What Jesus Might Say To You
Topic: Praying Without Ceasing

*Main Scripture*
"Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of
evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing fi rm. Stand your
ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's
righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good
News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need
faith as your shield to stop the fi ery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put
on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power
of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all
Christians everywhere." (Ephesians 6:13-18, NLT)

*Other Scriptures*
Luke 18:1-7; Romans 8:26-27; Galatians 4:6; Philippians 4:6-7; 1
Thessalonians 5:17; Jude 20

*What Jesus Might Say To You*
Despite the intensity of a spiritual battle or how strong or weak you
feel at any given moment, I have given you everything you need to live a
godly life and to stand your ground against any attack from your Enemy,
Satan.

With every piece of spiritual armor you put on, you clothe yourself
with me. I am your helmet of salvation, your breastplate of righteousness,
your belt of truth, your shoes of the good news of peace, your sword of
the Spirit.

But wearing your spiritual armor still isn't enough. If you run into
battle fully equipped but aren't in communication with your command
center, you will lose. You need my guidance, my wisdom, my encouragement,
and my strength. That's why it's important that you pray at all times and
on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Praying at all times means staying in constant communication with me:
When you wake up, in between classes, during a test at school, while
you're hanging out with your friends, when you go to bed. Prayer is more
of an attitude than an activity. Satan loves to ambush my unsuspecting
followers. Without prayer he will catch you off guard every time.

As you pray, avoid doing all the talking. I know you have a lot on your
heart, but make room for the Holy Spirit to guide you in prayer. Spend
time in silence so I can respond to you. But also remember that you're
in the middle of a war, not just a fi ght. Other people face the same
attacks as you. They need you to pray for them as much as you need them
to pray for you.

But there's one more reason why we need to stay connected: I just like
to spend time with you!

Your Source for everything,
Jesus

*Summary Challenge*
Staying connected to Jesus is more of an attitude than an activity.

*Spend Some Time Journaling*

Taken from "Conversations with Jesus" by Youth for Christ, copyright
2006, Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Order the book
here: http://www.youthspecialties.com/product/273463
or visit http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Teen_Stories