers become that very honest and sincere link of life to God as we are alert to those things which will and will not honor Him. It is our constant life of prayer that maintains that connection and that watchfulness unto His ways, a sensitivity that increases in our obedience and our alertness in prayer. 
	The Apostle Peter also heartens us in this in 1 Peter 4:7. The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Because we know that we are in the last days of this earth, however long that may be in the plan and purpose of God, we are to be all the more attentive and serious and intense in our prayers unto God. We should find that we are engaged in and more and more focused on the need for this effective intercession as the end of the day draws ever nearer. 
Next time, Lord willing, we will finish our brief side step into the Apostle Paul’s exhortation of Eph. 6:18-20. It will be in terms of how we are to intercede for all the saints. So be it!  
And Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. Amen.

This morning’s benediction is John 15:8 with the encouragement given us by Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.  Amen.