Praying Always in The Spirit Pt. 4

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 6:17–18 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

Introduction

4. Faithfulness in Prayer

5. Fulness in Prayer

Sermon

4. Faithfulness in Prayer

Faithfulness in prayer is the keeping of the heart in the Spirit with all diligence - to persevere in the spiritual fight, to not let your guard down against all enemies foreign and domestic.

Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

“praying” - we’ve discussed this

“always” - frequency

“with all prayer and supplication” - different kinds - 1 Timothy 2:1 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;”

“in the Spirit” - that which is led by the Spirit, taught by Him

“watching thereunto”

Prayer considers “watching” thus looks over all prayer

Watching - 1st, 2nd, 3rd watch of the night - you were “awake”

Dependent upon light - Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”

Once enlightened you are awake, yet one can still slumber - Ephesians 5:14 “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Our walk in light - Ephesians 5:8–14 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Walk circumspectly - Ephesians 5:15–18 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”

Vigilance - of course suitable to the battle context

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

1 Timothy 3:2–3 “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;”

Luke 21:36 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Matthew 26:38–41 “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Christ’s victory in overcoming the world (1 Jn) in contrast to the disciples failure

Spiritual battle against the hour of the power of darkness

A breach from the Lord’s injunction - Matthew 26:38 “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”

Pending danger - offended in Him - Matthew 26:31–33 “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.”

Personal favor of the Lord - Matthew 26:38 “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”

Engage in the work of the Lord to watch, pray, fight - not to enter temptation - Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Couldn’t watch - couldn’t watch for one hour

Not my will - your will - here is the struggle

Hebrews 10:7–9 “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”

Psalm 40:7–8 “Then said I, Lo, I come: In the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: Yea, thy law is within my heart.”

John 6:38 “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”

John 4:34 “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

John 5:30 “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

Ephesians 6:6 “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;”

Alert and awake

Romans 13:11 “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

1 Corinthians 15:34 “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.”

Ephesians 5:14 “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

What are we watching thereunto?

That which we know, believe, and pray

We watch others - enemies and brothers

Waiting upon God - Ephesians 3:20–21 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Keep diligently our heart - Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.”

Continue in faith - believing what you believe

Watch lusts, sin, darkness, this world, worldly wisdom, tradition - anything that exalts itself against Christ

Opposite of watching

Not being awake, but asleep

Being conformed to the world

Not fighting

Not walking in good works

Not doing the one another’s

Not doing the will of the Lord

“with all perseverance”

“continuing instant” - Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

“attending continually” - Romans 13:6 “For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.”

“continue” - Colossians 4:2 “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;”

“and supplication for all saints”

Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

Romans 15:1–2 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”

Romans 15:6 “That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 15:7 “Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.”

Romans 15:14 “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.”

1 Corinthians 12:25 “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.”

Ephesians 4:14–16 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

5. Fulness of Prayer

The impact of God’s Word, the effect of the Spirit’s teaching and leading within the heart and mind in knowledge that leads to that which passes knowledge into the life and activity of the believer.

Ephesians 3:14–21 “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Comprehensive love of Christ to be filled that it would overflow into one’s life - leading to the worthy walk.

Ephesians 1-3 leads to Ephesians 4-6 - if you really know Ephesians 1-3 then Ephesians 4-6 is the walk of that knowledge.

The renewing of the mind takes place in the confrontation of God’s Word to every thought contrary to it; however, this doesn’t take place in the initial learning of the matter, but the constant, continual casting down of that which exalts itself against Christ through the appropriation, the impressing upon that which you already know (if you know it) upon your mind, thoughts, and heart and against that which you have of yourself, your flesh, and humanview point, all lust, and all worldly wisdom, and sin in the moment to employ your body a living sacrifice, a servant of righteousness, living by the faith of the Son of God.

Prayer is the medium in which this love of Christ which passes knowledge in your life, your subjective circumstance gets shaped and fashioned, lived out, displayed, commended to others.

Conclusion

To pray always in the Spirit is not merely an act of speech, but a state of faithfulness and fulness. As we have seen, this involves keeping our hearts with all diligence to persevere in a spiritual fight that requires our constant attention.

Overview of Main Points

The Mandate of Faithfulness: We are called to pray with frequency ("always") and variety ("all prayer and supplication"), guided and taught by the Spirit rather than our own fleshly desires.

The Work of Watching: Prayer is inseparable from "watching". Just as a sentry stays awake through the night, we must remain spiritually enlightened and alert, refusing to slip back into the slumber of our former darkness.

The Pattern of Christ: Jesus demonstrated the ultimate struggle of prayer in Gethsemane—choosing the Father's will over His own. While the disciples failed to watch for even one hour, Christ overcame the "power of darkness" through prayerful submission.

The Goal of Fulness: The objective of our prayer life is to be "filled with all the fulness of God". This happens as the knowledge of Ephesians 1–3 transitions into the "worthy walk" of Ephesians 4–6.

Reflection and Application

1. Guard Your Heart with Diligence - We must ask ourselves: are we "awake to righteousness," or have we become conformed to the world?. Watching in prayer means identifying anything—be it sin, worldly wisdom, tradition, or personal lust—that exalts itself against Christ and casting it down.

2. Shift from "My Will" to "Thy Will" - The struggle of prayer is often the struggle of the will. Like Christ, our prayers should be the medium through which we exact the Word of God upon our heart and mind thus renew our minds, sacrificing our "human viewpoint" to embrace the will of God from the heart.

3. Pray with a "Whole Body" Perspective - Faithfulness in prayer is not a solitary endeavor; it includes "supplication for all saints". We apply this by bearing the infirmities of the weak, admonishing one another, and ensuring there is no schism in the body of Christ.

Final Thought - Prayer is the essential medium through which the love of Christ—which passes knowledge—is shaped, fashioned, and lived out in our daily circumstances. Let us, therefore, continue instant in prayer, watching with all perseverance for the glory of God in His church.