Readiness

Jan 18

OPENING PRAYER:

As I enter prayer now, I pause to be ready. Lord, I slow down and return all my attention to you. Help me to be ready to see whatever you want me to see, to hear whatever you want me to hear, and to do whatever you want me to do. Lord, you are worthy of all my attention and all my allegiance. Shake off my slumber and apathy. Awaken me to all you are and all you are doing!

Prayer of Readiness #1:

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Ephesians 6:14-15

The enemy is leading what could be called a disinformation campaign. He wages a lie-based strategy against us. The command to “stand firm” is repeated four times in Ephesians 6. The word is histemi in Greek, meaning “to pitch a tent” or “to abide.” The focus isn’t on posture – standing vs. sitting – but on place, of being grounded in a place where you plant your feet and stand immovable. And the place we are to be grounded is in the person of Jesus and the Scriptures, interpreted through the lens of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

So, set your faith deeper in Jesus and His word, and stand in that place unmovable. We trust that Jesus is right about everything. Yet, we are all unbelievers. We all have areas in our lives where we don’t trust Jesus’s words and don’t believe that what Jesus accomplished is enough to deal with our past, present, or future problems. Those are the areas where we have believed in the disinformation campaign of the evil one. That is where our peace is broken. When we choose belief in Jesus in that area, peace is restored.

Consider the following questions:

Where is peace broken in me? What does the Gospel of Peace say to me about that?

Ask the Holy Spirit, “What unbelief do I need to repent of? How must I turn to Jesus?”

Offer what you hear as a prayer of repentance. Then, stop to receive the peace the Gospel alone can give you.

Prayer of Readiness #2:

I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the message, be ready whether it is convenient or not, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and instruction.
2 Timothy 4:1-2

Consider the following questions:

With whom do you need to share the gospel? Ask the Lord to show you specifically who He wants you to be ready to share the Gospel with, both those who believe and those who do not. Write those names down. Keep this list. Begin to pray for them daily this week.

Now pray for each of them by name that they would be ready to receive the Gospel of Peace with faith.

Pray you will be ready to share the Gospel with them, whether it’s convenient or not.

Pray that every missionary in the Underground will be ready to share the Gospel in their context, whether it’s convenient or not. Pray that those who hear the Gospel from them will be ready to receive it with faith.

Prayer of Readiness #3:

“As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

Pray for the following request from this passage: