•Saturday, May 22, 2010
"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." Ephesians 6:18 NLT
In Ephesians 6, Paul outlines the attire necessary for a successful Christian life, commonly referred to as "the whole armor of God."
Then he says to pray. I've heard it said that prayer is the "heavy artillary" we have at our disposal in this ongoing spiritual battle. We often overlook the significance of prayer in our daily lives. We are never alone. We have the freedom to turn to the Creator with all manner of requests, petitions, and praises.
We tend to use prayer as a last restort instead of considering it as the essential first response. We want to feel in control, and praying means that we are giving it to God to take care of. And you know what? That's the wisest thing we could ever do! Completely surrender it to him and say: "I will wait and see what God will do about this."
But we shouldn't let our prayers be centered fully on our own lives. Paul reminds us to be persistent in praying for others. When we align our hearts and minds with God, we begin to move away from self-centered thinking and have genuine compassion for others. As we pour ourselves out in prayer for friends, family, and co-workers, we are drawn into even closer unity with our Heavenly Father.
The next time someone shares about a tough situation, tell them you will be praying. Write it down so that you won't forget, and then pray faithfully until it is resolved. Prayer is powerful.
In Ephesians 6, Paul outlines the attire necessary for a successful Christian life, commonly referred to as "the whole armor of God."
Then he says to pray. I've heard it said that prayer is the "heavy artillary" we have at our disposal in this ongoing spiritual battle. We often overlook the significance of prayer in our daily lives. We are never alone. We have the freedom to turn to the Creator with all manner of requests, petitions, and praises.
We tend to use prayer as a last restort instead of considering it as the essential first response. We want to feel in control, and praying means that we are giving it to God to take care of. And you know what? That's the wisest thing we could ever do! Completely surrender it to him and say: "I will wait and see what God will do about this."
But we shouldn't let our prayers be centered fully on our own lives. Paul reminds us to be persistent in praying for others. When we align our hearts and minds with God, we begin to move away from self-centered thinking and have genuine compassion for others. As we pour ourselves out in prayer for friends, family, and co-workers, we are drawn into even closer unity with our Heavenly Father.
The next time someone shares about a tough situation, tell them you will be praying. Write it down so that you won't forget, and then pray faithfully until it is resolved. Prayer is powerful.
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