John Bunyan once said, "You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed."
In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul exhorts believers to take up the armor of God, not merely to stand firm, but to pray. Prayer, like a soldier's knees bent in reverence and readiness, completes the Christian's preparation for spiritual battle.
1. Pray Continually Paul commands us to pray "at all times in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18). This echoes his words in Romans 12:12: "Be constant in prayer," and 1 Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray without ceasing." Early Christians exemplified this devotion. Acts 2:42 records their steadfastness in prayer.
How can we, in a busy and distracting world, obey this command? Like breathing, prayer should be woven into the fabric of daily life—whether in moments of thanksgiving, supplication, or confession.
2. Pray Dependently Paul emphasizes that our prayers must be "in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18). This reminder humbles us, pointing to our utter reliance on the Holy Spirit. Romans 8 assures us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding when we do not know how to pray. Scottish pastor Robert Murray M'Cheyne captured the essence of dependence in prayer: "What a man is alone on his knees before God, that he is and no more." True prayer is a declaration of our insufficiency and God's sufficiency.
3. Pray Passionately Prayer is not a casual exercise but a spiritual struggle.
4. Pray Selflessly Paul exhorts believers to make "supplication for all the saints" .
Conclusion Prayer is the Christian soldier's lifeline to the Commander-in-Chief.
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Pastor Jason Whitley grew up in Katy, Texas, and moved to Southern California to attend college. He graduated from The Master's University with a B.A. in Bible Exposition in 2001. He received his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from The Master's Seminary in 2006 and is currently...
