Ephesians 6:18-20
“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.”
The fourth “all” with regard to prayer is this: “Making supplication for all the saints, and also for me …”.
We need to pray for each other. In the context of this passage from Ephesians, we need to pray for each other that we will put on the whole armor of God and stand firm against the schemes of the enemy.
Girded with the belt of truth: Pray for your Christian family and friends that they would know the truth and apply the truth to their lives. Pray for their discernment, that they would be be fooled by distortions and false truth-claims.
Having put on the breastplate of righteousness: Pray for your Christian family and friends that they would seek after holiness in all things. That they would deal with other people with grace and mercy. That marriage relationships would be kept pure and that parents would be modeling godliness to their children. That honesty and integrity would guide all business dealings.
Feet shod with the gospel of peace: Pray for your Christian family and friends that God’s peace would encourage and guide them regardless of circumstances. That they would seek out and rejoice in their relationship with Jesus and would not neglect it in anyway. That they would grow in the knowledge of God and his love for them.
Taking up the shield of faith: Pray for your Christian family and friends that they would become stronger in faith having it tested and proven to be true, and that the flames of the Enemy’s fiery darts would be extinguished by a trust in God thoroughly grounded in his character and promises.
Taking up the helmet of salvation: Pray for your Christian family and friends that each would live according to the new nature given at salvation, and they would be an agent of God’s transforming kingdom … allowing the Holy Spirit to work in them and through them
The sword of the Spirit: Pray for your Christian family and friends that they would handle God’s Word with accuracy and faithfulness. That they would allow God’s word to teach them, direct them, correct them, and transform them deeply.
In asking for prayer at the close of this passage from Ephesians 6, note that the focus of Paul’s request was evangelism. “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.”
The good news of the Kingdom needs to be proclaimed. God has chosen to communicate the gospel through the people of the Church. Through the followers of Christ. We are called to live and work in such a way that our behavior displays the fruit of the Spirit. Scripture is also clear that we must communicate the good news. Jesus told the disciples: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). The Lord sent them out to proclaim the gospel clearly and boldly.
He asks us to do the same thing.
“All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5.18-20)
