IT'S TIME TO PRAY... AGAIN

It’s Time to Pray . . . Again

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Ephesians 6:18

READ EPHESIANS 6:10–20

I pulled into my driveway, waving at my neighbor Myriam and her little girl Elizabeth. Over the years, Elizabeth had grown accustomed to our spontaneous chats lasting longer than the promised “few minutes” and morphing into prayer meetings. She climbed the tree planted in the center of their front yard, dangled her legs over a branch, and busied herself while her mother and I spoke. After a while, Elizabeth hopped down from her roost and ran to where we stood. Grabbing our hands, she smiled and almost sang, “It’s time to pray . . . again.” Even at an early age, Elizabeth seemed to understand how important prayer was in our friendship.

After encouraging believers to “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10), the apostle Paul offered special insight on the crucial role of continual prayer. He described the necessary armor God’s people would need during their spiritual walk with the Lord, who provides protection, discernment, and confidence in His truth (vv. 11-17). However, the apostle emphasized this God-given strength grew from deliberate immersion in the life-giving gift of prayer (vv. 18-20).

God hears and cares about our concerns, whether they’re spoken boldly, sobbed silently, or secured deep in a hurting heart. He’s always ready to make us strong in His power, as He invites us to pray again and again and again.

By Xochitl Dixon

REFLECT & PRAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of coming to You in prayer.

How can ongoing prayer change our perspective, relationships, and day-to-day living? What would it mean for you to consider your time in prayer to be as vital as breathing?

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Four times in Ephesians 6:18-20 Paul asks the Ephesian believers to pray, twice asking them to pray he won’t be fearful. What might make him fearful? The answer is in the preceding verses where he clarifies against whom we fight our battles. The battle isn’t against our visible enemies—those who may give us tangible resistance. Instead, we fight against our enemies in the spiritual realm. Paul, however, has also outlined the way to combat those spiritual forces—by putting on the armor of God (vv. 10-17). God provides the armor, but He works through our prayers. J.R. Hudberg