Pray in the Spirit

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. Ephesians 6:18-20

From the text, the Apostle Paul urged Christians to be aware regarding the battle that they wage against powers and principalities that dominates the world (Eph. 6:12). He listed all the weapons that are available to believers and the one that he emphasized and had mentioned several times is prayer. Yet this is often the weapon that most believers neglect to use. For Paul, it is not something that he needed to shy away from; to ask others to pray for him. This is also what he asked the Christians in Colossae to do in the face of the challenges that every believer are confronting. “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ...Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should” (Col. 4:2-4). The common reason for the neglect of asking others for prayer is the feeling of shame when the need is shared to others. Another reason is the lack of faith that prayer might not make a difference. Paul’s admonition to believers in Ephesus to call on them to pray for one another is because the battle is “against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” You are not dealing with a single enemy but a platoon of Satan’s soldiers. With this in mind, wouldn’t it make sense that you call on the reinforcements? Since God is commanding every believer to pray for one another, do not hesitate to ask others to pray for you as you are dealing with your struggles. Do not neglect your own prayers but see to it that you also pray for others.

Blessings.