People often forget that prayer is mentioned in Paul’s famous description of the armor of God in Ephesians chapter six. Prayer is not illustrated with a piece of armor or a weapon, but it is certainly emphasized as one of the most important ways for a Christian to withstand the attack of the enemy. This makes sense because prayer is communicating with God. How can a soldier know what the general wants him to do if he does not keep an open line of communication?
The English pastor, John Bunyan, spent many years in prison because of his commitment to preach the gospel. He is known for writing The Pilgrims Progress, but he should also be known for being a man of prayer. He wrote, “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.” Pastor Bunyan understood the indispensable need for believers to pray.
In this article I want to show you five ways you can make sure you are protecting your prayer life. The first protection comes from Ephesians 6:18 where Paul wrote, “Praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit.” (Legacy Standard Bible) Along with putting on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of the gospel, believers are to always stay connected with God in prayer. This is easier said than done. The Christian life is full of distractions and responsibilities that often make it difficult to keep alert in prayer, but the believer must learn to create a habit of prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The second prayer protection is also found in Ephesians 6:18. Believers are to pray in the Spirit. This is important because it is easy for believers to be focused on themselves. The apostle Paul corrects against this by commanding Christians to communicate with God the way the Spirit wants them to. If you want to know how to do this, you can use the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 as a guide. From the very first line, “Our Father who is in heaven,” the prayer is focused on God the Father, not our own personal pains and pleasures. There is a time for bringing our own requests to God, but it should be done in a spirit-filled way, not a flesh-filled way.
The third way to protect the supply line of prayer is to pray while fully alert. The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:18, “and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” Anyone who has tried praying right before going to bed has learned how difficult it is to pray when you are tired. It is good to pray at all times, but it is good to pray with a watchful attitude. This means making sure that our minds are engaged. This means praying for specific concerns and praising God when he answers our prayers.
The fourth way to stay focused in prayer is to make sure that we are praying for other believers. Paul mentioned this when he said making “petition for all the saints.” Once again, it is important for believers to be focused on others in prayer. This does not mean we are to only pray for Christians (1 Timothy 2:1-2), but it is important to keep our prayers focused on those in our families and churches. This is a very practical way to guard against selfish prayer.
The fifth and last way to protect our prayer lives is to pray with boldness. This can be seen in the last two verses of this section (v. 19-20) which say, “as well as on my behalf, that words may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel—for which I am an ambassador in chains—so that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” It is always important to make note of repetition in Scripture. Paul was clearly emphasizing the need for him to be bold in sharing the gospel because he mentioned it twice in this passage. There is a natural tendency for believers to be timid in battle. The apostle Paul is commanding believers to pray that he will be bold in sharing the gospel. This prayer can also be applied to all believers. Any soldier of Christ needs to pray for boldness in sharing the gospel. We need to be bold in putting on the helmet of salvation and taking up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
I appreciate how Paul included prayer in his description of the armor of God. Instead of being overlooked by believers, it needs to be thought of as a vital part of the arsenal of God’s army. May all believers be motivated to keep the communication line always open with God so they will be able to stand firm against the enemy and his attacks.
