[04ctd]

Like Jesus Did


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, [Ephesians 6:18 NASB]

I considered taking this day to share some special thoughts about Easter, but then realized that this final piece of the Full Armor of God is not only an incredible gift to you and me  it is also the resource Jesus used as He faced the ultimate battle and looked forward to the incredible victory to follow.

A case could be made that Pauls description of the Armor ends with the Sword of the Spirit  the Word of God  but I cant imagine either trying to stand my ground or going into battle without the protection and the power of prayer. Yet, you and I know business leaders who can let business and busyness crowd out their prayer life, while wondering why they seem to be losing one battle after another. No  the FULL Armor HAS to include prayer!

You and I will never face the magnitude of the battles Jesus faced  especially the battle engaged on Thursday in the Garden of Gethsemane and fought unceasingly until Jesus declared It is finished! [John 19:30 NASB]  but we can at least begin to identify, cant we?

All of that week (and, of course, for an eternity before that), Jesus knew the battle was coming  havent you seen a challenge, a problem, a conflict coming your way  coming toward your company, your family? What did you do? Two things Jesus did were to pray for those He loved and were about to be most impacted by the conflict  read John 17  then He got alone with God and prayed for Himself (of course, He also asked others to pray for Him). And did He pray! He was so intense He not only broke into a sweat, but His sweat was like great drops of blood [Luke 22:44 NASB]. I dont know about you, but I have never prayed like that! Not even close.

But perhaps even more important than the intensity was the content. Jesus didnt worry about using the right words, He poured out His heart and let God know about His fear, and He was clear about what He was asking God to do. And then  He submitted! Some of the most powerful words in scripture, yet, not My will, but Yours be done. Words that embody the secret to the effectiveness of all of this Armor  words  and the heart commitment to make them really mean something  that acknowledge and rest in Gods sovereignty  with confidence in His character  and commitment to His Plan.

You can do that  you can submit. You can lay out your heart, your concern about the battle to come, and then you can say, but, Father, I trust You  not my will, but Yours be done.

Each step of the way through the rest of that Thursday night and into Good Friday, you can probably identify with some level of being falsely accused, of being persecuted, of being abandoned, of being misjudged, of being ridiculed, of being condemned  and, perhaps, even some sense of being crucified  or at least it felt like that at the time. What enabled Jesus to endure it all? He used His Full Armor, and empowered it by prayer  before, during and at the end of the battle. How could you and I ever think we can endure any of the battles of life and business while ignoring what Jesus depended on? Why would we want to?

What is your plan? How are you going to be intentional with this Armor and with prayer? WeÔÇÖve talked about how to put on the Armor every day ÔÇô even before getting out of bed ÔÇô but let me add to your Prayer Plan:

Im sure you already know that your Plans Step 1 has to be a commitment to daily  at least  personal time praying  communicating with your Father  and that your time needs to mirror John 17s prayer for others as well as prayer for yourself  and some time for listening as well!

Your people need to see you pray, they need to hear you pray, they need to hear you pray for them, and they need to hear stories that confirm that God answers prayer. This looks different for different leaders and different company cultures, but God will help you figure it out ÔÇô just ask Him!

Knowing that even Jesus asked others to pray for Him, I believe strongly that, because Christian Business Leaders are significant targets for the enemys attacks, you need to have a team of people who are committed to pray for you. God gifts people with the ministry of prayer and intercession, and He has already put them in your network  just ask and theyll step up. It doesnt take a lot, it just takes faithful prayers  you wont regret it!

You need people praying FOR you, for your company ÔÇô and praying IN your company. Those same kinds of intercessors can be recruited to pray for everything related to your company ÔÇô God may even lead them to pray for things you donÔÇÖt even know about! And the believers within your organization need to be encouraged to pray ÔÇô perhaps on company time or before work or spontaneously during the day ÔÇô for the company, for you, for their coworkers. Again, God will help you figure it out.

LetÔÇÖs hear Paul one last time:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will 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, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. [Ephesians 6:10-13 NASB]

Standing and Praying With You