By Matt Huey

Last Wednesday we had 10 men gather to pray in Jesus’ name at 6:30am. We opened up our time by sharing what was on our hearts, and learning how we could specifically pray for each other. There was definitely a sense of hunger by many to see God intervene in the lives of our families, neighbors, and communities. Erik Henrikson then led us through a devotion on Ephesians 6:10-20 (below).

“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 against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 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 evil one. 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.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

We spent time reflecting and discussing the reality of the spiritual battle we face every day, and the abundant armor that God provides for us in the midst of that battle. Note that the only offensive weapon in the list is the sword of the Spirit – the word of God. God stresses to us the importance of allowing his word to penetrate our hearts and minds in such a way that the scriptures guide the way we engage in each battle we face in life.

Prayers this week:

• Pray that those attending Mars Hill will embrace the armor that God offers us (see Ephesians 6 above) and advance forward for the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
• Pray that God will stir the hearts of the community groups to serve with hearts of gladness during the “Serve the City” day on July 26th. Pray that all who can attend will attend, and that God will sovereignly orchestrate circumstances and conversations such that many in our communities witness and hear the gospel through the words and deeds of those in our church. Pray that no one serving would be ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16), even in the face of opposition.
• Pray that God would instill a missional heart in everyone attending Mars Hill. Pray for our community group leaders to have strength and perseverance as they continue to shepherd and encourage their groups to be on mission by embracing parts of their communities through constant prayer and service.
• Pray for the specific neighborhood in which God has sovereignly placed you (Acts 17:26,27).
• Pray that the hearts of the believers at Mars Hill would be focused on Jesus such that it becomes a joy to faithfully and sacrificially give of their time, talents, and treasure to the mission of Jesus Christ at Mars Hill (2 Corinthians 9:7).
• Pray against Satan, his tricks, and divisive attempts to hamper the mission of Mars Hill and lead people astray from the truth.
• Pray that believers in our church would be steadfast in prayer (Col 4:2), and that God would continue to bring more men on Wednesday mornings to pray.