PRAYING AT ALL TIMES

Pastor Looney has been waxing eloquent on prayer as of late. Apparently God doesn’t want him to have ALL the fun. Our study in Ephesians has landed us squarely in the pocket of prayer. It is interesting that technically prayer is not part of the armor cameo, it is a logical projection. It’s not like a sharp left turn. It flows naturally from spiritual warfare. The way to look at this is we get armored up and then enter the battle, which is prayer! Prayer must be approached with truth, righteousness, grit, salvation, and the Word. There are some insights into prayer that we want to look at tonight.

Ephesians 6:18–20 NKJV

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION

Obviously the first question our text raises is what is prayer and supplication? Why are they connected? What is the difference? Can anything be learned from this parsing of terms?

The actual definition of supplication is humble prayer, so obviously we aren’t talking about two distant subjects. They are part of the same fabric.

Supplication does carry the idea of request and petition. The NIV translates it prayers and requests. The AMP uses prayer and entreaty. The BBE has it prayers and deep desires.

I think, though it isn’t something hard and fast, the combination of the two words draws out the purposes of prayer a little more than just one or the other. Prayer is our communion with God. Though there is certainly the give us this day and deliver us element of prayer, the asking, there is more to it. It is communion, worship, relationship with and to God. That is joined to requests and entreaties.

Surely if the only time someone comes to you is to ask you for something that is a very stunted relationship. Abba Father is more than, “Daddy, what did you bring me?” It is an expression of joy in the presence of God. It is love and connection and gratitude and wonder and everything that goes into communion with God.

Ephesians 1:16 NKJV

do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

Job 27:10 NKJV

Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call on God?

Habakkuk 3:17–18 NKJV

Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

These passages point to prayer that seeks nothing but the joy of God. Giving thanks, delighting in God, regardless of what I may or may not receive from Him.

But within all that is this idea of supplication, request…need and hope and expectation and dependence.

Psalm 121:1 NKJV

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help?

Philippians 4:6 NKJV

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Matthew 6:8 NKJV

“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Embedded in our text is asking for…pleading for…entreating for…for the saints…for Paul…for wisdom and anointing.

So Paul is calling for a vibrant prayer life, not just a laundry list of need but a relational dependence.

IN THE SPIRIT

Now Paul’s instructions go deeper still. First we are to

en panti kairo…in every season. In every opportunity.

There are times when prayer might be difficult or inconvenient…but pray.

Times of exhaustion…pray

Times of fear, depression, loneliness…pray

Times of joy…pray

Times of distraction…pray!

In other words, there’ never a bad time to pray. It isn’t just for church or Monday night prayer meetings or before dinner. To pray always is to cultivate an awareness, a sensitivity to God in every context. You don’t have to be verbally praying. You can be praying in your head. And it doesn’t have to be formal. It can be like going somewhere with a friend. A running conversation. A visit to the grocery store to the background narration of gratitude for the plenty and the prayer for deliverance from Snickers bars. (Or perhaps thanks for Snickers bars.)

Driving to your next location…asking for wisdom. Thanking God that you have a next location.

Doing your job, praying for wisdom, praying for strength, praying for His presence. Thanksgiving for work, gainful employment, kids to take care of, a house that needs cleaning…a bigger house for your growing family…right? When is prayer inappropriate? Never.

In the Spirit

This would include tongues, that powerful prayer language

Romans 8:26–27 NKJV

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Jude 20 NKJV

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

But it would not be limited to that. I think Paul is using the broader application of life in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, inspired by the Spirit

Matthew 22:43 NKJV

He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

It is the idea of being led by the Spirit in specific directions in your prayer life. Here is David whose Psalms are a book of prayers calling the Messiah Lord…revelation in prayer. God constantly impresses certain people and certain needs in my prayers…that’s praying in the Spirit as much as praying in tongues is praying in the Spirit.

all perseverance

To persist in prayer. This is importunity…the widow woman badgering the judge…the friend at midnight raising a clamor until his friend gets out of be and gives him bread.

Prayer needs that unrelenting character…that stick-to-it-iveness…that endurance. We cannot flee the battlefield. This is what we are called to.

all supplication for all the saints

Praising beyond our own needs, but the needs of others.

TO THAT END

Paul points us “to that end”. In other words, all this talk of prayer has a goal, an end in view.

That is, the prayer for all the saints AND prayer for himself.

1 Timothy 2:1 NKJV

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

There are two primary targets in prayer and neither of them is yourself. Don’t misunderstand me. You must pray for yourself. There’s nothing wrong with praying for yourself. But Paul says to Timothy FIRST…he says to the Ephesians TO THIS END…in Rom 1.8  FIRST, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all...

The priority FIRST is for all men. Souls are souls are souls. We pray for sinners that they will be saved. We pray for each other that we will prevail, body, soul, and spirit. We pray for our friends and our enemies. We pray for all men because all men need prayer.

The second priority is your pastors. Mark put in a shameless plug for this in his last sermon and I’m joining him. Apparently God wants to get your attention on this point.

Paul is asking them to pray for opportunities and wisdom and anointing. He wants to be effective. He wants them praying for his chains and his adversities.

I like his shamelessness. I like the fact that he is not worried about what anybody may think about him soliciting their prayers for HIS needs.

That is because there is nothing selfish in this. He is basically desirous to serve others to his best ability and beyond his best ability, to function in the supernatural. There isn’t a pastor on the planet that doesn’t need it and there isn’t a church on the planet that doesn’t need it.

If the saints would make praying for wisdom and help for their pastors their second priority in prayer after the souls of men, I am persuaded that God would be able to build his church in powerful ways.

So here is the battle plan. Strap on your kingdom armor and give yourself to prayer!! Jesus prayed all the time. If it’s good enough for Him and it’s good enough for Paul…it’s good enough for you.