This week and next we will cover Five Directions for our Praying. This week will see:

Paul reminds us that we struggle against "spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places". We learn that what we see is not all that there is in this world. There is a spiritual battle taking place in the spiritual realm in our world.

We learn that as the Gospel spreads there will be opposition. However, God continues to build His Church and the gates of Hell will NOT prevail.

Prayer is hard and we need all the help we can get. Around us rages a battle of spiritual forces who shoot their "fiery darts at us" - as Martin Luther said.

We pray because their is a battle outside of us, but we also pray because their is a battle inside of us. We still deal with remaining sin in our hearts as Paul says. We also pray because although God is fully Sovereign, he has designed prayer as a means to accomplish His will.
But Martin Luther saw himself in the last days, which were times of intense ongoing spiritual war and he said "where the Word of God is preached, expect opposition".