Ephesians 6:17-18 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints…”

Prayer is a vital part of the armor of God. As Paul listed the pieces of armor, he closed with an admonishment to pray. Warren Wiersbe wrote about this passage, “Prayer is the energy that enables the Christian soldier to wear the armor and wield the sword.” How true!

Prayer can unlock doors that seem impossible to open. It is a powerful resource that God has given to His church. Notice the instruction Paul gives concerning prayer.

1. Pray always

Does this mean Christians are expected to do nothing else but pray? No, other Scriptures make it clear that there are other things for us to do. For example, the rest of Ephesians 6 reveals how Paul wrote about speaking to others about Jesus. He was doing more than praying. So, what does it mean to “pray always”? It means to be in the attitude of prayer. It means we remain in the presence of God so that we can pray from anywhere at any time.

Prayer is the Christian’s line of communication with God. On the battlefield, communication is crucial for victory. The Christian army is not fighting for victory; rather, we fight from the victory that Jesus won. Remain constant in prayer!

2. Pray with supplication

Supplication simply means to let God know what you need. Supplication is seeking God for the burden of our hearts. If God knows what we need before we ask, why do we need to pray (Matt. 6:8)? Prayer is not for God’s benefit; it is for ours. God knows how prayer can realign our focus on Him and how it can ease our burdened hearts.

One verse of the Christian hymn, “What A Friend We Have in Jesus” says, “O what peace we often forfeit / O what needless pain we bear / All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” God knows there are burdens we cannot carry in our strength. Prayer releases those burdens from our shoulders and places them in the hands of our Savior.

3. Pray in the Spirit

The Christian Army does not battle alone. God the Holy Spirit is with us and in us (John 14:17). He is our comforter and guide. Praying in the Spirit is to connect our prayers with God’s will. Romans 8 contains powerful truths that further our understanding of this. Read and think deeply about Romans 8:26-27 and the truths contained in this chapter.

4. Watch and Pray

The Christian Army must keep its eyes open to the enemy’s attacks. Stay alert to Satan’s attacks. Don’t surrender any ground in your life to the enemy of your soul. Beware of his tactics. Stand strong in the battle fully equipped in the armor of God. Be ready for the attack. Remember God has given us an offensive weapon, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” We are not simply holding a defensive position but are marching forward behind Christ our Captain.

5. Pray with Perseverance

God increases our faith through prayer. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isa. 55:9). He knows how to answer prayers in the perfect way and at the perfect time. Sometimes Christians struggle to understand why God doesn’t answer our prayers when and how we expect. This is when faith must kick in. We trust that God is working to answer our prayers according to His perfect way. He could be lining up answers to your prayers that you never thought possible. Don’t quit praying. Your victory could be right around the corner. If you would like to study this more, consider starting in John 11.

6. Pray for all Saints

You are not alone in your battle. God is with us always and He also gave us each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Stand together against the enemy of our souls. Don’t let him drive a wedge between you and your brother or sister in Christ. We need to pray for one another and build each other up. Don’t get sucked into the comparison trap between yourself and other Christians or your church and another church. Keep your eyes on Jesus and pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

When we gather for prayer on the first Tuesday of each month, I pray that we will join together as the army of God and pray according to these principles. I understand not everyone can join us online, but can you join us in prayer from wherever you are?

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer!