This week, a Seattle football coach is planning a bold move that could end up costing his job. The controversy boils down to prayer in schools, but coach Joe Kennedy is determined to keep praying with any players who want to join him. Kennedy and his lawyer believe that the prayers don't break the law because it happens after the game. Critics however believe what they are doing is a direct violation of the Constitution because Kennedy is a government employee. It all started back in 2008 when players saw Kennedy praying on the 50-yard line after a game. Soon his entire team, including opponents, joined him in payer. (http://q13fox.com/2015/10/14/im-just-going-to-do-my-prayer-after-game-prayers-could-cost-bremerton-football-coachs-job/)
The great spiritual warfare in which we are engaged demands unceasing and diligent commitment to prayer. That is exactly what the apostle Paul says as he closes his appeal for Christians to put on the full armor of God. Putting on, taking up, and receiving God’s armor all require an attitude of dependence on God. Prayer for strengthening from God can be seen as a major way in which believers appropriate the divine armor and are enabled to stand (Lincoln, A. T. (1990). Ephesians (Vol. 42, p. 452). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.).
It is especially easy for Christians who live in a free and prosperous society to feel secure just as they are, presuming on instead of depending on God’s grace. It is easy to become so satisfied with physical blessings that we have little desire for spiritual blessings, and to become so dependent on our physical resources that we feel little need for spiritual resources. A happy marriage, where children are well behaved and all are enjoying a church that is growing, tends to make people smug and self–satisfied. They can even become practical humanists, living as if God were not necessary. When that happens, passionate longing for God and yearning for His help will be missing—along with God’s empowerment. It is because of this great and common danger that Paul closes this epistle with an urgent call to prayer. Equipping ourselves with God’s armour is not a mechanical operation; it is itself an expression of our dependence on God, in other words of prayer (Stott, J. R. W. (1979). God’s new society: the message of Ephesians (p. 283). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
The four "alls" introduce the five emphases Paul makes regarding the general character of the believer’s prayer life: the 1) Frequency (Ephesians 6:18a) , 2), Power(Ephesians 6:18b) 3) Variety (Ephesians 6:18c) , 4) Manner (Ephesians 6:18d), and the 5) Objects of prayer (Ephesians 6:18e) .
1) The Frequency of Prayer (Ephesians 6:18a)
Ephesians 6:18a [18]praying at all times (in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints), (ESV)
The Jewish people of Paul’s day had several prescribed times for daily prayer, but the coming of the New Covenant brought a new dimension to prayer as it did to everything else. Jesus said, “Keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place” (Luke 21:36). Among other things, the earliest Christians in Jerusalem “were continually devoting themselves … to prayer” (Acts 2:42). The God–fearing Cornelius, to whom the Lord sent Peter with the message of salvation, “prayed to God continually” (Acts 10:2). In many of his letters Paul urged his readers to regularly devote themselves to prayer (Rom. 12:12; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17). The apostle assured Timothy, his beloved son in the Lord, that he prayed for him “night and day” (2 Tim. 1:3). The early church knew the importance of prayer, and God honored their prayers, even when faith was sometimes weak—as in the case of those who were praying for Peter’s release from prison but did not believe Rhoda when she reported that he was knocking at the door (Acts 12:12–15).
Please turn to Matthew 6 (p.811)
For one to be praying at all times obviously does not mean we are to pray in formal or noticeable ways every waking moment of our lives. Jesus did not do that, nor did the apostles. And it certainly does not mean we are to devote ourselves to ritualistic patterns and forms of prayer that are recited mechanically from a prayer book or while counting beads. That amounts to no more than the “meaningless repetition”.
Jesus warned against this:
Matthew 6:5-8 [5]"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. [6]But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. [7]"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. [8]Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (ESV)
•Pagans repeated the names of their gods or the same words over and over without thinking (cf. 1 Kings 18:26; Acts 19:34). Jesus is prohibiting mindless, mechanical repetition, not the earnest repetition that flows from the imploring heart (Mark 14:39; 2 Cor. 12:8; cf. Psalm 136; Isa. 6:3) (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1831). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Praying at all times is to live in continual God consciousness, where everything we see and experience becomes a kind of prayer, lived in deep awareness of and surrender to our heavenly Father. To obey this exhortation means that, when we are tempted, we hold the temptation before God and ask for His help. When we experience something good and beautiful, we immediately thank the Lord for it. When we see evil around us, we pray that God will make it right and be willing to be used of Him to that end. When we meet someone who does not know Christ, we pray for God to draw that person to Himself and to use us to be a faithful witness. When we encounter trouble, we turn to God as our Deliverer. In other words, our life becomes a continually ascending prayer, a perpetual communing with our heavenly Father. Praying at all times is to constantly set our minds “on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” (Col. 3:2). It means praying ‘in every season’) which suggests ‘at every opportunity’. (Uprichard, H. (2004). A Study Commentary on Ephesians (p. 373). Darlington, England; Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press.)
Quote: Why don't we pray at all times? John Piper said it like this in his book Desiring God:: "Unless I’m badly mistaken, one of the main reasons so many of God’s children don’t have a significant life of prayer is not so much that we don’t want to, but that we don’t plan to. If you want to take a four-week vacation, you don’t just get up one summer morning and say, “Hey, let’s go today!” You won’t have anything ready. You won’t know where to go. Nothing has been planned. But that is how many of us treat prayer. We get up day after day and realize that significant times of prayer should be part of our life, but nothing’s ever ready. We don’t know where to go. Nothing has been planned. No time. No place. No procedure. And we all know that the opposite of planning is not a wonderful flow of deep, spontaneous experiences in prayer. The opposite of planning is the rut. If you don’t plan a vacation you will probably stay home and watch TV! The natural unplanned flow of spiritual life sinks to the lowest ebb of vitality. There is a race to be run and a fight to be fought. If you want renewal in your life of prayer you must plan to see it. Therefore, my simple exhortation is this: Let us take time this very day to rethink our priorities and how prayer fits in. Make some new resolve. Try some new venture with God. Set a time. Set a place. Choose a portion of Scripture to guide you. Don’t be tyrannized by the press of busy days. We all need mid-course corrections. Make this a day of turning to prayer — for the glory of God and for the fullness of your joy" (John Piper, Desiring God (Portland, OR: Multnomah, 1986), pp. 150, 151.).
2) The Power of Prayer (Ephesians 6:18b)
Ephesians 6:18b [18](praying at all times) in the Spirit, (with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints), (ESV)
“Praying in the Spirit is prayer that conforms to the will and purpose of the Spirit.” By humbly submitting our wills and desires to God’s, the Spirit takes the limited wisdom and zeal of finite creatures and uses them with infinite wisdom and power to work all things together for good (Rom. 8:26–28). In terms of our sanctification, the “good” the Spirit brings is accomplished by transforming us continually into Christ’s likeness (Rom. 8:29) (Chapell, B. (2009). Ephesians. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (p. 343). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.).
Praying at all times in the Spirit is not a reference to praying in tongues, since not all Christians are expected to engage in such prayer, but has to do with specific requests offered through the Spirit by every believer involved in the spiritual warfare (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians (p. 485). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Please turn to Romans 8 (p.944)
To pray in the Spirit is to pray in the name of Christ, to pray consistent with His nature and will. Those who are united in their access to the Father through the Spirit (2:18), who are built into God’s dwelling place in the Spirit (2:22), and who are being filled with the Spirit (5:18) can and should pray constantly in and through this Spirit (Lincoln, A. T. (1990). Ephesians (Vol. 42, p. 452). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.)
Romans 8:26-27 [26]Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. [27]And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (ESV)
•As the “Spirit of grace and of supplication” (Zech. 12:10), the Holy Spirit continually prays for us; and for us to pray rightly is to pray as He prays, to join our petitions to His and our will to His. It is to line up our minds and desires with His mind and desires, which are consistent with the will of the Father and the Son.
To be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) and to walk in His leading and power is to be made able to pray in the Spirit, because our prayer will then be in harmony with His. As we submit to the Holy Spirit, obeying His Word and relying on His leading and strength, we will be drawn into close and deep fellowship with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit tells us what we ought to pray for. Apart from the Holy Spirit’s assistance, our prayers are limited to our own reason and intuition, but with the Holy Spirit’s help they move to a higher level. As we seek his help he will speak to us through his Word, which conveys his will regarding every matter of principle. Further, he will settle certain things in our hearts to pray for with the conviction that they are God’s will — so that we are praying in faith (Hughes, R. K. (1990). Ephesians: the mystery of the body of Christ (p. 250). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.).
Illustration: 4526 Brainerd Prays Through To Indians
David Brainerd was a man of great spiritual power. The work which he accomplished by prayer was simply marvelous. Dr. A. J. Gordon, in giving a sketch of Brainerd’s experience, said: “In the depths of those forests, alone, unable to speak the language of the Indians, he spent whole days literally in prayer. What was he praying for? He knew that he could not reach those savages; he did not understand their language. If he wanted to speak at all, he must find somebody who could vaguely interpret his thought; therefore he knew that anything he should do must be absolutely dependent upon the power of God. “So he spent whole days in prayer, simply that the power of the Holy (Spirit) might come upon him so unmistakably that these people should not be able to stand before him. What was his answer? Once he preached and the interpreter was so intoxicated that he could hardly stand up. That was the best he could do. Yet scores were converted through that sermon. We can account for it only by the tremendous power of God behind him (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (pp. 1036–1037). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.).
3) The Variety of Prayer (Ephesians 6:18c)
Ephesians 6:18c [18](praying at all times in the Spirit,) with all prayer and supplication. (To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints), (ESV)
Proseuchç (prayer) refers to general requests, while deçsis (supplication/petition) refers to those that are specific. The use of both words points to the idea that we are to be involved in all kinds of prayer, every form of prayer that is appropriate. Scriptural precept and allowance suggest we may pray publicly or privately; in loud cries, in soft whispers, or silently; deliberately and planned or spontaneously; while sitting, standing, kneeling, or even lying down; at home or in church; while working or while traveling; with hands folded or raised; with eyes open or closed; with head bowed or erect. The New Testament, like the Old, mentions many forms, circumstances, and postures for prayer but prescribes none. Jesus prayed while standing, while sitting, while kneeling, and quite probably in other positions as well.
Please turn to 1 Timothy 2 (p.991)
We can pray wherever we are and in whatever situation we are in. For the faithful, Spirit–filled Christian, every place becomes a place of prayer. In 1 Timothy 2, the Apostle Paul is going to pile up various terms in reference to prayer for their cumulative impact. This is a call for all sorts of prayer for all sorts of people. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2327). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
1 Timothy 2:1-8 [2:1]First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2]for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. [3]This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, [4]who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. [5]For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6]who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. [7]For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. [8]I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; (ESV)
•The ultimate purpose of our salvation is to glorify God and to bring us into intimate, rich fellowship with Him; and to fail to come to God in prayer is to the deny that purpose (1 Jn. 1:3). God’s greatest desire, and our greatest need, is to be in constant fellowship with Him now, and there is no greater expression or experience of fellowship than prayer.
Illustration: Haddon Robinson tells a story of a game he played with his children: "When our children were small, we played a game. I’d take some coins in my fist. They’d sit on my lap and work to get my fingers open. According to the international rules of finger opening, once the finger was open, it couldn’t be closed again. They would work at it, until they got the pennies in my hand. They would jump down and run away, filled with glee and delight. Sometimes when we come to God, we come for the pennies in his hand. “Lord, I need a passing grade. Help me to study.” “Lord, I need a job.” “Lord, my mother is ill.” We reach for the pennies. When God grants the request, we push the hand away. More important than the pennies in God’s hand is the hand of God himself. That’s what prayer is about (Larson, C. B. (2002). 750 engaging illustrations for preachers, teachers & writers (pp. 414–415). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.).
The whole purpose of prayer is not for the immediate petitions that we ask for. It is to know God Himself, be useful in His service and achieve all the ultimate ends that He desires to be achieved by the children that He loves.
4) The Manner of Prayer (Ephesians 6:18d)
Ephesians 6:18d [18](praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.) To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication (for all the saints), (ESV)
Whenever one prays, the believer should keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication/petition. To keep alert, Jesus told His disciples to watch and pray (Matt. 26:41; Mark 13:33; cf. Luke 18:1). Paul counseled the Colossians to “devote [themselves] to prayer” (Col. 4:2). The Greek verb behind “devote” (proskartereô) means to be steadfast, constant, and persevering. To be devoted to prayer is to earnestly, courageously, and persistently bring everything in our lives before God.
Paul reiterates the need mentioned in the beginning of the verse of praying at all times with the continuance of praying with all perseverance. The parables of the persistent neighbor and the importunate widow were both told by Jesus to illustrate the manner in which His followers should pray. At the end of the first parable He said, “And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened” (Luke 11:9). At the end of the other parable He explained, “Now shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily” (Luke 18:7–8).
•Most Christians never get serious about prayer until a problem arises in their own life or in the life of someone they love. Then they are inclined to pray intently, specifically, and persistently. Yet that is the way Christians should always pray. Sensitivity to the problems and needs of others, especially other believers who are facing trials or hardships, will lead us to pray for them “night and day” as Paul did for Timothy (2 Tim. 1:3).
Please turn to Colossians 1 (p.983)
To pray in the right manner involves praying specifically. This is what Paul refers to in making supplication. “Whatever you ask in My name,” Jesus promised, “that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13). God answers prayer in order to put His power on display, and when we do not pray specifically, there is not a specific request to answer. There is not therefore an opportunity for God to clearly display His power and His love for His children. We must think about particular people, particular problems, particular needs, and then pray about those things specifically and earnestly, so that we can see God’s answer and offer Him our thankful praise.
Notice how Paul links perseverance and specific supplication in his prayer:
Colossians 1:9-13 [9]And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, [10]so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. [11]May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, [12]giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. [13]He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, (ESV)
Because the greatest problems are always spiritual, our greatest prayer concern and concentration—whether for ourselves or for others—should be for spiritual protection, strength, and healing. It is certainly appropriate to bring physical needs before our heavenly Father, but our greatest focus should be for spiritual needs—for victory over temptation, for forgiveness and cleansing of sins already committed, for unbelievers to trust in Christ for salvation, and for believers to have greater dependence on Him. The context of Paul’s call to prayer in Ephesians 6 is that of spiritual warfare, and the Christian’s prayer should, above all, be about that warfare. Our greatest concern for ourselves and for other believers should be for victory in the battle against the enemy of our souls. Our deepest prayers for our spouse, our children, our brothers and sisters, our fellow church members, our pastor, our missionaries, and all others would be that they win the spiritual battle against Satan. Examining the prayers of Paul throughout his epistles yields the insight that he prayed for the spiritual well–being of the people of God (e.g., 1 Cor. 1:4–7; Phil. 1:9–11; Col. 1:9–11; 2 Thess. 1:11–12).
Quote: George Müller lived a life recognizing continual dependence on God in prayer. To this regard, he said: "It is not enough to begin to pray, nor to pray aright; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray—but we must patiently, believingly continue in prayer until we obtain an answer. And further, we have not only to continue in prayer unto the end, but we have also to believe that God does hear us and will answer our prayers. Most frequently we fail in not continuing in prayer until the blessing is obtained, and in not expecting the blessing". (George Müller F. G. Warne, George Müller: The Modern Apostle of Faith (London: S. W. Partridge and Co., 1911), 197–98.)
5) The Objects of Prayer (Ephesians 6:18e)
Ephesians 6:18e [18](praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication) To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication) for all the saints, (ESV)
Elsewhere Paul commands us to pray for unbelievers, for government leaders, and for others, but here the focus is on all the saints. It is only saints, Christian believers, who are involved in the spiritual warfare for which God provides the armor Paul has just been describing and who are able to pray in the Spirit. Without prayer, all the armor in the world would be of no use (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version (Eph 6:18). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
Please turn to James 5 (p.1013)
It is not inappropriate to pray for ourselves any more than it is inappropriate to pray for physical needs. But just as the Bible primarily calls us to pray about spiritual needs rather than physical, it primarily calls us to pray for others rather than ourselves. Even when he was concerned about his own needs, Paul does not mention that he prayed for himself but that he asked other believers to pray on his behalf, as he does in the next two verses (Eph. 6:19–20). The greatest thing we can do for another believer, or that person can do for us, is to pray. That is the way the Body of Christ grows spiritually as well as in love. When one member of the Body is weak, wounded, or cannot function, the other members compensate by supporting and helping strengthen it. None is so perfect as not to need the intercessions of his fellow Christians (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 358). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc).
James 5:13-20 [13]Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. [14]Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. [15]And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [16]Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. [17]Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. [18]Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. [19]My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, [20]let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (ESV)
Illustration: Praying for others with sincerity and perseverance is, in God’s immeasurable grace, a great blessing and strength to our own souls. Before the outbreak of the Spanish civil war that country was experiencing such an epidemic of neuroses that psychiatrists could hardly handle them all. But the war, terrible and destructive as it was in most respects, had the unexpected effect of “curing” many of Spain’s thousands of neurotics. When they became concerned about the welfare of their families, friends, and country instead of their own, their neuroses disappeared and hospitals and clinics were almost emptied of such cases. “These neurotic people were suddenly cured by a greater anxiety,” an anxiety that reached beyond their own selfish welfare. (The Christian Soldier [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977], pp. 357–58.)
The root of both psychological and spiritual sickness is preoccupation with self. Ironically, the believer who is consumed with their own problems—even their own spiritual problems—to the exclusion of concern for other believers, suffers from a destructive self–centeredness that not only is the cause of, but is the supreme barrier to the solution of, their own problems. Usually such selfishness isolates them from the other believers, who if they were intimately involved in fellowship with them, would be regularly praying for their spiritual welfare.
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 375–383). Chicago: Moody Press.)
