Ephesians 6:18-20 NLT
[18] “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. [19] 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. [20] 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.”
There are two principles we need to examine in Paul’s final words to the Ephesians church.
- Pray in the Spirit for all believers everywhere.
How can it be possible for us to honour this instruction? We live in a world population of billions. It’s impossible for us to keep track of what’s happening to God’s people everywhere, so how can we pray intelligently for them?
Let’s go back to our previous principle to guide our praying. “Pray the pattern, not the problem.” It does not matter that we know little or nothing about the church in general. God has given us the pattern for His church – maturity.
Ephesians 4:12-13, 15-16 NLT
[12] “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. [13] This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
[15] Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. [16] He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
We have two requests in this passage, for leaders to function in their gifts, and for the body to come to maturity in Christ.
If this is God’s pattern, then, it is also His promise and His intention… for the whole church, everywhere, and for every leaders and every believer, even if we don’t know them. How do we pray for them? We say “Amen!” to God’s promise and “Thank you,” for His answers! Since the Spirit and the Word are intimately connected, there is no better way to ‘pray in the Spirit’ than to pray God’s word.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT
[20] “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”
No long recital of problems or giving God advice! Simply, “Thank you for your promise. Do as you have said.”
- Ephesians 6:18 NLT
[18]… “Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
This second principle is the one we often neglect. Stay alert! Alert for what? For Satan’s tactics. Where do you think the devil or his minions are when we pray? Sitting around waiting for us to finish? I don’t think so? He cannot be in the throne room with God but he can wait outside, looking for an opportunity to trip us up.
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT
[8] “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. [9] Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
Why does a lion roar? The male lion roars to guard his territory and to warn off opponents. He does not roar on the hunt. We need, therefore, to be alert in those times and places where we are subjected to temptation. Somewhere, a lion roars. He’s not on the hunt, he’s proclaiming his territory. If you trespass there, you will be attacked.
The lion is an ambush preditor, hiding under cover, silently waiting for an opportunity to pounce on unwary prey. Satan’s best opportunity is the time when prey is preoccupied with other things, especially when they are either feeding on the world’s delicacies or wrestling with some trial or trouble.
Perhaps our greatest danger comes in those times when we are being harassed or tormented by some form of suffering. In Peter’s day, it was persecution from unbelieving Jews and pagan Gentiles. At these times, when God’s enemies are against us, we are tempted to turn back or to retaliate in some way.
Peter urges us to be alert at these times so that we and all our fellow believers do not compromise our faith in Jesus. We have opportunity to grow stronger. Let’s be alert enough to recognise the source of temptation and to hold on tightly to the one in whom we believe.
When we are made aware of the suffering our fellow believers are going through in other parts of the world, our tendency is to pray that the testing will stop. Paul asks his readers not to pray like that. If Christians are suffering, God is allowing it for a purpose.
“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.”
How, then, are we to be alert and pray for our fellow believers in the face of danger? Paul says, “Be alert to the danger but don’t pray against it. Pray for courage, perseverance, and boldness to continue preaching the truth, no matter what.”
This is not about safety and security. This is about obedience to the task in the face of danger, trusting God for the outcome.