Praying Always

Temple Baptist Church - 12-14-2011

Ephesians 6:18

Introduction:

A. Tonight, we will end the series on the armor of God but may this service be the beginning for each of us as we now understand better how to both protect ourselves spiritually and to drive off the attacker while quenching his fiery darts. Too often, we become victim to satanic attack through ignorance. We will be constantly attacked in this world but have all that it takes to be victorious.

B. We are now protected from the head to the foot with the sword of the Spirit in our hand but is that enough. Ephesians 6:18 is the capstone! We find once again the value of prayer in the life of God’s people. Not just praying but effectually praying. I am not going to begin a series on prayer but do want to properly deal with this one verse.

C. How important is prayer? James 4:2-3 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

D. Though prayer is mentioned at the end of the listing of God’s armor, we need to remember that prayer is the link between the believer and the Lord. I cannot express enough the importance to talking with God, not just to God.

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching (praying in faith and then watching) thereunto with all perseverance (never giving up) and supplication for all saints (praying for others as well as personal needs);

1. Praying always! 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.” Here we find a much quoted verse concerning when to pray but memorizing the verse is of little good without performance of the verse. This verse covers all kinds of prayer, not only “closet praying” but praying all day. I call this an attitude of prayer. A song says, “He walks with me and He talks with me!” Go to bed praying and get up praying. It will make your day go a whole lot better.

2. Praying with all prayer and supplication. Praying about everything and in every situation and in time of need. Praying before planning; praying before acting; praying first sure makes life a whole lot easier!

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Prayer means to worship while supplication means to make petition. Too often we spend our prayer time telling God what we want or need without giving Him the glory and praise that He deserves. Worship should precede supplication.

3. Praying in the Spirit. Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Jude 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Praying with the heart, soul, and spirit engaged in it; it is put up with a true heart, and a right spirit, and without hypocrisy; in a spiritual way, and with fervency, and under the influence, and by the assistance of the Spirit of God. He is our Companion; our Comforter; He is our Guide.

4. Praying if faith. “watching thereunto with all perseverance” Mark 13:33 “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” The Lord said, “Call unto me and I WILL answer thee!” When we ask God for something, we wait upon Him and His time for the right answer. I often say, “His time is not our time and His way is not our way.”

James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Someone once said, “If you pray for rain make sure you carry your umbrella!”)

5. Praying for others! Job 42:10 “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Never get so burdened down with your own problems as to forget the needs of others. When we think only of ourselves, we find no light in the darkness of our circumstances but, when we pray for the needs of others, our burden is lessened as we help to bear those of others.

Hebrews 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.