 Previous |
Have we put on our breastplate of righteousness?
Message
#14 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series
Paul says we are to have in place the breastplate of righteousness. Have we not done that in receiving Christ as Savior and Lord? He is our armor of light [Romans 13:12], the Righteous branch [Jeremiah 33:15]. He is our righteousness. While that is true, Paul’s letter is to Christians, saying we must continuously "put on" the breastplate of righteousness for prayer. How do we do that? Having all of Christ, through His Holy Spirit within us, what must we put on daily? When we check the definition of the Greek word, we find that it has the meaning of the "right action" that we are expected to take. It’s seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. The armor of God is not something we put on just for prayer. It represents the Spirit-filled life Paul describes in the book of Ephesians. It carries the meaning of conforming to the will of God, obeying God. It conveys the idea of our choosing and doing the right thing with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. So as we come to prayer, we must check our own righteousness, the right actions of our lives, to see if our armor is in place. We must ask our Lord to tell us if it isn’t, so we can confess and restore our fellowship, and our protection, as we pray.
Pray with me now -- Lord, we can’t be righteous, we can’t make right choices, in our own strength. We ask for Your enabling power and for Your mercy when we fail. In Jesus’ name, amen.
ã 1999 PrayerPower Ministries, P.O. Box
1368, Dallas, TX 75380-1368, 1-800-949-PRAY. |
