Remaining Watchful in Spiritual Warfare

Hello and welcome to this Thursday edition of destiny for victory with Pastor Paul shepherding to have you with us coming your way next Mr. Paul's message remained watchful in spiritual warfare. But first he joins me now from a studio in California. Pastor, thank you for your time. You know we started this year with a couple of messages a look toward the future effect the book were offered to everyone who gives a gift right now is called, it pays to serve Jesus talk about the booklet and what's in it. Houses could be helpful to us.

Yeah, I'm glad to talk about this booklet it's based on a series that I did entitled, it will be so worth it. And it's a series where I look at the encounter Jesus had with a man we call the rich young ruler, and he came to Jesus really eager to find out what it would take to receive and enjoy eternal life. And when Jesus told him what it would take. He walked away sad because he was unwilling to part with his many possessions in order to gain eternal life.

After that encounter the disciples said, well, we've given up everything and it kind of made them rethink okay what we get out of this deal we gave up everything and what we have to look forward to.

And Jesus response is what the series is based on Jesus said no one gives up everything and he listed a number of things he said who doesn't receive in this life with persecution 100 fold. And then they'll receive eternal life thereafter and I'm helping people understand that an eternal perspective must always be in focus. The fact is, it pays it really does pay both in this life and in the life to come. It pays to serve Jesus but it calls us to sacrifice and to surrender and those of us that are willing to do it.

We're going to see God bless us in wonderful ways. A great word of encouragement, pastor, and now is a great time for all of us to begin thinking that ways were still in the early stages of the year that is still facing some of the challenges from the year that was today's destined for victory message comes your way. Next, but first this reminder for your generous donation this month will be happy to send you Pastor Paul's booklet, it pays to serve Jesus. Consider the words of our Lord in the Gospel of Luke versus 29 and 30 truly I tell you, no one was left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fill receive many times more this age and the age to come eternal life. This is a promise from the very mouth of God. As you dive into this resource from Pastor Paul you be encouraged to remember that every promise God makes is a promise. God keeps again the booklet is called, it pays to serve Jesus is our gift to you by request for your generous gift to Destin for victory today. Just call 855-339-5500 to give that gift over the phone or mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. You can also make a safe and secure donation from our website. Pastor Paul.net he asked us to engage with him. And prayer is the means by which we engage with God. I want you to understand that's what prayer is about. It's not about religion it's about relationship you have never in your life developed a relationship with somebody and hardly talk to. Prayer has the potential to be one of our most powerful spiritual weapons, but we've got to learn to use it the right way today on Destin for victory. Esther Paul reminds us that Jesus gave us prayer agenda when the contains five key elements and when we put these elements into practice the get to have the kind of effective meaningful prayer life God wants all his children to enjoy. So here's Pastor Paul. Today's message remaining watchful in spiritual warfare we can have a relationship but we don't have communication. If you have a marriage in your little talk.

You need to work on your marriage because the lack of communication means there was a lack of connection, a man and as it is a natural relationship.

So what is in spiritual relationship you got to relate to God in prayer.

Prayer was really going to matter and so I want you to see the first thing we talked about in the prayer agenda was praise.

Make sure when you pray there is an aspect of praise. In fact, it's a good idea to enter into your conversation through praise, worship and thanksgiving. In other words, you focus on who God is and you glorify him for who he is and you thank him for what he's done so when you pray, first tell.thank you.

Tell God you love him. Tell God you appreciate and respect and honor who he is. Don't handle God like he's your boy down the street. He is the great God of the universe and he is to be written clearly is to be honored to be on board. His name is to be magnified, magnified your problem magnify your God as you see how great God is. You'll see your problem. I feel great, but your God is far greater.

And that allows you to enter into the right context, mental and emotional and spiritual context to bring him your concern because once I magnified God that I realize whatever I'm facing.

He's bigger than that. Whatever.

My problem, he's bigger than that, whatever my challenge. He's bigger than that.

Whatever the devil is trying to do. He's bigger than that. If God before me in that matter moves against me because in hand, I have victory in him.

I have freedom in him. I have all that I need and so we talked about praise the second P in the prayer agenda.

I call it petitions on behalf of others when he told us he gave us the part of the. The agenda that says that I want thy kingdom come in thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven that's petitioning on behalf of others why others because that is interceding that God's will will be done in the world around you. Whether you're praying for your family. Pray for the community. Pray for your country. Plan for your church praying for the people in your sphere of influence who have needs you want to praise and then you want to petition God on behalf of others.

You don't get to talk about you, but teach yourself. Don't start out talking about me. We are to be oriented for our own good, just remind you that. Regional prayer stop pray about you all the time.

In fact, stop looking at you all the time.

Focusing on you all the time you get the focus on yourself sometimes but some of us just need to realize I am not all that is only somewhat.

There is, and so used to thinking about other people pray for them, what problems you got some the pray about beautiful challenges and you got some of the pray about who need the eyes of understanding open so that they can see whatever by returning helplessly and they'll see that you got some things that pray about you have a spouse who special in you got some things to pray about. You have children that mean Jesus and the Holy Ghost things that pray about you have coworkers are trying to keep from getting the guy you got something to pray about you so much God for all, on behalf of other people, you should never allow yourself to be prayerless this too much debt that needs you gonna pray pray for all the people in your sphere of influence have a list so that you know every day I'm going pray over certain things at certain time because you really want to specialize in covering the many bases a petition on behalf of others.

So don't try to think of everything just on the spot. Develop a prayer list that has section.

Sometimes I pray over these things work. Some people do it Mondays on pray over these things and they have a whole list of items from there. Monday petitions through the prayer with these people and these things will zapper with these petitions in these things and do that throughout your lifetime you will be enough. Prayer warrior.

If you take the time and practice fighting and will reign in prayer because the people in your life need you to call their name to the Lord. The people in your life, you need somebody to petition God on their behalf. So don't pray general.

Praise God bless everybody everywhere. He can't do that. Pray specific. Remember it's warfare so you want to target people and things and when you pray I'm firing this missile at and I'm praying about that, and how often do you pray, pray till you see the answer you want, you push your pray until something happens P US eight.

Pray until something happened has what you need taken place yet. No. Keep praying about you want to be like that went all in Luke 18 who just God said go this woman is that no man is. I wish he because she won't.

I better answer her request and Jesus gave us that story to say if and just judge will do that. How much more will your good good father, bless you and me to at the point of your knee but you want to pray until something happened. So praise is the first part petitions on behalf of others.

Second part personal request that you finally get to you I told you we will come to you. We will leave you out. But no, pray about you. Only you all the time trying to get you did to see the kingdom is about people. That includes you, but goes far beyond you and so yes you do get your personal request in as well and talk to God about the things you want him to do in your life.

Take some time. You might want to create a prayer agenda just about your personal requests, and this day I pray over these requests, and this day I pray over the other set of requests and you talk to God about the things that you want him to do your needs and your desires.

So praise petitions on behalf of others personal request. Remember I told you in the last part of the series. You don't get to just have an attitude and unresolved attitude with folks you got it resolved that stuff if they have offended you trespass against you send against you. You need to have a posture of forgiveness, God made it plain. You don't have to express to people who are unrepentant walked up to them and say listen, I forgive you. They haven't even acknowledged that it is several what you want to have a forgiving added to toward those who have acknowledged it and then you want to actively forgive those that have acknowledged it, but even if they didn't acknowledge what they did wrong to say Lord help me to not carry them in the prison of my heart. That's what I'm forgiveness is when you carrying people you're holding them in unforgiveness in your mind in your heart and you have a little jail cell in your heart, and they are always there. Jesus says you must forgive them.

Why, because if he set you free from your sins, you will hold people responsible for theirs. He set you free.

So you gotta set them free music but didn't acknowledge it. What you do is pray like Jesus prayed on the cross and Stephen prayed when he was being stoned that you say Lord I'm given them to you. I forgive them to you, Lord, I want you to know I'm releasing them. In fact, the word forgive Ness the Greek word means to send away to send away when I forgive you what I'm doing is you didn't acknowledge that you did me wrong but I have since you you are no longer with me. You no longer my heart you're no longer him, also called it in your crawl don't default in your crawl syndrome to Jesus given them to you, Lord, because he knows what to do with and some of us need to free all the prisoners in our hearts. I told Joe some of y'all have a whole cellblock C you got a whole cellblock. See you got solitary confinement in their you got full cool you put through various changes you need to release yourself and I know you need to release him because every time you see him every time you get a name every time something remind you of them. Your face changes your attitude changes your disposition.

Jade don't tell me. All I worry about them just your if you are more about them. You wouldn't have that kind of reaction. What you need to build a new assay. Yeah, I remember very well what they did but I sent him away, I transferred them to God's deal.

They are no longer my assignment. Amen. No, don't go away were only about halfway through today's destiny for Victor message with pastor Paul Sheppard who senior pastor of destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California.

Be sure to subscribe to pastor Paul on YouTube to watch some of his best video clips for more details and links all the social media visit pastor Paul… That's pastor Paul.net you can also listen on demand recent messages or find a variety of resources and online store. Now here's pastor Paul again with the rest of today's message remaining watchful in spiritual warfare. So we all got some people you got to get rid of you are not supposed to be the warden on their case. You send them to him.

So pardon for offenders in the final part of the prayer agenda. I wrap it up with this calling protection and to proclaim victory over the evil one. Pray for protection and to proclaim victory over the evil one. I'm praying for my personal protection and I'm proclaiming my victory over the evil one. When Jesus said pray don't lead us into temptation, but never rust from the evil one. He is encouraging you to understand that you and I need protection so God be your protector. In fact, you get a good example of what Jesus had in mind when have you ever read the account of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane look for instance at Matthew chapter 26 verse 41, when he first gets to the garden. He has 11 disciples with him. Judas of course has gone but the other 11 a with him and then at a certain point, he tells me to stay where they are and he walks further into the garden with Peter James and John, and he takes them and he tells them not watch with me and so he wants them at a certain point you just cannot be there for moral support and prayer support, and then at a certain point, he leaves them at a different place than the other eight and he goes to the stone where he is going to do is serious, praying, and you already know what happened in Gethsemane. That's where Jesus labored in prayer and he prayed repeatedly until he got the breakthrough he needed. He said Lord if it's possible told that this happen. I don't want to drink this cup if it's possible let it be removed from me. He said no that's not my will but yours be done.

By the way, you better have yourself a Gethsemane, you better have a place where you pray unto your will conforms to his will call someone else. All we do is the first part of the Gethsemane prayer I will want this accessibly all pray you called Agatha, but it is only half Gethsemane. I want to go. I want to deal with it all alone and tied it all. Lord, please don't make me do the whole. Please don't and you got that part down but you gotta keep reading Jesus pray until he said yes. It took him three tried to get all the way they are.

To that point of full surrender and release the Bible says.

In fact, Jesus prayed on till his sweat glands gave way to blood, and he began to wipe the sweat menu that was some serious agonizing when you get to that place where you start bleeding as your agonizing he was determined to have his breakthrough now in the midst of that look at what he said in verse 41, to these disciples.

He said watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. Here in this model prayer. He says lead us not into temptation, but he told them later in their experience with him. He said watch and pray less you enter into it's not so much enticement toward evil we tend to think temptation is only enticement toward evil that's a certain kind of temptation when you are enticed to do wrong, but there are other temptations where you are enticed to do things you have no business doing things that just aren't the best reaction to what you're dealing with had a bad reaction to a hard trial.

Think about your life not your face in a hard trial of severe trial and you handle it. A good way, but the way you deal with it is a poor way so much that you're selling per se, but you sure carnal you sure missing the ideal Mark, you sure say what you shouldn't say you do what you shouldn't do make a decision you should make.

That's what spoken of here. And Jesus says here in the garden watch and pray left you enter into temptation. So when I suggested the last part of the prayer agenda is for you to pray for protection your protection from poor decision protection from wrong choices protection from things you really should not be involved in, then please understand that there is more than prayer, but prayer was part of it. You want to give it to God. Lord help me to not make poor decisions. Help me not make the wrong choice. I'm in the folds of off trial for severe testing time. I could involve enticement toward temptation, but please know the Lord himself would never entice you to temptation.

Remember what the apostle James said in his letter. Chapter 1 he said when you're tempted to do evil. Don't blame God for that. When you're tempted to do wrong. God never tempts us to do wrong.

He says that happens when of your own flesh you are drawn away and enticed something you drawled you in the wrong direction. The site will God is tempted me know he's not God wants you to where you want you to lose. God is not say will make the wrong decision, course not, but your flash and the enemy of your soul.that all that's what they want to do all the time get you to make wrong choices, whether it's enticement toward sin is just making wrong choices that aren't simple to say but they sure will mess things up. Anybody ever made choices when it one sin but you shall regret you ever did notice the on the job. Be honest not quit perpetrating a fraud would act like you always pray in the Holy Ghost, and you always make godly decisions may become decisions where you look at yourself in the mirror same. What was that about what really do really so you want to pray in your prayer agenda have a time when you pray Lord protect me. Help me to stay focused. Help me to know what to help lead us out of necessary trouble. Lord help me to not the environment where temptation where severe testing is liable to roll me away. Help me Lord, I don't need the billionaire just died me around altogether. Help me not to shop at temptation Mall. Will somebody not be the neighborhood. Just stay away automatic drama in my life not drama in my life. So pray for protection, but I doubt that prayer in the garden of Gethsemane or what Jesus said there in Matthew 2641 because I want you to notice that Jesus said then, so it clearly fits what he says here in the model prayer that you can't just pray you gotta also do what watch the got also watch those that God is something you to keep me away from trouble all by you walking into the trouble Lou and I tell you all know I was shoot straight before I finish this part of the sea somebody all you want to play prayer God to help you when you drawled yourself into the pickup you see a bit. Somebody help me Lord, all you to lead you into Tim Tatian when you oh I'm trying to help somebody go so you have to watch and pray in the garden of Eden man chose his own will and the garden of Gethsemane Jesus chose God's will pastor Paul's prayer for you is that you will learn to choose the second garden so that you can enjoy their destiny in Christ which you've been called. Thanks so much for joining us for today's destined for victory message remaining watchful in spiritual warfare. For more information about the destined for victory ministry or this month special offer. Stop by our website Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net asked God protection. If you are driving yourself into the tropical. I put myself here, you will recover from alcohol you do go to happy hour.

That's not where you supposed to pay because God will do the answer to the pricing but you afternoon watching and watch whole people say no I don't belong in their that's next, I would pastor Paul Sheppard warns us against defeating her own prayers for protection. I hope you join us. Until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory