Category: Prayer

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. 

Did you know there is a prayer breakfast at the Ag Expo? I had no idea until I saw it on the program for this year’s schedule of events. I was already planning on going later in the day on Wednesday, but I decided to go earlier to see what it was like to attend this unique event. 

As soon as I entered the tent I was surprised by how well attended it was. There were circular tables filling almost the entire floor plan and from my vantage point it looked like every table was full of happy, talkative people. As I walked to the front I could tell people were enjoying the food they had been served. I filled through the buffet line and found a table right at the front. 

When I looked up on stage I could see some familiar faces. The Gilly Girls Band were playing to a full house. The band is comprised of two sets of twins who have been playing bluegrass and gospel music for many years. I was able to talk to them after the program and I was happy to learn that they are all believers who attend a local church here in the valley. 

As soon as they were done playing, the emcee, David Macedo, came up and introduced a documentary about the Riddle family, who were the guest family of the event. Personally, I thought this was the most meaningful part of the program because we were given insight into how God has worked in the life of this unique family. Kevin Riddle and his wife Ann explained the history of how Kevin’s family moved from Corcoran up to Orosi, CA. They were initially involved in the cattle industry and then in 1959 they began transitioning to a citrus operation. Kevin’s testimony was heartfelt and encouraging. He talked about how God has helped his faith grow through many of the difficulties and trials he and his wife have experienced. He gave credit to God for blessing their farm and their marriage. One of the most poignant parts of the video was when Ann quoted James 1:2-3 from memory. She said, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” 

After the documentary ended, the emcee invited the entire Riddle family clan onto the stage. We were told that there were twenty-nine people on the stage! Kevin and Ann, their four children and spouses, and nineteen grandchildren. It was a remarkable sight to see how God has blessed Kevin and Ann with godly children and grand-children. The oldest grandchild from each family stepped forward and read from different passages of Scripture.

I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Riddle after the event. It was memorable experience to shake his hand and hear him tell me about the churches that he and his family are attending here in the valley. Later I learned that the Prayer Breakfast has been inviting a guest family to the event for many years. If I return next year, it will be to seek encouragement from the family’s testimony of God’s work in their lives. 

Next we were able to hear from the featured speaker, the Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. His message was entertaining and thought-provoking. He told us about how he grew up in a small town in California. His father was a local officer and his advice to his son was to always look for what God was telling him to do. After thirty-three years in the service, Sheriff Boudreaux is still following that advice. 

He told us a powerful story of how God answered the prayers of a family whose daughter had just been kidnapped. Sheriff Boudreaux explained how he felt guided by God to make contact with a person who ended up being guilty of kidnapping the couple’s daughter. The couple had prayed to God, even before calling the police, and Sheriff Boudreaux had been led to intervene in the situation. He was able to make the arrest and return the daughter to the parents that very day. He told the audience that he believes in the power of prayer and many who heard him were in agreement. 

My favorite part of Sheriff Boudreaux’s message was when he referred to the Bible’s account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter 3. He told the audience that he had been inspired by how those men were not willing to bow to the pressure of their society and Sheriff Boudreaux encouraged all those listening to follow their example. He encouraged us to stand firm and to not forget our convictions to God and his word. 

The Prayer Breakfast ended with a prayer and a farewell from the host. Overall, I was glad I attended the meeting and Lord willing, I look forward to being able to go next year as well.