Reading: Ephesians 6:18-24
Context: How does the call to prayer connect with the spiritual warfare theme?
What a wonderful, wonderful question. And here is why it is wonderful. To do justice to this question, consider what it means to receive the call to pray. This call to pray invites us to use every method available to communicate with the glorious God at the heart of this entire letter. Indeed, the glorious God is at the heart of the entire enterprise of life. This vital way we connect with God is essential to ensure all aspects of the war go the way He’s designed it. We understand the nature of the conflict, and we know who the combatants are. Success in the war depends on receiving instructions and directions from our Commanding Officer, and it’s vital that we relay to Him our current location and the resources we need to succeed in combat.
Notice, too, how Paul words the call. He doesn’t place prayer at the end of the armour as an afterthought. He makes it the atmosphere in which we wear every piece of armour. Four times he uses the word “all”: pray on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers, with all perseverance, for all the Lord’s people. No soldier fights alone, and no soldier is ever off the radio. The call to “keep alert” tells us the enemy never takes a day of leave, so our line of communication must stay open. Paul then models what he teaches. He asks the church to pray for him, not for rescue from his chains, but for boldness to declare the gospel fearlessly as Christ’s ambassador. The battle plan, then, is clear. Prayer keeps us in step with the Commander, links us to the rest of the troops, and sends us back into the field with courage for the mission He has given us.
Content: What does Paul ask for in prayer regarding his own ministry?
Paul asks for prayer so he can have the words to proclaim the gospel boldly as he ought to. That’s an audacious request, too, because he’s asking for something people would have thought he’d have in abundance. People would have thought that such a hotshot would have the words and be able to boldly do that, declaring the gospel thing. Yet, Paul’s request highlights the focus that Paul has on his mission and his humility to recognise that it is only through God that he can have all that is needed to complete the mission. It also underlines the vital role prayer has in all that is done for God. Prayer roots us in God, and it gets others to join in the effort, so we know we’re not alone.
Look more closely at the wording, and the request becomes even more striking. Paul doesn’t ask for release from prison, an easier road or a safer audience. He asks that words “be given” to him, which tells us he sees even his speech as a gift from God rather than a skill he owns. He also asks for fearlessness as an ambassador in chains, and that picture is a sharp one. An ambassador speaks with the authority of the king who sent him, yet this one is chained up in the enemy’s territory. The word he uses for boldness is the same one used of the early believers in Acts, so he is asking for the courage the whole church has been given, not some special gift. Then there’s that little phrase “as I should”. Paul isn’t chasing a platform. He feels the weight of a message entrusted to him, and he wants to deliver it faithfully, whatever the circumstances. If the greatest missionary of the early church needed the church’s prayers for courage, none of us should be too proud to ask for the same.
Concept: What does “praying in the Spirit on all occasions” mean practically?
I’m glad you asked, because people can get this mixed up with some other teachings. My current understanding is that we must focus and concentrate on praying in line with how God’s Spirit directs us to pray. This does not exclude the mind and heart from prayer, but it submits those to seeking to cooperate with the leading of the Holy Spirit. Even as we’re aware that He lives in us and enables us to operate for the glory of God, that’s exercised in prayer. That looks like making it a practice to genuinely zoom in, seek to experience how God wants us to pray, and then trust Him as we open our mouths and utter what we trust is coming from Him. This practice is something we should develop day by day in our relationship with God. A good understanding of His Word and examples of prayer help with that. It also helps to be around people of prayer who know how to pray in the Spirit in all situations. Learning from them can greatly help you develop that understanding and practice. Praying in the Spirit does not require you to speak in other tongues – it might, but it’s not a prerequisite. The idea of prayer is that it’s to God and for God alone; however, if we’re taking this instruction seriously, we’ll appreciate that there are times when we’re praying together and, to get that level of agreement that what we’re praying for is in line with God, it will help if we understand what is being said – hence why praying in the Spirit is not a matter of the eloquence of words or being able to style and profile your capacity of talking in other languages. It is a matter of desiring to surrender to the Lord’s leading through the Spirit that lives inside us. We should apply that at every opportunity we’re given to pray.
Scripture gives this practice a firm footing. Romans 8:26-27 reminds us that we don’t always know what to pray for, yet the Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes in line with God’s will. That is great news for anyone who feels their prayers are clumsy, because the Spirit carries the weight. Jude 20 connects praying in the Holy Spirit with building ourselves up in the faith, so this kind of prayer strengthens us and the cause we pray for. In the context of Ephesians 6, that matters, because the Spirit’s sword, God’s Word, sits right beside this instruction. The Spirit never leads us to pray against what He has already written, so praying Scripture back to God is one of the safest and most practical ways to pray in step with Him. Day to day, that might mean pausing before we start to ask what He wants to bring to mind, praying through a passage line by line, and testing any impression against the Bible and the wisdom of mature believers. Doing this on “all occasions” means it shouldn’t be saved for church meetings or crises. It belongs on the commute, at the kitchen sink and in the middle of a hard conversation, wherever the Commanding Officer’s voice is most needed.
Conclusions: How can you incorporate Paul’s prayer priorities into your own prayer life?
First, I need a clear understanding of what God has called me to do. Second, it’s having relationships that I can reach out to for help with those priorities, prayerfully. Third, it’s to be mindful of that priority in my own prayer and aware that those I cherish are also in on this prayer.
Let’s take each of those in turn, because Paul’s example gives us plenty to work with. On the first point, Paul’s request in Ephesians 6:19-20 was not vague. He didn’t ask for a general blessing. He asked for words and fearlessness to make known the gospel, because that was what God had called him to do. We can’t pray with that kind of focus until we’ve done the groundwork of discerning our own assignment. That means time in Scripture, honest reflection on the gifts and opportunities God has placed before us, and counsel from mature believers. It also means writing it down. A single sentence such as “Lord, help me to do this well, in this place, for these people” gives our prayers a target instead of leaving them as a scattershot.
On the second point, notice how Paul builds his prayer life around people. He asks the Ephesians to pray for him, and he sends Tychicus, whom he calls a dear brother and faithful servant, so that they would know how he was and be encouraged (Eph 6:21-22). Paul didn’t see his mission as a solo effort, and neither should we. In practice, that means choosing a few trusted believers and telling them plainly what we’re asking God to do in us and through us. We should give them real details, not polite generalities, and follow up with them when God answers or when the battle gets harder. Being honest in that way is hard, but it’s what turns prayer support into genuine partnership.
On the third point, being mindful of the priority in our own prayer means returning to it again and again. Paul urged believers to pray “on all occasions” and to “keep on praying” (6:18), so this is a rhythm for daily life, not a once-a-month event. A simple habit would be to start each day by naming the priority before the Lord, pause at set points to bring it back to Him, and close the day with thanks for what He has done. We also pray for those who stand beside us. Paul prays for the Ephesians as much as he asks them to pray for him, and he ends with a blessing of peace, love with faith, and grace on everyone who loves our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love (6:23-24). In the same way, the people we cherish should know we are praying for them, and they should be invited into what we are praying for. When that happens, prayer stops being something we do alone in a room. It becomes a united front, where each soldier knows the mission, knows the others have their back, and knows the Commanding Officer is listening.
Next time:
WIWO – Ephesians – Episode Fifteen: Integration and Application
Reading – Overview of Ephesians
People who follow the Lord Jesus Christ value prayer and understand the call to persevere. This is possible only because of God’s grace. That is why we need to take God’s Word In so we can live His Word Out.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
