Prayer is Needed

Read Time: 6 Minutes

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."

Where is this located in the Bible? What is it's context? Why is God telling us to pray?

This is located in Ephesians 6, it is part of putting on the whole armor of God. This is more critical today than ever. This is not just for you but for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. We need each other. We need to pray for each other.

Ephesians 6
:11 Put on the whole armour of God,
    that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
    but against principalities, against powers,
    against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
    against spiritual wickedness in high places.
:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,
    that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,
    and having done all, to stand.
:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
    and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith,
    wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
:17 And take the helmet of salvation,
    and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
    and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

We need to pray for each other. There are fellow Christians that are not able to read what you are reading. There are Christians being persecuted and killed for their faith. God is the answer to all of men's problems. We MUST put on the whole armor of God. We must trust in God completely for everything that we need. We must pray!

I Timothy 2
:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions,
    and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority;
    that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

This was a hard section of scripture for me to accept and put into practice. There are rulers that are evil and promote ways that are contrary to God's Word with great gusto. They persecute God's people and seek to undermine the freedoms that we have in Christ. I had a hard time with this because I hated people that did this. That was the problem; I hated. This is not what God wants. God wants all men to be saved and come unto a knowledge of the truth; "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour" (life-giver). People do things contrary to God's will because there is an adversary, the devil, who wants to kill, steal, and destroy; but Jesus Christ came that we may have life and that we may  have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) If I am hating I am not loving with the love of God. Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5); Jesus Christ didn't hate. He didn't come to condemn mankind (John 3:17) but to save it. Jesus Christ loved with the love of God. That love we are to love with.

The light of God's Word dispels darkness always. Speaking and praying the promises of God is always required. There is no amount of darkness that can put out light. When you enter a dark room and turn on the light or light a candle the darkness recedes. If there was more darkness in the room it wouldn't overcome the light, the light still dispels the darkness. Darkness is the absence of light. To squelch the darkness in the world, in your community, in your neighborhood, introduce light, the light of God's Word.

Colossians 1
:12 Giving thanks unto the Father,
    which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
    and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

We have been delivered from the power of darkness; that is in the past tense. It is done. All facts that proclaim otherwise are lies, a diversion, intended to make you fearful and doubt your calling, standing, and authority in the family of God. That same mighty power that God used to raise Christ from the dead you have! (Ephesians 1:17-23)

The world, everything in it, our galaxy, and the universe that cradles it is precisely where it needs to be so we can live and thrive. It was created by God's spoken word. God's Word has not become ineffectual, God has not changed. When you speak the promises of God's Word He hears us and we have the petitions that we desired of Him. God made that promise, you can be confident that it is true.

I John 5
:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life,
    and this life is in his Son.
:12 He that hath the Son hath life;
    and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God;
    that ye may know that ye have eternal life,
    and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him,
    that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask,
    we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Part of putting on the armor of God: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." God's people all over the world need our prayers. Often we want to do something about a situation, but God tells us to pray. If you want to do something ask God what to do, He can tell and lead you. There are a mind-boggling number of causes to support. It is easy to get distracted from what God would have us do. I am not saying to not get involved in a social or political group, just make sure your focus is on God. Talk with God about what to do and how you can be most effective.

Remember, this is a spiritual battle. Some things are not rectified by the actions of men. All that we do should be to the glory of God.