Ingredients for Prayer
by Eric Lambert

In times of economic turmoil in the lives of so many, people are turning to whatever financial bailout that comes their way. These stimulus packages include reduced costs for services, rebates, two for one deals, and even prayer. The Rev. Eric A. Lambert Jr. believes prayer is the stimulus to improving people’s lives not as a gimmick but by, for one, giving them peace even though they have a bleak financial outlook.

“Through prayer we find a place that guarantees peace,” Rev. Lambert says. “God wants to solve our problems and give us peace.” In his latest book, Ingredients for Prayer: A Practical Approach for Maximizing Your Time with God, Rev. Lambert, pastor of Bethel Deliverance International Church north of Philadelphia, details what he believes is the true purpose of prayer in contrast to the ‘give me syndrome’ of prayer that so many with financial woes seem to have.

“We are often challenged by the worldly view of prayer, and we fall into the trap that makes us think that we are able to use prayer to bully the Lord into doing what we want. Yet I believe prayer is a time for intimacy and connection with God,” Rev. Lambert says. “Prayer by definition is worshipful oratory. By hyper-definition, prayer is an act of intercourse with your soul and God’s spirit. It is you connecting with God until your desires have been replaced by His heart.”

By using “The Lord’s Prayer” as a framework, he examines pieces of this prayer model to show ways to connect with God, like understanding the mind and will of God and becoming dependent upon and receiving the peace of God. Rev. Lambert says having a God-centered and not self-centered focus on prayer helps you to know that “[p]rayer is not about you. It is about the will of the Lord being done through you. To make supplication means that you should bring your request to the Lord; however, you must be sure that your request does not go against the will of the Lord.”

The Real Battle
by Eric Lambert

I feel a burden to share this with you, particularly because we are moving into the day of the supernatural and unfortunately, you and I have not been taught how to negotiate these waters of spiritual reality.  Consequently, we vacillate between the land of reality (the spirit) and the land of the visible (the physical).  We don’t know how to maintain spiritual stability in the spirit realm.  It is from the realm of the spirit that everything originates.

Everything that occurs happens in the spirit first and then is manifested in the natural or visible realm.  In fact Paul says we should not even look at the things that are visible but the things that are not seen (2 Corinthians 4:18).  Why?  It is the spiritual things which empower what we see.

Have you ever been confronted by an individual who may be challenging, threatening, or fighting you?  What is our tendency?  It is to fight the person, usually with no affect.  The person facing you is not the problem.  You are binding the wrong thing.  We must realize that a spirit from the spiritual realm that has attached itself to that person.  Your enemy is not flesh and blood.  The Word of God is clear, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places] (Ephesians 6:12).”  The person that’s harassing you is not your enemy.  They are simply a tool.  You can fight the person all you want but the enemy will just use another tool.

Until you learn how to deal with your enemy, you will always be a person who will never have consistent victory.  The severity of the pain the enemy wants to inflict will determine the person he uses.  If he wants to hurt you a little then he will use a stranger.  If he wants to hurt you a great deal then he will use a friend.  If he wants to deeply destroy you then he will  use a family member or a husband or a wife.  You and I must be mindful of the devils tactics when engaged in warfare. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). This battle will go on and on until we are safely in heaven, yet we are admonished by the Apostle Paul that we should stand and resist the enemy.  Now we must examine just how we stand against the enemy.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians 6:13-18);

Now, what did the Apostle tell us to do?  Put on the whole armor of God.  What does the armor consist of?  Truth, salvation, peace, righteousness, faith, the Word of God and prayer.  Remember these items must be a part of your daily wardrobe.  You must keep yourself clothed with the “whole” armor of God.  It is critical that you have on the right clothes if you are to be successful in this battle.

Put on the armor and take off the old man.  Who you used to be should have no bearing on your new life in Christ.  As you prepare yourself for battle, stay focused on victory and you will be a winner in Christ.

Now, let me hear your war cry!

JESUS!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rev. Eric A. Lambert Jr. responded to God’s call to Jesus Christ in 1971. From that time he was active in Christian ministry, serving in a variety of capacities at Deliverance Evangelistic Church, under the pastorate of the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Smith Sr. In 1987, after God’s leading, Rev. Lambert established Bethel Deliverance International Church in 1987 with seven committed believers, just north of his hometown of Philadelphia. In addition to pastoring, Rev. Lambert is fulfilling his apostolic calling, having planted a number of churches and developed pastoral relationships with both new and seasoned pastors. He remains committed to spreading the love of God to those who do not know Him while stabilizing and fortifying believers. This is evident not only in his church but in the messages of his books.  For more information, visit www.betheldeliverance.org.

For more information about Ingredients for Prayer: Maximizing Your Time with God, visit http://ericlambertministries.com.

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