WISDOM WEDNESDAY
Vol. 1 Issue 11 - 5-4-22
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
- II Peter 3:18
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Greetings
Church,
On the eve of the National Day of Prayer I would like
to encourage you to consider increasing your daily prayer output.
Calling on the Lord should not be an annual event dictated by the
world, it should be a moment by moment experience just like
breathing. This is what Paul means when in I Thessalonians 5:13 he
said, "pray without ceasing". As with breathing, prayer
should be a natural expression of our existence. It should not be
something we come to when we have exhausted every other avenue but
the first place that we go.
Paul in Ephesians 6 in his
discussion of the whole armor of God makes prayer a vital part of the
armor. Listen to verses 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." He
shares three broad things for us to consider in our prayer
lives.
The first is that prayer is to be at all times. The
time for prayer is always. There is never a time that prayer is not
appropriate or beneficial. Thus we need to develop this awareness of
the need to pray in the dailiness of our lives. We sell ourselves
short when we limit the need to pray. I learned from my Nana that
prayer was for all occasions not just a blessing at a meal. Paul
clarifies what the prayer life should be like as he states, "in
the Spirit". He wants the intercessor to be a part of our prayer
lives. The Holy Spirit is to be the one who directs our prayer lives
as we depend upon Him to give us insight and understanding. This is
one reason at our prayer meeting on Thursday nights we begin with
prayer so that we will be guided to pray in accordance to the Lord's
will. Paul further gives insight to what this praying at all times
looks like when he finishes, with "all prayer and supplication".
Here Paul directs us to prayer, as in praying in general or prayer
that does not ask but a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
Supplication means that we make a humble petition to the Lord, namely
this is the ask. So Paul encourages us to be "praying at all
times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication."
Secondly,
Paul gives us direction or subject matter for us to pray for. In the
midst of the armor that is put on we have a focused place of
attention or use for the armor and that is prayer. Yet the prayer
life is not just for the armor bearer/wearer but for all the saints.
The second portion of verse 18 says, "To that end keep alert
with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints."
The alertness comes from our pursuit of the Lord in prayer. We are to
do so with all perseverance. Being alert means we are aware of the
battle around us and that we maintain this alertness with all our
strength and follow through. The purpose for such is that we are
"making supplication for all the saints." Our prayer lives
then find their greatest strength not in just praying ourselves but
praying for others. Here that prayer is broad in nature for all the
saints. Yet it suggests that we take note of and are aware of the
needs of others around the world. We need not only research those
needs as published by various mission organizations but realize at
the heart that our own struggles are not much different than theirs.
So we pray not in generalizations but growing out of our own needs we
pray with perseverance for them.
Lastly, Paul moves to himself
as he asks for the Ephesians to cover him in prayer. He becomes the
example to follow as we pray for all the saints. The saints here are
those who profess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Paul is very specific
about what to pray for, which helps us to know that we need to be
specific about the needs of the saints around us. Take care to note
that unspoken prayers are not found in scripture and Paul is very
specific about what to pray for. Thus we need to be in relationship
with one another to know how to pray for each other. We need to be
consistent in asking how we can pray for one another. We need to be
consistent in following up with those needs so that we are enabled to
continue to pray for each other.
It is my prayer that you will
be encouraged to pray daily and often. To be a prayer warrior for the
church God has called you to be a part of. I would also like to
invite you to make prayer meeting on Thursday nights a new weekly
habit. I know you will be blessed as you pray with and for the
saints.
Blessings,
PBS
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