Standing Strong in Prayer

       What do I do when I am overwhelmed, stressed, and feeling pressured in all areas of my life? How can I change from being powerless and out of control to being strong and empowered by the Lord? Sound familiar?
      Everyone feels like this at some time in life and we all ask these questions at one time or another. I have good news for you! The Lord Jesus Christ provides the ARMOR OF GOD to protect you from spiritual attacks and to empower you to not only stand when the battle is over, but to remain standing strong in the Lord Jesus Christ so you can move forward and get on with your life.
      "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand . . . Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Ephesians 6: 10 and 13
      The armor of God is a powerful gift the Lord provides for believers in Jesus Christ to strengthen your spiritual life and keep you strong in your faith to move from spiritual victory to spiritual victory. You can pray each piece of the armor of God on yourself and others when you are in the middle of the battle or you can pray each day to keep the protection in place on a regular basis. Each piece of the armor is designed to protect and strengthen a part of your life and your walk with God. Read the following Bible passage very slowly. Pause when you come to a piece of the armor, reflect on how this piece will help and protect you. Then, pray, asking the Lord to put each piece of the armor on as you read and pray.
      "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. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the enemy. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6: 14- 18
      Belt of Truth - It is the truth that will set you free. When you are feeling the pressure of stress in your life, things can often look   distorted and worse than they truly are in life. By praying to put the belt of truth on you are seeking the truth to wear like a belt, holding up your other garments and allowing you to move. "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what is done has been done through God." John 3: 21 Ask, seek, and knock in prayer for the Lord to put the belt of truth firmly around you.
      Breastplate of Righteousness - When you put on the breastplate of righteousness, you are covering your heart with the righteousness of the Lord that is yours by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Your emotions and your feelings can run wild when you are in the middle of a spiritual battle. Remember, the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life can help to bring emotions and feelings of holy love, fresh joy, and a sense of deep inner peace . "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5: 16 Pray to put on the breastplate of righteousness to cover your heart.
      Gospel Shoes of Peace - You may feel as if you are standing on the edge of a cliff or you may feel like running away when you are stressed and overwhelmed. But, as you pray to put on and wear the gospel shoes of peace, the Lord will give you sure footing to move forward rather than standing still, frozen in fear and doubt. Let the peace of God touch each part of your life. It is the peace of God that passes all understanding in life. "Now may the Lord of peace give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you." 2 Thessalonians 3: 16 Go to the Lord and ask Jesus to put the gospel shoes of peace on your feet.
      Shield of Faith - Our Lord is so wonderful to cover you with a shield of faith that is meant to be as large as a door to protect you from any darts of fire that are intended to harm you. Any "blazing arrows" that are sent your way can be kept away from you and the Lord will be your shield to guard you and keep you safe. The banner the Lord puts over you is love.  Pray to the Lord to be covered with the giant shield of faith.
      Helmet of Salvation - The helmet of salvation protects your head from a fatal blow to the body. God's helmet covers your head, your ability to reason and the helmet may help you to think clearly. Your mind is a particular target for deception when you are attacked. At times you may be confused, not knowing where to go and what to do. Or, you may have doubts and think that the Lord will not help you. But, the truth of the matter is that the Lord longs to give you salvation as a free gift of grace through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for your sins. As you pray to put on the helmet of salvation, pause to ask the Lord to give you faith in Jesus Christ and to help you to grow in your faith and trust in the Lord through this experience.
      Sword of the Spirit - A sword is used during a battle as an offensive weapon to push back the enemy. Take up the sword of the Holy Spirit, which is the word of God. Hold the sword firmly and lift it up to fight the battle. Live by the words of Jesus Christ and be empowered by the Holy Spirit as you use God's word each day. Ask the Lord in prayer to help you to use the sword of the Spirit to push the attack away from you and to have victory over the battle you are facing.
      Now that you have prayed and the Lord has placed each piece of the armor of God on you, you are free to walk on with God in love, peace, and joy.  The Lord will be with you and will lead you on the narrow path where you may be safe. Keep your suit of the armor of God clean and oiled through prayer. Pray each day to be protected and remember to thank and praise the Lord for providing the armor to keep you standing strong in prayer.

      Bette J. Shellhorn, Ph.D., is a spiritual director and has a deep faith and a passion for prayer. She serves the Lord in the ELCA Prayer Ministry as online manager for www.prayingchurch.org. Contact her at ELCAPrayingChurchOrg@msn.com.
      (All Bible passages used are from the New International Version)