Verse of the day:
Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for
all the saints—
To date, we have
discussed the individual pieces of God’s armor. However, these are not the only
pieces of spiritual equipment that He has given us. Today we will see that
there is one key piece that God has given us that holds all the other pieces
together. Prayer is the buckle that secures our belt of truth. It latches our
breastplate of righteousness securely in place. Prayer is what laces our shoes,
boots, or sandals of the peace of the gospel on our feet. It is the handles
that secure our shield of faith to our arms; the strap to our helmet of
salvation, and the sheath for which we carry our sword of the Spirit. In other
words, in order for us to effectively put on and utilize the armor that God has
provided for us, we MUST pray. Without prayer we are essentially trying to
deploy what God has given us using carnal means, and I can tell you now, with
all confidence, that this is dangerous and is a sure recipe for defeat, since
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual (2 Cor 10:3-5). For
this reason, the Apostle instructs us to pray always (2 Thes 5:17), without
ceasing. This means that we are to always have a heart and mind that is often
and continually speaking to God. There are many occasions when we can pray,
whether private, public, silently, to ourselves, out loud with other believers,
and in any place we happen to be or any circumstance we are going through. We
can pray lying down, on our knees, sitting down, and standing up. We must be
praying always. We are to make supplication, not just for ourselves, but for
others also (1 Tim 2:1); knowing that our brothers/sisters in Christ are
suffering the same afflictions and attacks that we are (1 Pet 5:8-9). However,
we must remember that when we pray we enter the spiritual realm, so Who better
to help us in prayer than the Holy Spirit. The Word of God tell us that we do
not know what we should pray, and the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us,
knowing the mind and will of God (Rom 8:26-27). The enemy will do all he can to
interrupt and keep us from praying. Sadly, too many of us are easily
distracted, and make other things in our lives of greater importance than
prayer. This is quite evident even in the local church. I remember, sadly, and
too often, when the church would sponsor a time of food and fellowship, and the
fellowship hall would be filled; yet, when a prayer meeting was called, the
sanctuary was poorly attended, with only a few true, faithful, prayer warriors.
If there is any reason for the weakness in today’s Christianity, it is the
Christian’s lack of prayer and communion with God. Knowing that the enemy will
do whatever it takes to distract and interfere in our prayer life, we need to
be watchful (Mat 26:41; Col 4:2; 1 Pet 4:7). Prayer itself is a battlefield (a
battlefield of the mind). I often experience moments during prayer when some
thought will come to mind that is completely inappropriate for my time of
communion and communication with God. How often have we been distracted and
then some time later realized that we stopped praying and started thinking
about something else without even realizing it. How often do we give God the
leftovers of our day, and fall asleep during prayer because we are too
fatigued? This is why it is key that we give God the first fruits of our day
and energy. We are to watch, pray, and not faint (Lk 18:1). The bottom line is
that prayer is what holds our armor in place and gives us the strength, energy,
and wisdom to effectively use each piece of the armor, in battle, against the
enemies’ attacks. Most importantly, it will open doors for us, and the brothers
and sisters we are praying for, to share the Gospel message with others, as the
Apostle requested in verses 19-20; for too often we allow fear to keep us from
boldly (yet lovingly) speaking up for Christ and the Kingdom. Going into battle
well equipped is of utmost importance, but without communication we will not be
able to communicate with the Commander to receive instruction or to request
back up for those times when we are overwhelmed and overrun. God does not want
us to face life on our own, as His children. He wants us to submit to Him, with
all humility, and depend on Him completely because the enemy does not fear us,
but knows he cannot stand against our God (Jm 4:7-8). So, if we want to
experience the ultimate victory in our daily living, in Christ, we must
prayerfully put on God’s armor, never surrendering, and never giving up.
The
only name by which man can be saved is Jesus’ Name (Acts 4:12); and the way we
receive eternal life is to call on Him in prayer (Rom 10:13). All who call on
Him, by faith, repenting, and confessing their sins, will be saved. Do not put
off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom
6:23).
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