It’s been said that “there are no atheists in foxholes.” Kelly Kapic writes that “for most people the question is no whether God exists, but what is God like.” How you pray often arises from your awareness of your circumstances and what you truly believe about God.

Just so you’re aware, we are in a battle. We are on the frontlines of a spiritual war. Paul writes about our spiritual warfare and needing the whole armour of God in Ephesians 6. After instructing us to wear that spiritual armour, he writes: “ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel…” (Eph 6:18-19).

Prayer is a key part to the advancement of God’s kingdom. You may need to reverse your thinking about that battle though. We are not the ones under siege, the enemy is. Jesus said that “the gates of hell will not prevail against [the church]” (Matt 16:18). The context of that statement is Jesus blessing Peter for his confession of Jesus as “the Son of the living God” and that upon the rock of that confessed revelation Jesus would build His church. We advance as we call on the name of the Lord and confess who He is, what He has done and what His will is. We also petition Him for our brothers and sisters in Christ and that the good news of Jesus Christ is spoken of boldly.

I encourage you all to be in prayer and to join others in prayer when the opportunities arise at our building or in small groups. Let’s advance together in God through prayer!

Journeying with you,

Pastor Merril