Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (14.3)

The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:18-24 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

The Access Of Prayer In Spiritual Warfare (Eph. 6:18-20).

Although we are engaged in a spiritual battle, God has given us all we need to be victorious. We have the authority of Christ (v.10), the armour of God (v.14-17) and we also have the access of prayer (v.18-20). Every soldier knows that in battle, whoever controls the air wins the war (Ex. 17:8-16). Prayer is our “air-cover”, it is our most important weapon in spiritual warfare. In these few verses, Paul tells us how to pray to defeat the devil.

The Type Of Prayer (v.18a).

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication.” The word “prayer” refers to general requests and “supplications” refers to requests that are specific. In other words, we are to be involved in all kinds of prayer. We are to pray specifically, generally, publicly, privately, in loud cries, in soft whispers, silently, deliberately, planned, spontaneously, while sitting, standing, kneeling, lying down, at home, church, work or while travelling. With hands folded, or raised, eyes open or closed, with head bowed or erect. The Bible has no prescribed form or posture of prayer, we are simply told to pray.

The Scope Of Prayer (v.18b).

“Praying always.” To be “praying always” 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. Practically, this means that when we are tempted, we hold the temptations up before God and ask Him for victory. When we experience something good and beautiful, we immediately thank the Lord for it. When we see evil around us, we pray that God would make it right. When we meet someone that does not know Christ, we pray that God would draw that person to Christ and use us to be His faithful witness. Our life should be a continual ascending prayer.

The Power Of Prayer (v.18c).

“In the Spirit.”  To pray “in the Spirit” means to pray in concert with the Spirit, to pray in harmony with the Spirit. One reason God gave us the Holy Spirit and commanded us to walk in the Spirit was to guide us in prayer and to formulate in our minds what we ought to pray for. According to Romans 8:26-27, it is the Spirit that empowers us to pray according to the will of God. Instead of quickly rattling off a prayer, which is often just meaningless repetition (Matt. 6:7), we should ask the Spirit to guide us and to give us the Father’s mind and to show us the need of the hour. Only when we have prayed in concert with the Spirit have we truly prayed.

The Manner Of Prayer (v.18d).

“And watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication.” To “watch” means “to be on the alert” we need to be alert to anything that would hinder us from coming to God in prayer. Since prayer is our greatest weapon against the devil, then it will be the first thing Satan would want us to stop. Instead of stopping, we are to “persevere” we are to hold on and hold out, we are not to faint through fatigue, or yield to discouragement because of delayed answers. But we are to “persevere” until victory comes. One of Satan’s tactics is to discourage us from prayer and in prayer, if he can do this he will win the battle (Dan. 10).

The Focus Of Prayer (v.18e-20).

In spiritual warfare, the focus of prayer is not primarily for the sinner, the sick, or even against Satan but it is for the saint.  Paul said, praying...”for all saints.” We are to pray one for another and we are to pray “that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.”  The only way people are going to be delivered and set free from the snare of Satan is through the preaching of “the gospel.”  We are to pray that each believer have “boldness to make known the mystery of the gospel.”  Paul was in prison when he penned these word, he was “an ambassador in bonds” (v.20). He did not ask them to pray for his comfort, safety or release, but that he might fulfil his purpose and “speak boldly as I ought to speak.”  That is the focus of “warfare-praying”. May each of us learn to walk according to our wealth and war according to Christ’s authority.  May each of us “Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10).