Pray...

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.”

(Ephesians 6:18)

The Christians’ journey while here on this earth is not a breeze…or an extended vacation. It is intense. There is not one moment that we are not the target of Hell. I cannot overstate how critical this battle is, we call spiritual warfare. The battle of which I speak is not confined to certain geographical boundaries and borders. Jesus put it in perspective when He said that Satan, the thief, comes against us to kill, steal, and destroy. With just a few words Paul sets before us three things every Christian must do as we war our way to heaven. Add to that the fact that we are now living in what the scripture describes as “perilous” times. Regardless of how we feel about the president, the pandemic or the vaccine, the reality is we are in the very throes of end-time spiritual battles. So, with that in mind, consider with me what Paul is saying in this verse. Paul sets before us three things we must do: Pray, Watch, and Persevere.

PRAY

It’s been said that prayer may not be part of our spiritual armor, but, it is definitely an important part of the fight. The most powerful, profound, and far-reaching thing we can do is spend time in prayer. Our communion with God through prayer strengthens our spirit and enhances our spiritual discernment. Throughout God’s Word, we see God intervene in times of a crisis in response to the prayers of His people. In 2 Chronicles 20, we see Judah surrounded on every side by their enemies. King Jehoshaphat and his people turned to God in prayer and God miraculously intervened. In the book of Nehemiah, we see Nehemiah interceding in prayer for Jerusalem. God heard Nehemiah’s prayer and made provisions for him to lead in the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem. The night before Jesus was brutally beaten and nailed to a cross, He got alone with God and prayed. James 5:16 says that the intense prayer of a righteous man produces much. God has not changed…His promises still stand. Prayer serves as the Church’s weapon in this intense spiritual war that is raging in America right now. I’m not talking about praying that the Lord will bless us in our church services or help us pay our light bill or that people that got their feelings hurt will come back to church----we are way beyond that. Pray for unsaved family and friends. Pray that the socialistic, anti-God tsunami that is flooding this country will be driven back in the name of Jesus! Pray for revival across God’s Church! Pray for the lost around the world who have never heard the Gospel even one time! Pray!

Paul takes it a step further. He instructs us to pray in a certain way: “in the Spirit”. However, you may interpret that, I can tell you what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean casual, occasional, half-hearted obligatory prayer. Pray IN THE SPIRIT! Hebrews 4:16 teaches us to come boldly unto the throne of God’s grace that we may find grace (favor) to help in time of need.

In conclusion, I want to urge every person reading this First Words today, to take your prayer life to another level of faith, consistency, intensity and persistence. Immediately you will notice a change and shift in your walk with God and increased strength for every battle.