April 3rd 2019 – Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 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."

Ephesians 6:10-18

To say, 'life is our prayer' means, in effect, this: Here is a Christian who is living close to the Lord. He has plumbed the depths of the living truth of God's Word, and let it do its gracious work of renewal and transformation in him. It is a continuing, ever-deepening work that challenges him at the deepest levels of his being. And he rises to the challenge, meets it, at what cost only those who do likewise can ever know. He has become a man whose prayer draws its virtue from a disposition that has been brought into conformity with the mind of Christ. Such a life is a 'living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God', and in that sense it is a constant prayer. God hears that life, it speaks to God, and it speaks with God, and there is a blessed, intimate, unbroken fellowship with God that moves the divine heart and the divine hand. Is not this a wonderful thought? This is the secret of the lives of the spiritual giants of Scripture, men and women that moved the hand of God in blessing to men. One readily thinks of Elijah on Mount Carmel, in his confrontation with the prophets of Baal and of the simple, unadorned, and indeed brief, prayer that brought the fire of God down on the altar of sacrifice: 'Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word'. That was all but look what it did! But it was not the simple sentence of prayer that wrought so mightily, but the prayer that was ascending from his life daily, without ceasing. It was what Elijah was that moved God's hand against the prophets of Baal and discomfited them so utterly. Such lives are sending signals every moment of the day to the living God. And we will never pray at all in this way unless we are a certain kind of person. This, it seems to us, is what Paul has in view in the words, 'praying always'.