The Book of Ephesians Pt. 59 Fervent, Effectual Prayer that Honors God

Today we come to the last part of the whole armor of God. Though prayer is last, it certainly is not least in the scope of the armor given to us by God. Like the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, prayer is an offensive and a defensive weapon. 

We are told to put on the whole armor of God so  we can stand against the devil during each evil attack, not yielding any ground to our enemy. Four times the word "stand" is used as a point of emphasis. 

Paul lets us know that spiritual warfare requires spiritual armament and this is what God provides through faith in Christ. The word "wrestle" literally refers to hand to hand combat to the death. Every believer is a foot soldier in the army of Jesus Christ and the more that we seek to glorify God the more intense we will find the battle. 

Ephesians 6:10-20  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12) 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. 13)  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. 14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 

Prayer and Supplication

Ephesians 6:18-20 18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19) And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20) For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 

The word "praying" refers to prayers directed to the one, True God of heaven and earth. It means offering our prayers, worship and supplications to the God who loves us, cares for us and who will always hear us when we pray. 

"All prayer and supplication" includes every form of prayer: the heartbroken prayers of a grieving parent; the secret prayers poured out in our prayer closet; spoken prayers in a worship service; prayers for our nation and leaders; prayers against cultural depravity, and prayers for our church families.  

Always and at all seasons means that no period of life should be without prayer. Youth, middle life, old age, all demand it; We need to pray during times of adversity, prosperity or periods of sunshine in our lives. We need to pray during times of desolation, times when we suffer temptation, times when important duties weigh us down or times when we are under heavy trial.

Have we stopped to think about what the word "prayer" actually means? Prayer during worship is a solemn address we give to Jehovah whereby we express our adoration for who God is and what He has done to save us. 

We use prayer in worship to lift up and exalt the beauty of His holiness. 

Prayer during worship asks God to bless His word as it is preached from the pulpit and for the working of His Spirit in every heart of all the people. We ask our Father in heaven to save souls, to call the prodigal sons and daughters back home and to sanctify us as we seek to apply the truths we learn. We ask God to help us do all things in a church setting for His honor and glory. 

Prayer is also a time for confessing of our sins and vowing to forsake them to the best  of our ability (Proverbs 28:13). During our prayer time we offer earnest supplication for God's mercy and forgiveness to fall upon us and to cleanse us through the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:5 - 2:1). 

Prayer is when we make intercession for the burdens and cares that other believers labor under. We pray for God to strengthen them and to bless them with His nearness. 

Prayer is a humble and joyous expression of thanksgiving and gratitude to God for His many mercies and lavish benefits granted to us in Christ. 

Supplications are earnest and humble prayers to the Father of Lights seeking His help, aid and deliverance for our needs and for unbelievers trapped in the spiritual bondage of sin. 

How are we to pray? "Always" which is a word that means “on every occasion.” Prayer is greatly needed in this fight. Putting on the whole armor of God is necessary and prayer is a vital component of His armor.

The word "always" means having a readiness to pray at any time for any situation that arises and it carries with it a heightened sense of urgency as we seek deliverance or a certain specific action by God on our behalf.  

Watch and Pray

Luke 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 

Our Lord taught His disciples to watch for the opportunity to pray and to "always" be praying for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven. He wanted us to learn to pray for God's continued sanctifying work to go on in us so that we are men and women prepared to stand in heaven because of faith in Christ. 

Always Pray

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18  Pray without ceasing. 18) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

Paul expressed the need for constant prayer in the life of each believer a bit differently in this text. We are given an imperative to "Pray without ceasing." We can pray while we are at work, at home, in a classroom, or at the market.

We can pray while we are driving, doing chores, reading our Bible, being a witness for Christ, or as we seek to honor God with our lives. Praying without ceasing is the idea of a believer who knows that the fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man will be heard by God. 

It is giving thanks to God for everything in our lives, whether we deem them things that are good or things that are difficult. Our focus must be turned toward heaven in prayer because we love and serve the Living God. 

The idea in these texts is that of believers being ready to pray, observing the needs of people around them and lifting the people and their needs before the throne of God. It is maintaining a clear commitment to prayer in the lives of God's redeemed people. This kind of commitment may prove challenging as a culture of demonic distractions constantly presses in upon us. 

Remember God's Spirit helps us in prayer.

Romans 8:26-28 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27) And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

We are to pray "in the Spirit" for true prayer is spiritual, and it is not true prayer unless the Holy Spirit fills our heart with heavenward longings that change our prayer from cold form to heartfelt realities. The ordinary habit of the soul should be prayerful, realizing the presence of the Spirit of God and looking for his grace and guidance.

God knows that our flesh is weak, easily worn out and quickly distracted by the cares of this life. He sent His Spirit to indwell each believer  and one specific work He does is to help us as we pray. We are weak; our minds are prone to wander; we lose our concentration during prayer but the Spirit of God knows full well our infirmities. 

The word "helpeth" means to lay hold along with us, to strive beside us, and bring help as we pray. The word "infirmities" includes bodily weaknesses like illness or disease, as well as trials, troubles and weakness at the soul level. 

He intercedes for each of us as we pray because we don't know how or what we should pray for. He knows our heart, our troubles and He helps us. He intercedes for us according to the will of God, strengthening us in prayer, helping us focus on the content of our prayer and the needs of those we lift up in prayer. 

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 

The words "watching thereunto" means we must be spiritually on guard against repetitious prayers that are full of words but lacking substance or spirituality. For example, Jesus condemned the Pharisees for praying with vain repetitions that mean nothing. He also condemned them for praying pretentiously in public places to show others how pious they were (Matthew 6:5-8). 

It also means being on guard against developing a slothful attitude toward prayer.  Like Bible study, prayer is work. It takes time, energy, effort, concentration and a reliance upon the Spirit of God.

Matthew 15:21-28  Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22)  And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23)  But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24) But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25) Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26) But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27) And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28) Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. 

The Greek word translated "perseverance" is only found in this text and no where else. This can make defining a word only used once a bit challenging. It means to be continuing in something with patience. This word has the idea of keeping on with your work and service for Christ, no matter how many obstacles there are or how difficult the circumstances may become.

The non Jewish woman in the text above sought help from Jesus because of her demon possessed daughter. She was in dire straits and her situation was most challenging. What parent would not want to help their child who suffered the trauma of demon possession? 

Jesus' disciples wanted to send her away but Jesus reminded her that He was preaching the gospel of the kingdom to the Jewish nation and God's chosen people. She fell down and worshipped Jesus and pleaded for help. She compared herself to a dog eating crumbs of food that fall to the floor from its master's table. At that point, Jesus commended her for a persevering faith and he healed her daughter. 

Finally, Paul points out that our prayer must include all saints, those who are born again. Prayer for all saints is one of the great tasks for which believers are gathered into "one body" in Christ. Praying for each other so that we may all be upheld and carried on, in warfare and in work, by mutual prayer. That we may all be kept from slipping into a lukewarm condition or restrained from giving in to fleshly lusts. That we all may be enabled by God's Spirit to "walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called."

Thoughts to Ponder...

Jude 1:20-21  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21) Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 

Prayer is our final component of the whole armor of God. It is good for us to recognize how feeble we are so that we turn to our omnipotent God and ask for the help He has promised to give us. 

Jude reminds us that we need to keep growing in our faith as long as God gives us life because as our faith is built up and strengthened, so too our prayer life will blossom and become effective.

The apostle reminds us to pray in or with the Holy Spirit of God. This connects with what Paul has taught us about prayer in Ephesians 6. Prayer without the Spirit is shallow prayer that does not do anything except waste time.  

Our prayer life should lead us toward the love of God in Christ and the mercy that Jesus brings to us which brings eternal life. 

Bob