LET US PRAY - Prayer That Resists Satan (Part 1)

There are three aspects of prayer:

1) You - praying for your needs and numerous requests.

2) God - the petitioned is God, hearing your prayers and ultimately answering according to His will.

3) Satan - The evil one who opposes God's work, will, and interest.

Every true prayer is related to all three aspects. When we come to pray, we naturally pray for our own welfare. We have needs, wants, and expectations; and so we pray. We pray for the sake of fulfilling our requests. Even so, in true prayer we should not simply ask concerning those things pertaining to our own welfare, we should also pray for the glory of God and for heaven's rule over the earth. Answer to prayer gives the Lord much glory, for it reveals the exceeding greatness of His love and power in fulfilling the request of His children. It also indicates that His will is done, because He will not answer prayer which is not in accordance with His will.

We know that the ruler of this universe is God. yet Satan is called "the prince of the world" (John 14:30) since "the whole world lieth in the evil one" (1 John 5:19). Hence we see that there are two diametrically opposing forces in this world, each seeking for ascendancy. God in truth has the ultimate victory; nonetheless, in this age of ours before the millennial kingdom, Satan continues to usurp power in this world to oppose God's work, will, and interest. We who are children of God belong to God. If we gain anything under His hand, it naturally will mean that His enemy suffers loss. The amount of gain we make is the amount of God's will done. And the amount of God's will done is in turn the amount of loss Satan suffers.

Any prayer that does not take into consideration all three aspects is superficial, of little worth, and without much accomplishment.

Today we focused on YOU - the first aspect of prayer. As you evaluate what defines your life, honestly ask yourself how you define your life: by a ladder or by the Cross? Are you daily being crucified with Christ? (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:5-7) Are you vigilant as you experience your daily activities and encounters with situations and people and standing ready to deny yourself for the sake of Christ? Is your identity founded in a oneness with God? Is your idea of freedom being surrendered to God's perfect will? Are you living in the world but not of it? (John 17:14-15)

Sanctification is the process of becoming holy and separated. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification." (1 Thessalonians 4:3) We are sanctified positionally, progressively, and perfectly. We are called to be holy as Jesus was holy. (1 Peter 1:13-16)

As you journey down the  road of sanctification there will be many crosses where you are challenged to deny yourself and take another step closer to becoming more like Christ. (Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23). I have always likened  the pain of "dying to self" as to the pain of removing a barbed fish hook from the flesh. The tearing of flesh when the barb is pulled out is much like the pain we experience when we put our own flesh to death on the Cross.

Becoming one with Christ requires that we face many crosses (deaths to self). The call is tough; the reward is matchless.

Next week, we will continue with "Prayer That Resist Satan".