Prayer

 “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ”

Ephesians 6:18 ESV


I've heard people say that the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God) is the only offensive weapon in the Christian's armoury. I prefer the person's description of prayer as the aerial bombardment of spiritual warfare. I don't think this verse is just tagged on at the end of the armour of God as a cute post script.

We're not just to pray 'shopping lists'. God isn't a divine vending machine. We're to pray in the Spirit.

We can take anything to God in prayer: our shopping lists, our needs, our wants, our burdens, our dreams etc. His shoulders are big enough to bear whatever's bugging us.

In one sense prayer comes natural to God's children, talking to him as our heavenly Father. In another sense we can forget that we're not autonomous and that we rely on him for everything. We're to be childlike-ly consciously reliant on God; not teenager-ly deluded that we don't need our Father in heaven!

'Our heavenly Father, please help us to persevere in prayer to you. Please graciously respond to us, as we ask in Jesus' name, amen'.

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