Ephesians 6:18-20
“… praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
As Paul closes out this section on spiritual warfare, he emphasizes the priority of prayer. For a Christian, prayer is a necessity and priority. It is integral to the way a Christian lives and works. Prayer is essential to defending ourselves against the schemes of the enemy.
The importance of prayer is magnified by the fact that Paul uses the word “all” four times in this passage in reference to prayer:
– Praying at all times in the Spirit.
– With all prayer and supplication.
– With all perseverance.
– For all the saints.
Praying at all times in the Spirit
Prayer is conversation with God. While scripture is God speaking to us, prayer is us speaking to God. And it should be constant. The Lord invites us to talk with him all the time about everything. “Pray without ceasing,” Paul writes in I Thess 5:17.
Here in Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to pray at all times in the Spirit. To pray “in the Spirit” means to pray as agents of God’s purposes, not as agents of our preferences and desires. It means to pray in alignment with the Lord’s character and will. It also means to pray in acceptance of his response. When we pray “in the Spirit,” we are not just invoking his power, we are acknowledging our submission to his lordship. When we pray in the Spirit we are saying “not my will, Lord, but may your will be done.”
Prayer is not a means by which we get God to do what we want. James tells us, “You have not because you ask not.” We must ask, but our heart must be right. Our motives matter. James goes on to say, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to consume it on your passions.” To pray in the Spirit does not mean praying in pursuit of your own desires. Rather, it means praying for the purposes God has for your life.
To pray in the Spirit means to pray in response to the Spirit-inspired Word of God. If you are a Christian, then the Holy Spirit lives within you. As you read and study scripture, pray and ask the Spirit to give you understanding and insight.
“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2.12-14).
In Galatians 5 the apostle contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, and he makes it clear that the flesh (our sin nature) opposes and wages war against the things of the Spirit. To pray in the Spirit means to recognize this internal battle, to set your mind on the things of the Spirit and not the things of the flesh, and to ask for the Spirit’s power as you respond to the situations of life and work. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5.22-23)
To pray in the Spirit means to allow the Holy Spirit to help you pray. If you are reading and meditating on God’s Word and asking the Lord to give you insight; if you are pursuing the things of the Spirit and not the things of the flesh; if you are seeking first the kingdom of God; then the Holy Spirit will help you pray. Paul says this in Romans:
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8.26-28)
I think it is important to point out that people very frequently quote Romans 8.28 without quoting the prayer context in which it is written. Paul’s message is that we do not always know how to pray; we do not always know what is happening or why; but we do know who God is, and we trust him. We believe, and so we pray. And in those times, if we put our focus and faith on God, the Spirit intercedes and moves us to pray …even to the point that our prayer is expressed in “groanings too deep for words.”
Do not be reckless in your use of Romans 8.28. Make note of the conditional nature of the statement. All things work together for good “for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” People who do not love God and who are not pursuing his purposes have no claim to the promise of this verse. And “loving God” is not a sentimental feeling; it is the disciplined commitment to obeying his commands.
Thank you Lord for the gift of prayer. We ask you to help us pray at all times in connection with your Spirit. When we drift away from that connection, we humbly ask You to call us back.
