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Prayer


          And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. (Ephesians 6:18-20)

          Typically, people consider the sword the only weapon in the armor of God, at least partly because Paul drops the figurative speech when it comes to the topic of prayer. To me, the fact that there is no clear transition away from one topic and into the next suggests that prayer is either another weapon. If, as I’ve suggested, the purpose of the armor of God is to keep one from being separated from God, prayer is an invaluable weapon. The lack of transition may even suggest that prayer is part of the sword since praying can (and should) include the Word of God.
           Prayer also fits as a weapon in terms of the armor and weapons being that which keeps us connected with God. Even if you are arguing with God, if you are talking with Him, there’s a connection. And, even if you aren’t willing to approach God on your own behalf; if, like Jonah, you aren’t on speaking terms with Him at the moment, if you pray for someone else, there’s still a connection. (Sometimes, maintaining your connection with God involves outsmarting yourself.)
          It should be noted, also, that Paul asked for prayers with regard to what God had called him to do. Paul had the benefit of having been told what his mission was. I tend to be more than a little afraid to declare a specific mission. I’m afraid I’ll be wrong, but even if we don’t know, or are afraid to claim our mission, we can still pray that God will enable us to complete our missions in a manner that glorifies Him.


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