Praying at All Times
6: 18
Praying at all times DIG: What should we pray for? Which one of the pieces of armor or weapons do you need to pay more attention to? What can you learn from Paul’s prayers?
REFLECT: What degree of battle readiness would you give yourself? What can you do each day to better equip yourself with the armor that ADONAI has given you?
This is a one verse sermon on prayer.
The final weapon of our spiritual armor is prayer. The apostle points out that all kinds of prayer are essential for victory. This includes intercession for others as well as praises. Jewish prayer is largely for blessing God. Bless ADONAI, O my soul! ADONAI, my God, You are great; You are clothed with glory and majesty, wrapped in light as with a robe. You spread out the heavens like a curtain (Psalm 104:1-2). No doubt prayer, our personal lifeline to God, is a necessary tool in our spiritual battle.
The Ephesians were exhorted to pray in the Spirit. Rabbi Sha’ul, under the inspiration of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, describes four different aspects of the believer’s prayer life.
The frequency of prayer: on all occasions means to be continually conscious of ADONAI, where everything we see and experience becomes a kind of prayer, lived in deep awareness of and surrender to our heavenly Father (6:18a). To obey this command means that, when we are tempted, we hold the temptation before God and ask for His help. When we experience something good and beautiful, we immediately thank the Lord for it. When we see evil around us, we pray that Ha’Shem will make it right and be willing to be used by Him to that end. When we meet someone who does not know Messiah, we pray for God to draw that person to Himself and to use us to be a faithful witness. When we encounter trouble, we turn to YHVH as our Deliverer. In other words, our life becomes a continually ascending prayer, a perpetual communing with our heavenly Father. To pray on all occasions sets our minds on the things above, not the things that are on the earth (Colossians 3:2).
The variety of prayer: with all kinds of prayers (Greek: proseuche, meaning general requests) and petitions (Greek: deesis, meaning requests that are specific). The use of both words points to the idea that we are to be involved in a variety of prayers (6:18b). We can pray publicly or privately; in loud cries, in soft whispers, or silently; deliberately and planned or spontaneously; while sitting, standing, kneeling, or even lying down; at home or at religious services, while working or traveling; with hands folded or raised; with eyes open or shut; with head bowed or erect. The B’rit Chadashah, like the TaNaKh, mentions many forms, circumstances, and postures for prayer, but recommends none. Yeshua prayed while standing, sitting, kneeling, and quite probably in other positions as well. We can pray wherever we are and in whatever situation we are in. Therefore, Paul said: I want the men in every place to pray (First Timothy 2:8). For the faithful believer, every place becomes a place of prayer.
The manner of prayer: Whenever he prays, the believer should be on the alert with all perseverance and petition (6:18c). Yeshua told His apostles to watch and pray (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Lb – The Garden of Gethsemane). Sha’ul counseled the Colossians to devote themselves to prayer (Colossians 4:2). The Greek word for devote (proskartereo) means to be steadfast, constant, and persevering. It is used of Moshe’s faithful endurance when he led the children of Isra’el out of Egypt (Hebrews 11:27). To be devoted to prayer is to earnestly, courageously, and persistently bring everything in our lives to ADONAI. Unfortunately, most believers never get serious about prayer until a problem arises in their own life or the life of someone they love. Then they are inclined to pray intently, specifically, and persistently. Yet, that is the way believers should always pray! Sensitivity to the problems and needs of others, especially other believers who are facing trials or hardships, will lead us to pray for them day and night (Second Timothy 1:3).
The object of prayer: Elsewhere Sha’ul prays for unbelievers, government officials and for others, but here he focuses on all the Lord’s people (6:18d). Praying for oneself is just as important as praying for physical needs. But just as the Bible primarily tells us to pray about spiritual needs rather than physical needs, it primarily calls for us to pray for others rather than ourselves. Even when he was concerned about his own needs, Paul does not mention that he prayed for himself, but that he asked other believers to pray on his behalf (see Cj – Personal Notes from the Rabbi). The greatest thing we can do for another believer is pray, or that he can do for us, is to pray. That is the way the Body of Messiah grows spiritually as well as in love. When one member of the Body is weak, wounded, or cannot function, the other members compensate by supporting and helping strengthen it. Samuel said: Far be it from me that I should sin against ADONAI by ceasing to pray for you (First Samuel 12:23). With God’s own Spirit in indwell us and help us even when we do not know how to pray (Rom 8:26), how much more do was as believers’ sin against God when we fail to pray for God’s people?268
The synagogue or church service is a great time for corporate prayer, but the spiritual battle rages predominantly outside religious services! We are encouraged to develop a habit of prayer during all our waking hours. In the Jewish world, some have compared the wearing of the tefillin (phylacteries used during prayer) to the soldier’s uniform in the army of God (Donin, page 151). It is not unlike the analogy of this passage written by Rabbi Sha’ul. Prayer is a challenge and takes attentiveness, but if we give daily prayer our full attention, we will be much more likely to succeed in the spiritual life as we stay closely connected to our Father in Heaven (see The Life of Christ Dp – When You Pray, Go Into Your Room and Close the Door).
We are in a spiritual battle, beyond the physical world. If we are to be blessed and fulfilled in our spiritual journey, as with the Ephesians, we must use the resources ADONAI has provided. Do we have the belt of truth making our work easier? Are we protecting our heart with the breastplate of righteousness? Are we walking in the peace of the Good News? Do we have our heads covered with the kippah of salvation? Do we pray on all occasions? This fallen world is a battleground, but ADONAI has provided the tools for victory and blessings, as we stay close to our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah.269
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your gracious gift of listening and answering our prayers. I stand in awe that You not only willingly gave Your Son to die in our place, knowing what a great cost he would have to pay of shame and pain (Hebrews 12:2); You also make a promise of commitment to live within those whom love You. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). What a wonderful Heavenly Father You are!
I love to praise and worship You, for that brings me confidence that my Almighty, all-powerful, all-wise Daddy is there to help me. It is encouraging how You always come to help me when I call on You. Your strength and love is always there to carry me thru any situation. You may remove the problem or You may choose to walk with me in the situation, as You did with Paul. I pleaded with the Lord three times about this, that it might leave me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Messiah may dwell in me. For Messiah’s sake, then, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (Second Cor 12:8-10).
Dear Father, You who are so holy, Almighty, All-wise and all-powerful, we bend the knee before You in humble worship. What a joy it is to have You eternally as my Awesome Father! I place into Your loving and Almighty hands, those of my family and several friends who have not yet trusted you as their Savior. They know about You and that You are loving, but they live to please themselves. Please given them a moment of spiritual clarity so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive release from sins as well as a place among those who are made holy through trusting in You (Acts 26:18). In Messiah’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
Leave A Comment