Ephesians 6: PRAY at All Times

I have been going back to this passage in Ephesians 6 often in the last few weeks. It seems there is always something else the Lord wants me to see. This week, I was alerted to this verse:

18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. (biblegateway.com HCSB)

Over the course of the last few weeks, I have noticed that there are steps to get to this point.

1. Be strengthened by the Lord and His vast strength
2. Put on the full armor so that you can stand against the devil
3. Prepare everything so that you can take a stand
4. PRAY AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT WITH EVERY PRAYER AND REQUEST
5. STAY ALERT IN THIS WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE FOR ALL THE SAINTS

How often do we tell each other or hear it taught that we should put on the full armor of God??

All the TIME!!

And yet, how often are we directed to be strengthened by the Lord, FIRST?

I have never heard it that way. Not that I can recall anyway. But if you aren’t strengthened by the Lord, can you really wear the armor??

I don’t think so. At least, it doesn’t seem that way to me.

And, by the way, lately I have been “seeing” the armor, and it doesn’t look like the Sunday School version of the Roman armor. Think Super Hero technology! Like a full suit that fits each of us perfectly. And, it’s personalized—just a bit. I see each person’s armor has something that is just for them. 

Anyways, I just thought you might like to know that.

Back to the steps.

AFTER we have strengthened ourselves in the Lord, and put on the armor, and prepared to stand firm, THEN and only then are we directed to pray at all times.

I believe that direction is there for a purpose.Have any of you committed to praying for someone and then, a day later, totally forgotten about it? Or, on the other hand, set timers to pray. Wrote out elaborate prayers. Prayed and prayed. And prayed some more. Until you don’t know what else to pray. And you kinda just fizzle out.

I have done all of that over the years. I prayed and prayed in my own strength for so many things.

And, guess what?? Sometimes I received answers to prayers. But I also exhausted myself. Because I was doing it in my own strength. I didn’t seek the Lord or ask Him how HE wanted me to be praying.

I prayed the written prayers I found in books.

I prayed the prayers friends typed up.

Those are great. But is that what God wants me to pray for this situation? Did He lead me to those prayers? Or did I just use the prayer that was there because it was there, and a good prayer to pray?

NOW: Let me say this. These prayers are often effective and good to pray. They are great tools for us to use when we don’t really know what to pray. And sometimes God gives us the words to use in these kinds of prayers. And they result in answers.

But, when we don’t ask Him how to pray, when we don’t ask HIM how to pray for this situation, I believe our prayers are less effective.

Strengthen Yourself in the Lord, Ephesians 6

As I have pondered this all, I keep running into more and more scriptures that tell us to strengthen ourselves in the Lord. I even put on a new T-shirt I just got and realized it said to strengthen yourself in the Lord.

That made me smile.

Here is a quick list of them for you:

1 Samuel 30:6 David was in a difficult position because the troops talked about stoning him, for they were all very bitter over the loss of their sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

Philippians 4:13 I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.

Colossians 1:11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy.

I taught my kids that if it says it in the Bible once, it’s important. But if you see it twice or more, PAY ATTENTION. And here we have the instruction to strengthen yourself in the Lord, just this quick list, 6 times.

How can we ignore that instruction?

Be Strengthened In the Lord and by His Vast Strength:

If we want to be effective prayer warriors, we MUST be strengthened in Him. We do that by “waiting for the Lord”. Sometimes that means just sitting quietly and waiting for Him to drop something into our spirits. By that, I mean that there is a scripture address that maybe pops into our thoughts. Sometimes I open my Bible to a passage that seems to fit perfectly for the situation I am praying. Other times, I just open my mouth and start praying, and it seems that the Lord uses my mouth and His words are coming out.

And sometimes we get led to use those scripted prayers. Those are great tools. But no substitute for the relationship we can have with Jesus.

Another way we can be strengthened in the Lord is by worshipping Him. Sometimes when I have no words, I just turn on some, for me it has to be loud and wild, worship music. There is something that happens when I lose myself in wild, loud worship!

When I have done that for a song or 2, I can come back and pray what I need to pray. And I find it is powerful!

Other times, I pray in tongues. Yes, I am aware that praying in tongues is quite controversial. 

Pray In the Spirit, Ephesians 6

I would invite you to read 1 Corinthians 14 and then come back and talk with me. And go back to the words of the passage I am discussing here: “in the Spirit”. The phrasing says “IN THE SPIRIT”, which is what praying in tongues is generally referred to. We are expressly directed to pray in the Spirit. 

When I pray in tongues, I am praying to God. I am tuning my heart to God. Strengthening myself in the Lord.

Praying in tongues is powerful!

And so effective.

I would love to hear how you strengthen yourself in the Lord. What is your favorite thing to do when you need to really dig into prayer?