2 Chron 7:12-14, Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 
As the means of giving appropriate credit, these studies have been adapted from The Battle Plan for Prayer Bible Study Curriculum, developed by Stephen and Alex Kendrick. There were several statements within this study that just sent me into a different direction for my preparation time this past week.
    	I must admit that for these next few lessons, I simply got lost in the Word of God as I considered what it meant to pray effectively according to His Word. This will be a bit of a deviation from the defined course of our study, yet my prayer and hope is that our delving together into the Word of God will be beneficial in the terms of our individual and corporate prayer lives. The Lord’s word is absolutely necessary as the precise manual of how to pray. We always want to see what He has for us above any other study or book or thought or teaching. 
Accordingly, there were several aspectsthat just drove me to spend even more time in prayer and in the Word and the result became a focal tangent that we will share together. The first was the scripture detailing the Lord’s instructive model of prayer to us in Matt 6:10. This passage highlights what all our prayers are to ask of the Lord. It is one with which we have spent time, and yet it struck the core of my heart in the context of the statements that caused it to bloom forth in increasing depth and reality.
Matt 6:10, 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. When that is the core desire of our hearts in prayer and in action, we need to be very careful in the manner in which we strive to do things for the Lord. The concern is not that we lose ourselves in seeking after the will of God, but that we become so engrossed in doing things for the Lord that we forget to pray asking the Lord to rule in all our actions. We delve into programs and missions on the behalf of the Lord and lose sight of the truth that we are to cling to obedient service directly as the Lord leads and no further. This happens in many church groups and envelops many fervent Christian believers with so many programs and meetings and mission efforts and fundraising. There are tons of different ministries that take up time and effort and money, as well as building costs and stressful commitments and soon there is no time for anything other than the programs or the activities. We become too busy to pray, too busy trying to do the work of the Lord.
The key to our giving ourselves to the earnest desire that the Kingdom of God would come and His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven is found in that prayer. And that is what it is, our prayer! When we pray, truly pray, we invite Deity into all our efforts. That changes the course of our history. This truth bears repeating. When we pray, truly and effectively pray “Not my will but Thine be done on earth as it is in Heaven”, we invite God to guide our every effort. We ask The Lord to cause us to submit to His plan and to His will. We humble ourselves to obediently go only where He directs, to speak only as He gives His Word, and to only do that which is His revealed work for us. 
That earnest prayer will change the entire course of our history! The full focus of our life’s efforts are transformed from what we think needs to be done to that which He shows us will bring glory and honor to Him, Alone. We will not be trying to do it ourselves. We will be constantly beseeching God to work and for God to direct and for God to manifest His Omniscience, His Omnipotence, and His Omnipresence in the every detail of all that we are called to do. 
The plain and simple truth is that when we do everything else that we possibly can do, and don’t pray, we can only accomplish what man can carry out. We are limiting ourselves to that which we are able to complete, and that is not much in the whole spectrum of eternity. The very best of human endeavor is doomed to decay and dust. Without asking God to bring about His Kingdom, by the power of His Holy Spirit in operation, in our earnest prayers for His will to be done, there will be no true change to anything in which we are endeavoring to accomplish. Only, when we pray, asking God to rule and to overrule in full accordance with His plan and His purpose, giving ourselves in humility and obedience through that prayerful endeavor, will there be any true work of God in our lives, in our homes, in our families, in our communities, and in our country. It is the constant and consistent and persistent prayer of the Church for God to work that will see the Hand of God bring forth His perfect and eternal and active will on earth.
The next reality that just captured my heart and mind is the fact of the spiritual battle in which we are engaged as we sojourn on this earth. We are partakers in a struggle that is very real and very excruciating in its scope and sequence, as expounded for us by the Apostle Paul in Eph 6:10-20. As we read it, it would be a good time to stand together. 
	Eph Chapter 6, verses 10-20, Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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. 
Please be seated.
We are engaged in a spiritual warfare which will test the full fabric of our relationship with God in Jesus Christ. The terminology is such that we should not expect anything easy as we will face all the power of this age arrayed against our earnest and deep relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not do so in fear or in trembling because we are given every defense and every security in Christ to stand firm and unmovable in the reality that He is both Savior and Lord. We know that He has already overcome the every power of this age and our call is to trust in and to stand upon His death and resurrection and glorification as the ultimate reality of this whole of creation. 
While the words used by the inspired writers of the New Testament portray weapons of battle and protection through the armor of that known time, the fact is that we are not fighting against the enemies of Christ with weapons that we weld and fashion of our own making. The context is that of knowing that the Word of God is the source of our protection against that which is so much the weaponry of this age’s warfare – doubt, suspicion, lies, smokescreens, intimidations, fears, and illusions of darkness and despair. These are the elements which we face, in ourselves and in the minds and hearts of those who are so subjected to this age’s onslaughts in its every effort to distract and to distort and to minimize the triumphantant victory of Jesus Christ. 
The Writer to the Hebrews details the truth of the effectiveness of God’s Word for us in Heb 4:12. Heb 4:12, For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. …piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The fact is that the Word of God is what we use to combat every doubt and fear. When we think of this battle analogy, it is the fact that we bring into this spiritual struggle the Word of God in our prayers as the means of displacing anything that is arrayed against us. We pray the very Word of God as our means of displacement. For example, it is the truth of God’s Word which is used to combat the lies and doubts about eternal salvation and the victorius and glorious resurrection power of Christ and the precious ministry of the Holy Spirit. We go to the Word and we pray it back to God, recounting the every promise that is ours in His Word by the power of Christ Jesus as Lord of lords and King of kings. His Word of truth displaces the lies and the camouflage of this age. His light displaces the darkness and shines into the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds.  
    	We need to learn to pray after the Heart of God as detailed in His Word. This means that we need to prayerfully spend the time in His Word which will allow the Holy Spirit the freedom to bring it to mind in the every instance that it is needed for our up building and for our defense against those insipid doubts and distortions and worries and frustrations and anxieties and fears and lies of this age. 
	This was part of the prayer of the disciples as they were waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts 4:24-31. They were faced with the very literal and deadly persecution for their unending faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Please open to it so we can read it together. Acts 4:24-31. As we do so, recognize that they were praying the very Scripture back to God that showed that everything that had happened to Jesus had been detailed and foretold in His Word.
	Acts 4:24-31, And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is Thou who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Thy servant, didst say, 'Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples devise futile things? 'The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord, and against His Christ.' "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur. "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence, while Thou dost extend Thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Thy holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness. Amen.
    	The Psalmist knew the value of the Word of God as he so declared in numerous psalms, if one takes the time to read and to dwell on them. For this current example, however, please turn to Ps 119, verses 127-138. We want to read together the great recognition of just how mighty the Word of God is to combat this age’s weapons of doubt and lies and deceit in his prayer to God to sustain him from every evil intent. 
	Ps 119:127-138, Therefore I love Thy commandments Above gold, yes, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem right all Thy precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way. Thy testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul observes them. The unfolding of Thy words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. I opened my mouth wide and panted, For I longed for Thy commandments. Turn to me and be gracious to me, After Thy manner with those who love Thy name. Establish my footsteps in Thy word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Thy precepts. Make Thy face shine upon Thy servant, And teach me Thy statutes. My eyes shed streams of water, Because they do not keep Thy law. Righteous art Thou, O Lord, And upright are Thy judgments. Thou hast commanded Thy testimonies in righteousness And exceeding faithfulness. Amen.
    	We will conclude, for this morning, with the words of The Lord given through the Prophet Isaiah in Isa 55:9-13. Here we are again instructed as to the effective and sustaining power of the Word of the Lord.
	Isa 55:9-13, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. "For you will go out with joy, And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. "Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up; And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up; And it will be a memorial to the Lord, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off." 
We need to lose ourselves in the glorious power and awesome splendor of the Word of God. As we do so, we will be enabled to stand firmly rooted against the worst weapons of this age with no fear or dread or trembling anxiety. Everything we need, the Holy Spirit will supply as we learn to pray after the truth of His Word. The Word fo God details the faithfulness and the majesty and the joyous reality of what it means to be so loved by the Lord God Almighty. So be it.
 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Amen.

This morning’s benediction is Ex 15:18. "The Lord shall reign forever and ever." Amen.