EPHESIANS 6:18-24 - Praying At All Times

Introduction

A couple of weeks ago I finally came to the end of my training for my new position at the University. The administration spent several weeks giving us all kinds of policies and resources and systems access and authorizations for sensitive information—all the tools that we would need to do our jobs effectively.

But there is one particular resource they gave us that is the most important of all—the thing without which none of those other tools would be effective. They put together a group chat made up of all the specialists and supervisors in all of the offices we work with. Any one of us at any time can instantly ask for help whenever we need it—and get help within minutes. Without that ability, we would not be able to carry out the work we were hired to do.

The Apostle Paul has just laid out all of the equipment that God has given His people for the war we are called to fight:

Ephesians 6:14–17 LSB

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. In addition to all, having taken up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, also receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

But I want to submit to you that, just like my training isn’t effective if I can’t ask for help when I need it, you are an effective soldier in the armor of God when you are calling out for help as you wield it. Surely this is why Paul follows up his command to “put on the full armor of God” in verse 18 saying

Ephesians 6:18 LSB

praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

You can have all the armor in the world, but it must be worn and wielded through prayer. This is what I want to show you from these verses this morning. I want you to see here that

Prayer is your LIFELINE in the WARFARE of your WALK in this world

We have said already that Paul’s aim in this chapter is to show how everything else he has written in the book of Ephesians is meant to prepare us for the war for the cosmos that is taking place around us.

Satan hates the household that God has created out of two peoples become one, he does not want to see people turning away from the futility of the old mind of rebellion and sin against God, he does not want families to grow and foster households modeled after the household of God with Christ as the Head.

And so this is the context for Paul’s teaching on prayer here—you are in the middle of a raging spiritual war as you walk through this world. In John Piper’s great book on missions, Let The Nations Be Glad!, he writes this:

We cannot know what prayer is for until we know that life is war. Life is war. That’s not all it is. But it is certainly that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world. (Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad, 41, quoted in Merida, T. (2014). Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (p. 183). Holman Reference.)

There are two elements of the Scripture’s teaching on prayer here in these verses; I want us to consider them one at a time. First, in Verse 18, you are called to

I. Be CONSTANT in your PRACTICE of prayer (Ephesians 6:18)

Listen closely to verse 18 again:

Ephesians 6:18 LSB

praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Did you catch that? There are four “universal” elements of prayer that Paul is writing about here; four characteristics of the kind of prayer that is our great lifeline in the warfare we live in here in this fallen world. First of all, we are commanded to

Pray at all TIMES (cp. 1 Thess 5:17)

This is a similar statement to the one Paul makes in 1 Thessalonians 5:17:

1 Thessalonians 5:17 LSB

pray without ceasing;

Now, I have heard some people describe their interpretation of this verse as to say, “When I wake up in the morning, I say, ‘Dear Heavenly Father...’ and then when I go to bed before I go to sleep I say, ‘...In Jesus’ Name, AMEN’”. Now, while I understand the idea of that—make every moment of your waking hours a form of prayer in one way or another—I think in my particular case I would wind up including thoughts and words in such a “prayer” that I really don’t think I want to say to God! (Though, maybe that’s the point—a way of disciplining your mind and heart by realizing that God does see and hear every thought and motive, whether you are praying to Him or not!)

But I think the idea here is not so much that you are praying comprehensively—there is nothing that you encounter, nothing that happens to you, nothing that you do that you cannot make a matter of prayer. And along with that, you are praying regularly. Yes, you have set times of prayer—in your morning devotions, for instance, or perhaps at the end of the day as you are going to sleep.

But the idea here is that those aren’t the only times you are praying. You are always carrying on a conversation with God as you go about your day; asking Him for strength, thanking Him for a thousand little mercies, running to Him when you are tempted.

This constant, open communication with God is a source of protection for you in this war. Jodee and I get phone calls all the time from Hannah when she is walking alone to her car from class—she makes it a point to be in continuous communication with us in case something unexpected or unwelcome happened to her, so that we would be immediately aware of what is going on. In the same way, Christian, your continuous prayer at all times keeps you in communication with your Heavenly Father so that you will be ready to stand when Satan springs a trap.

Prayer is your lifeline in the warfare of this world—pray at all times, and

Pray with all PETITIONS (cp. Rom. 8:26)

Ephesians 6:18 LSB

praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit...

The word “petition” (or “supplication”) means requests. We are to ask God for our needs in prayer. Again, remembering that prayer is a walkie-talkie by which we can call in air support for our position in the war, and not an intercom to ring up the maid for an extra pillow. This is why we are told to pray with all petitions in the Spirit. Paul highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in our prayers in Romans 8:26

Romans 8:26 LSB

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

To pray with all petitions in the Spirit means that we pray in submission to God. There are some unhealthy teachers out there who want to tell you that you should demand God’s attention in prayer, that you should even command Him to do this or that.

But God’s Word here says that you pray in submission to God. It is right and good that we pray “if it be Thy will, O LORD...” when we bring our requests. We may petition boldly, we may ask great things of God, but we must always remember that we are asking Him, not demanding of Him.

Pray at all times, pray with all petitions in the Spirit, and

Pray with all PERSEVERANCE (cp. Luke 18:1-8)

Ephesians 6:18 LSB

praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance...

There are two elements to prayer here—first, pray with alertness. Be on your guard; you are in a combat zone. One of my student veterans was a .50 caliber machine gunner in Iraq. He told me about how he knew every single rock, every single clump of dirt, every single ditch or mound of soil on his daily mounted patrol with his squad. If there was ANYTHING out of place or unusual—a pebble that wasn’t there the day before—he would alert his driver to stop so they could investigate. Their lives depended on staying alert.

Keep alert in prayer, and also keep praying. This is what it means to pray “with all perseverance”. In the passage that we read earlier, Jesus called on His disciples to “pray and never give up”, concluding His parable with

Luke 18:8 LSB

“...when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on the earth?”

Pray consistently; pray repeatedly. Do not give up; if it means you have to pray for weeks, or months, or years for that unsaved child or co-worker or friend; if it means that you wake up at night to pray; if it feels like God is ignoring you; if it seems like your prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling, God’s Word tells you, never give up!

Pray at all times, pray with all petitions in the Spirit, pray with perseverance, and

Pray for all the SAINTS (cp. 1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Ephesians 6:18 LSB

praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

The entire theme of this letter is how God’s blueprint for living—the household He has established under Christ—this household is made up of Jew and Gentile, masters and slaves. The unity of the Body of Christ is the tone of this whole letter, and Paul makes it clear here that we are to be praying for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Consider for a moment that that means we must know our brothers and sisters in Christ—you can only pray meaningfully for someone when you know them—what their struggles are, what their calling is from God, how they want to be used by God, what strengths they have, what needs they have. You cannot pray the way we are called to here—earnestly, constantly, at all times, watchfully—you can’t pray that way for someone you do not know

And not only so, but your brothers and sisters in Christ cannot pray meaningfully for you if they don’t know you! Paul has been showing us the necessity of being constant in the practice of prayer in Verse 18, but starting now in Verse 19 he shows how we must

II. Be EARNEST in SEEKING prayer (Ephesians 6:19-22)

Ephesians 6:18–19 LSB

praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, as well as on my behalf...

Paul did not just command his readers to pray earnestly for one another—he was earnest in his desire for them to pray for him!

We really ought to let this sink into our skulls for a few minutes, because it can deeply challenge the way you think about prayer. What I mean is this: We tend to think of the Apostle Paul as the Great Gospel Bull in the China Shop of the Greco-Roman World. He comes in hot, preaching and demonstrating apostolic authority through the signs God had given him—everywhere he went there was either a great move of God in evangelistic harvest or a riot that threw the place into an uproar.

We imagine Paul as the steely-eyed Gospel preacher striding into the synagogues and whipping the Pharisees at their own game, demonstrating conclusively the Messiahship of Jesus, going toe-to-toe with demon-possessed slaves, calmly directing panicked passengers and crew as a massive Alexandrian grain ship breaks apart under their feet in a storm at sea—nothing gets to Paul, right?

But look at what Paul asks them to pray for on his behalf:

Ephesians 6:19–20 LSB

as well as on my behalf, that words may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel—for which I am an ambassador in chains—so that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Even though it was something no one thought Paul needed strength for, he asked for boldness. Everyone could have been forgiven for thinking that boldness was the last thing Paul needed to ask God for, but Paul was not in the least bit worried that asking for them to pray for him in his battle with timidity would lessen him in their eyes! He was earnest in seeking prayer, even at the point of his greatest perceived strength.

Be earnest in seeking prayer then, Christian

For the MISSION you have been GIVEN (vv. 19-20)

For Paul it was the mission of evangelism to the Gentiles. If the man of great courage could ask for prayers for boldness, if the eloquent writer and debater could plead that people would pray for him to find the right words to speak, then Christian you can ask for prayer in the work God has given you!

Everyone has been given a task to magnify the Gospel of Christ in their context. Where is yours? In your workplace? In your marriage? Your parenting? Your education? Your retirement? Prayer is your lifeline in the warfare of your walk in this world—and the prayers of your brothers and sisters in Christ are a crucial part of that lifeline.

Paul not only asked for prayer for his ministry, but he went on to make sure that the church in Ephesus knew about everything that was happening in his life:

Ephesians 6:21–22 LSB

But that you also may know about all my affairs, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know our circumstances, and that he may encourage your hearts.

Be earnest in seeking prayer for the mission you have been given, as well as

For the LIFE that you are LEADING (vv. 21-22)

Paul wanted to send along Tychicus to make sure that the Ephesian church knew everything that was going on with him… “all my affairs”. He wanted his life to be an open book to his brothers and sisters in Christ so that they would all know how to pray for him— “Tychicus will make everything known to you!!” All about his imprisonment, all about his health, all about his needs. “I have sent him to you for this very purpose—that you may know “all that is concerning us”.

Paul was eager to be prayed for—he didn’t care if it made him look weak, he didn’t care if he sounded needy, he didn’t worry that he was being a burden. Because Paul understood just what was at stake in the prayers of the Ephesians for him. Paul knew how powerful prayer was; he understood how indispensable it was for his life and ministry. He had seen what earnest, faithful, intentional, persevering prayer could do in people’s lives and he knew that he didn’t want to be without it in his life!

I wonder if the reason that prayer is so neglected in our lives so often is because we really don’t understand what a powerful thing it is. And I wonder if the reason that we are often so reluctant to be prayed for is because we really don’t understand how essential it is. When we do pray, we usually toss out “safe” prayer requests—Aunt Milly’s sore toe, Billy’s big exam coming up, the neighbor we invited to church, safety as we travel on the roads. To be sure, these are legitimate reasons for prayer—if we are to pray at all times for all people in all things, then of course sore toes and calculus exams are going to be a part of that.

But if that is all we ever ask for in prayer, I wonder if we aren’t demonstrating that we really don’t think much of prayer at all. Because if we really understood the power of this gift God has given us, we would not hesitate to ask for it for ourselves too! And not just prayer requests for your sore toe, either. But earnestly seeking prayer for the true, deep needs for your life and ministry. This is the walkie-talkie by which you and your fire team call down airstrikes from Heaven on the entrenched enemies of the world, the flesh and the devil—why are we using it to ask for nothing more consequential than getting a good parking space at the grocery store?

Here’s what I want you to pray for for me: Pray that I have the words to say when I stand up here at 11:30 every Sunday morning. Pray that I have the courage to proclaim the Gospel the way I ought to. Pray that God gives me grace to speak, and not browbeat or shame you in my preaching. Pray that I have a clear, pure heart and mind when I sit down to study. Pray for me to be able to understand even the most basic meaning of the verses before me as I prepare a sermon each week.

Pray that I act like a Christian in front of my co-workers. Pray that I don’t exasperate my children with my harshness and pride. Pray that I don’t dishearten my wife with laziness and selfishness, but that I honor her as I ought. Pray that I am a faithful son, a faithful father, a faithful brother, a faithful brother-in-law. (And if you want to pray for my sore toe while you’re at it, feel free...)

There is massive cosmic power in prayer because it is heard by Almighty God Who has sworn by Himself and sealed that oath with the blood of His Son that He will always hear us when we pray. And not only hear us, but answer us. To you who belong to Jesus Christ by faith, this power and help and guidance is yours when you pray.

And for you who do not know Christ, who stand outside of His promises because you cling to your sin and deny His call, know here this morning that this weapon of prayer is being deployed on your behalf this morning. We are praying for you—earnestly, at all times, in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, persevering and not giving up—praying that you will drop your resistance to His offer, that you will repent of your sins and come to Him for forgiveness of your sin, cleansing from your shame and a New Birth of “peace..., and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!”

BENEDICTION:

Ephesians 6:23–24 LSB

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.

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