Praying at all times
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
Some of us do fine with our prayers but there are those of us who know that we need more persistence when we pray. This is part of growing in Christian life; to engage in a regular consistent prayer. We have a tendency to be busy with living the life God gave us but tend to neglect an important aspect of Christian living which is praying. With the challenges Christians are facing in this time and culture, the more there is a need to engage in persistent praying. This is the challenge the Apostle Paul was presenting to the Christians at Ephesus. He gave this admonition after he reminded them that Christians are dealing with spiritual struggles. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Because of this spiritual battle that Christians are engaged in, the command was to pray at all times. To pray at all times is not the same as memorized or repetitive prayer. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ cautioned His followers; to not just go through the motions in praying. “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7). The way He wants you to pray is to “pray in the Spirit.” It means that you must pray with what is coming from your heart and soul. This will take place when you rely on the power of the Holy Spirit working with in you. It is the Holy Spirit that will help you find words to express in your prayers. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26). Allow the Holy Spirit to direct your prayers so you can avoid empty words and let Him lead you for He knows the Father’s heart. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13). When you feel that there is so much pressure in life because of the work that you need to do, that is the time that you need to pray. There is so much to gain when you pray rather than continue to struggle and not have the courage and the faith to come to God. God wants you to be strong in facing the challenges in life and only by trusting Him by faith and in prayer that you could be firm and assured that He is with you.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman Westside Baptist Church Los Angeles, CA www.my-wbc.com
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