[18] 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 saints.
The final verse describing the armor of God is perhaps the most important element in the armor of God. You see God has asked us as his children to call unto him and every circumstance and he has expressed us his desire to hear our prayers and to answer them. When Jesus Christ returned to heaven, in the witness of all his disciples, he promised that he would send his Holy Spirit, and that is Holy Spirit would guide and minister to the followers of Jesus Christ. I suspect when we meet Jesus Christ face to face, we will begin to see all the prayers that God has answered for his children that were offered in faith, we will be overwhelmed with his attention to every detail in our life, and in fact in the whole world.
The apostle Paul understood the need for prayer very well as he penned the verses surrounding the armor of God. He had been imprisoned, he been beaten, he had been run out of town, and yet he knew that his life was completely in the hands of God. One of the verses that Paul wrote to the Philippians, was in chapter 4 verse six, where he wrote “in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
You see God wants us to be connected and alert. He wants us to walk in faith. He wants us to trust his hand in our life. He rejoices when we come to him boldly and layer hearts open before him and express our deepest desires to Him.
God really does answer prayer. Jeremiah 33 : 3 says “Call to me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. “
One of the greatest things we can learn about prayer, is that when we listen to God having express our hearts to him, he begins to show himself to us in ways we could never imagine. Satan likes to throw many darts at us that would keep us from our intimate praying relationship with our Lord. The dart of unworthiness, the dart of doubt, the dart of deception, the dart of urgency, the dart pride , and many other detractors that would keep our focus away from our provider and Savior.
As I write this last section about the armor of God, it dawns on me that prayer to the faithful and loving God is the glue that keeps our armor intact and functioning throughout our lives. Paul challenges us not only to be on the lookout for darts and attacks on our own spiritual stability and well-being but also to those of our loved ones and extended family in the body of Christ. “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Jesus set an example for us to follow in prayer that is full of wisdom and teaching. In Matthew 6, during the sermon on the mount, Jesus taught great things on Prayer.
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Just think….
We call God our Father in heaven…… A very intimate personal approach to God in a very special place.
We see his Holiness (Hallowed be thy name) ……… We acknowledge his abiding holiness and perfection
Your Kingdom come ……… we are on earth where things are not perfect, awaiting his perfect return,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven .... Our humble striving for His way now… In our lives.. knowing he will return..
Give us this day our daily bread …. Our acknowledgement of God’s providing hand, as well as begin grateful for what we have been given today…. This is the spirit of contentment and thankfulness.
Forgive us our debts ….. The recognition of our condition without the gift of forgiveness from God. The please before God to see us through the sacrifice of His Son for our sins. The humble beginning place of our walk with God.
As We Also Forgive our Debtors …. This is the tough one… Our nature is not to forgive people for wrong doing against us, and yet it is in the teaching of how God taught us to pray… When you think about it, this is probably the biggest key to prayer yet… For God to help our humility and grace to forgive what has been done against us….
And lead us not into temptation …. A recognition actually that God never tempts us with sin.. He leads us away from sin. Our natural desire is to sin, and we must be empowered by God to be delivered from those desires and tendencies. It is so good to know that God leads us in everlasting ways that have foundation for our life and success.
But deliver us from the evil one ….. The hope that God will spare us from the consequences of evil and evil one around us. The biggest consequence he can spare us from is bitterness in our heart and mind that stems from wrongs done against us, or those we love. Pray this often … Spiritual vitality is at stake.
His servant,
Jeff
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