“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.””

Ephesians 6:18-19 NLT
 
 

Ephesus had been a Gentile city prior to Pentecost when the church began to spread as a result of the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), and Paul had visited there on several occasions. The letter to the Ephesians was written from prison in Rome, but it was sent to affirm and encourage the churches that had been planted there. 

Paul isn’t addressing any specific problems with the church, but does remind them to pray and be alert, because as Peter reminds us, “the enemy roams around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). Paul addresses the strategies of the enemy in Ephesians 6:10-17, and closes with the most powerful way we can fight the enemy. The only way to fight the powers of the dark world we live in, is to arm ourselves with the strength of the Holy Spirit. And that strength comes from our prayers and the prayers of our fellow believers. 

I have often wondered who, if anyone, prayed for Paul prior to his conversion. So many times, we don’t even know who we should pray for or what we should pray for, “But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, and pleads for us in harmony with God’s will”, (Romans 8:26-27). 

Our life as a Christian will not be easy! Suffering will come, grief will come, temptation will come! And it is during those times that we tend to pray the hardest. But what if, we prayed like that even during our best times! What if we prayed at all times – good and bad – with persistent pleading for God to do what only He can do, even if we don’t know what that might be yet. What if we prayed for our friends struggles, even though we don’t know what they are. What if we prayed for our unknown future conversations that will only go well if we’re prepared and suited up. What if we prayed for the unbelievers to find the grace and mercy of God, even though we don’t know their names. What if we prayed for God’s will to be done instead of our own. What if we didn’t wait for our struggles to break though before we ask for God’s help, or wait for the miracles to happen to send Him our praise. What if, we valued the power of prayer and the power of praise as our greatest tool and our most treasured conversation of the day. Even if we say nothing at all, God will hear the groanings of our heart. 

Prayer can be done anywhere and at any time. But as we know, our distractions distract us, so it’s important to schedule an isolated prayer time into your day. But you can also pray as you go! Make a mental note of the things you see or the things you experience and turn them into prayer – right then! 

Prayer is not a genie in a bottle to make our wishes come true. But prayer is an essential part of our journey and our growth. Prayer is what keeps us from being discouraged and defeated by the disappointments in the world. It’s an essential part of our effectiveness in the world. And it’s the most important part of getting to know God.

Let your heart groan and let your desires be made known. And God will take delight in making known to you His desires and His purpose for your life.