Alba 8-20-2023
THE ARMOR OF GOD: PRAYER
Ephesians 6:18
You probably have heard the poem about prayer written by Sam Walter Foss. But here it is again just in case you missed it.
"The proper way for a man to pray," Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes, "And the only proper attitude is down upon his knees." "No, I should say the way to pray," Said Rev. Doctor Wise, "Is standing straight with outstretched arms and rapt and upturned eyes."
"Oh, no; no, no," said Elder Slow, "Such posture is too proud:
A man should pray with eyes fast closed and head contritely bowed." "It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front. With both thumbs pointing toward the ground," Said Rev. Doctor Blunt.
"Las' year I fell in Hodgkin's well Head first," said Cyrus Brown, "With both my heels a-stickin' up, my head a-pinting down; An' I made a prayer right then an' there - Best prayer I ever said. The prayingest prayer I ever prayed, a-standing on my head."
What is the best prayer you've ever prayed? Most likely it was a time when you had a real need that was beyond your power to meet. And so you cried out to God. You prayed!
George Barna at one time took a poll and found that 78% of people who confess to being Christians pray during two distinct times. The first: before meals.
The other time that 78% of Christians say they pray is during difficult circumstances. “God get me out of this.” “God help me.” “God make things better.”
There are many times that we need to pray. But it should not only be when we face some trouble or difficulty. And it should not be limited to meal time. Both are appropriate times to pray. It is just that prayer can be so much more.
In Ephesians 6:10-17, we are exhorted to stand firm against the evil one by putting on the armor of God. And there it describes six pieces of the armor that every believer has available in order to be able to stand firm.
We’ve looked at each of those pieces of the armor in quite some detail in order to understand how to use them effectively against the schemes of the devil. But then verse 18 says we should be, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
And, although in many Bibles, verse 18 is separated from the previous section by starting a new paragraph, there is no doubt that this verse is connected with the section on the armor of God.
Scripture is not indicating here that in addition to the six pieces of armor (all of which matched the armor of the Roman soldier) we are to add prayer, as if it is the seventh piece of armor. Actually, the point being made is that prayer is woven all throughout the armor.
When we arm ourselves with the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness and sandal our feet with the gospel of peace. When we take up the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, we must at the same time also engage in prayer if we are going to be successful in battle.
We cannot begin to be strong in the Lord and His mighty power, or stand firm in our faith, or resist Satan’s schemes unless we are people of prayer.
This verse says we are to be “praying always”. You ask, “How can I do that? Do I have to keep my head bowed in prayer all day long?” That wouldn't work very well would it? But you can set aside a time of prayer.
And you can take your everyday, ordinary life: your sleeping, eating, working, and walking-around life, and place it before God as you go through the day. You can even pray on the fly as you meet some temptation in your day that you realize you need help to overcome. God is always listening!
Prayer can happen anytime, anywhere. Have you ever had a cell phone conversation cut off because you lost your signal? That will never happen with prayer, because God’s Spirit is everywhere and even lives inside of you!
Prayer is so essential that we need to employ every kind of prayer imaginable – group prayer, individual prayer, silent prayer, shouting prayer, walking prayer, kneeling prayer, angry prayer, thankful prayer, confessing prayer, exalting prayer, rehearsed prayer, spontaneous prayer, groaning prayer.
You can find examples of every one of those kinds of prayers and a whole lot more in the Bible. In fact, a good way to learn how to pray is to study the many prayers that are in the Bible. Learning to pray was a question that the apostles had for Jesus in Luke chapter 11. “Teach us to pray” they said. So He did.
We call it “The Lord's Prayer”. But it was actually given in response to the apostles request for instruction about how to pray. He gave a prayer after which we can model our prayers.
Prayer is our opportunity to talk to the God of the Universe. He invites us to be in communication with Him. He likes it when we talk with Him. But I have noticed something. There are times when we begin a prayer talking with the Lord, and then seem to be talking about Him.
It is this way. How would it be if I was talking to a friend named David. I think the communication would be fairly personal. For example, if I was thanking David for something he had done for me, what would I say? Would it be, “I thank David for the blessing” ?
That would sound weird wouldn't it? It would be like telling it to other people, but not David. That's not personal. So wouldn't it be better to say, “David, I thank you for the blessing.” The point is that when praying, remember to whom you are speaking. Keep it on a personal level.
And when we pray we can ask for help. Verse 18 says our prayers should include, “supplication”, which means an earnest request. It refers to making known specific needs, and even conveys a sense of urgency. In Luke 18 Jesus told the story of a widow who finally received what she needed because of her persistence. Jesus used that example to say we should always pray and not lose heart.
One way to remember to continue to pray and not lose heart is to push, P.U.S.H. Those letters stand for the words, “Pray Until Something Happens”, push! Just because something doesn't happen right away, there is value in continuing to bring the need before the Lord. In His time, He will answer. And His answer will be the right answer.
Then we are told to “pray in the Spirit”. In verses 17 and 18 there are two references to the Holy Spirit. In verse 18, we are to pray in the Spirit and verse 17 tells us how to do that.
To pray in the Spirit simply means to pray in a way that is consistent with the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s revelation of Himself in His Word.
So praying in the Spirit is praying in a manner that is consistent with the nature and will of God as He reveals it in His Word.
Praying “in the Spirit” means that we are praying in agreement with what God would want to happen. Jesus gave us the example as He prayed before going to the cross, “Not my will, but thine be done.”
And to end our prayers saying, “In Jesus name, Amen” should mean that what we are asking is in agreement with what our Lord would want to see in our lives, not just something to satisfy our own wants.
When we saturate our lives with the Word of God, and then live our lives consistently with what we learn there, we give the Holy Spirit more access to our lives. In a sense, it’s kind of like tuning into a radio station.
If I want to listen to a particular station, I have to take my radio and tune it to that station in order to hear what is being broadcast. When I align my life with God’s Word, then in effect I’m tuning into God so that I can hear what He is broadcasting for me, and my prayers can be more effective.
Romans 8:27-28 describes the role of the Holy Spirit in our praying in more detail:
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
Thankfully, when we don't, or can't, pray the way we should about something that is troubling us, the Holy Spirit is able to translate our weak and wandering words to our Heavenly Father.
Apart from the Holy Spirit’s assistance, our prayers are limited to our own reasoning and intuition, but with the Holy Spirit’s help they move to a higher level. As we seek His help He will speak to us through his Word, which conveys His will regarding every area of life which will help us when we pray.
Verse 18 also tells us in our prayers to be, “watchful” Jesus had previously connected the need to be watchful and prayer. It was the night He was in the garden praying as He prepared to give Himself as a sacrifice for our sins on the cross.
He spoke to His disciples, who kept falling asleep, telling them in Mark 14:38, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
He was encouraging His disciples to be on guard for those things that might tempt them to sin so that they could pray about them. And we would certainly be wise to do the same.
We also need to be watching and wise to the ways of the world. Not to copy the world, but to avoid the pitfalls and to avoid to getting roped into the schemes of the devil. We are not to be naïve, but aware. We are to stay alert, and pray.
Guy H. King, a clergyman of the Church of England during the first part of the last century, said something that helps us understand how prayer helps us with temptation. He said, “No one is a firmer believer in prayer than the devil; not that he practices it but that he suffers from it.”
A saint who prays will find that he is not as susceptible to worldly seductions. Although the Bible gives some examples of men who had temporary setbacks, prayer can do much to help us overcome the wayward voices of the world.
And then verse 18 says that we are to be praying “for all the saints.” In other words we Christians are to pray for each other.
The apostle Paul led by example on this. In Romans 1:9 he wrote, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.”
In other places we are commanded to pray for unbelievers, for government leaders, and more. But here the focus is on “all the saints”. It is only saints, Christian believers, who are involved in the spiritual warfare for which God provides the armor that has just been described, and who are able to pray in the Spirit.
And if one member of the Body is weak, wounded, or cannot function, the other members compensate by supporting and helping strengthen it in prayer.
This is a spiritual battle we are in. Satan is working harder than he ever has to tear down the Church. He is working harder than ever to torment and destroy us.
We are surrounded by challenges. The things we see going on in our country, it's not just a political battle, it is completely spiritual. The need for constant prayer has never been more urgent.
So while it is not wrong to pray for physical needs, we need to be aware of the spiritual needs of our country, and of those around us, and of each other. Praying for others with sincerity and perseverance is, in God’s immeasurable grace, a great blessing and strength to our own souls.
We, as the church, are called to prayer like never before.
Only the very hand God can change the situation which we are in. In this spiritual war, prayer is the power behind the armor and the sword.
By prayer we ask for armor, in prayer we receive the armor, and with prayer we use the armor. Prayer is the power that enables us to wield the sword. And prayer gives us a conduit by which we communicate with our commander.
The military is taught how to use the protective gear they are given along with a lot of training on how to use the weapons to fight the battles. But it doesn't end there.
What happens when soldiers are making battle plans or are in the midst of the battle? Are they on their own? No! The soldiers are in constant communication with headquarters.
Headquarters helps develop the battle plan, and assists the soldiers when in the battle. If a group of soldiers are pinned down, they will contact headquarters and request assistance, or they will ask for air support or possible advice on a change of tactic.
When we pray, we are calling down air support from heaven in our battles against Satan and his forces. It is important that we, as soldiers, fitted with the armor of God, maintain communication with our commander and listen to the commands given.
The battle is not of flesh and blood, it is a spiritual battle. We have been equipped with our spiritual armor and are given prayer for direct communication with our commander who has the winning battle plan!
Remember the Victory belongs to the Lord! We need to pray!
CLOSE:
Among those in the court of Alexander the Great was a philosopher of outstanding ability but little money. He asked Alexander for financial help and was told to draw whatever he needed from the imperial treasury.
But when the man requested an amount equal to $50,000, he was refused--the treasurer needing to verify that such a large sum was authorized.
When he asked Alexander, the ruler replied, "Pay the money at once. The philosopher has done me a singular honor. By the largeness of his request he shows that he has understood both my wealth and generosity."
Today in the Word, MBI, August, 1991, p. 19. http://www.christianglobe.com/Illustrations/theDetails.asp?whichOne=p&whichFile=prayer
Do we understand God's wealth and generosity? If so, let us be more in prayer for His guidance and His mercy.
