10
The Pastor’s Prayer Life—the Personal Side
James E. Rosscup
Two passages related to prayer and their teaching regarding the impact of prayer on pastoral ministry are the focus of this chapter. John 15:7–8 highlights a life of prayer and the answers to that prayer. That kind of life results in glory to God, multiplying fruit, and authentication of the one praying. Ephesians 6:10–20 emphasizes the power of the armor of God, details the various parts of that armor, and climaxes with the prayer that must accompany that armor. A pastor dare not neglect these essential truths regarding the armor, particularly prayer, as he ministers to people.
God has given His Word as the pastor’s main tool. God’s Word makes clear that a proper blending of the Word with prayer is the most strategic approach to ministry. Two main passages underscore this, one from Jesus, the greatest leader, and the other from Paul, one of the finest examples of ministry for Jesus’sake.1 The two agree that God-centered ministry profoundly shaped by the Word and prayer is ministry that produces God-approved fruit. Jesus’ words in John 15:7–8 and Paul’s sense of priority in Ephesians 6:10–20 verify the importance of merging the Word and prayer in pastoral ministry.
PRAYING AS IN JOHN 15:7, 8
“Abiding” is at the heart of the Christian life according to the greatest of all shepherds, Jesus. In John 15:4 Jesus expressed His passion for His own with the command “Abide in Me.” In the same verse and the following one He continued, “And I in you. . . . He who abides in Me . . . bears much fruit.” He finished verse 5 by adding, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” “Fruit” is anything that Christ the vine produces through one of His branches. The possibility of bearing what God would call “fruit” is nil without this abiding.
In this context of a branch (a believer) in a vine (Christ) one actually practices abiding or continuing in three ways:
- A person who is in Christ (that is, “in Me,” in true union with Him) needs to relate to Christ the vine as a physical branch relates to its vine. A human, however, differs from a physical branch in his ability to think, exercise his will, and feel his emotions. He, therefore, can relate to Christ’s person and His values and priorities. This is to think, speak, and do what is in harmony with Christ and His will as expressed in His Word. The believer can achieve this to some degree and yet have room for further growth.
- The abiding person rejects what is opposed to Christ’s person and purpose as clarified in the principles of Scripture.
- The one who abides receives as a physical branch draws from its vine. He benefits from the adequacy of Christ and His Word. Christians begin their life in the Lord by receiving the eternal life He gives (John 1:12). They receive this life by faith (v. 12; 3:16; 6:54). After they begin receiving, they continue in the Christian life by the same principle, walking by faith (7:37–38). “Abiding” is the name given to this continuance (6:56; see v. 54).
In John 15 Jesus went on, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you” (v. 7). In other words, “If you are people who do abide in Me”—and all who in faith eat and drink of Him do abide in Him (John 6:54–56)—“here is a boon that will be yours, the privilege of praying and experiencing God-given answers, which are the fruit of your life as a branch.”
In the same discourse Jesus explained that both He (14:14) and the Father (15:16; 16:23) will give the answers. They will supply whatever His abiding people ask, praying in His name (15:16).2 To ask in Jesus’ name is to ask what is in harmony with His will as indicated in His Word. “My words” (v. 7) reflect loyalty to God that influences and infuses fruitful prayer. Jesus indicated a close relationship between abiding in Him and having His words abide in you. The words belong to Him, the perfect articulator and author of God’s Word. The values and priorities in all of God’s Word are what He exemplifies and stands for. In His person and in His words He unites with the Father and the Spirit. The person who abides in Him gladly allows His words to abide in him.
Jesus wanted His people to pray in ways God’s Word prescribes. He had just said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him” (14:21). In what way does Christ disclose Himself to the person who prays in accord with His Word (14:21; 15:7)? He does so in the central essence of the fruit borne, which is Himself. The fruit comes from Christ the vine and manifests Him, His quality of life, and what He is like. It is the life of Christ at work, exhibited through His branches (Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21).
Jesus spoke these words about abiding, prayer, and fruit to His eleven disciples. Judas, the twelfth man, had left earlier (13:30). He was not a genuine believer and had never been spiritually cleansed as had the other eleven (13:10–11; see 15:2–3). God had drawn the eleven who remained (6:44, 65), and Jesus had trained them for service during much of His earthly ministry. A pastoral worker can learn much by paying attention to what Jesus here expressed as vital for true belivers in ministry. The listeners were budding leaders who would eventually represent Christ in ministry to others. Christ’s passion was that they be praying servants. In turn, they would teach others the importance of prayer.
John 15:8 defines how the life of abiding in Christ and having His Word abiding in His followers (that is, the life of praying and gaining answers) relates to three great accomplishments. It shows that the praying life is a life of glorification, multiplication, and authentication.
Glorification
The link in thought between verses 7 and 8 is clear. “In this,” the expression that begins verse 8, points forward to “much fruit” later in the same verse. This fruit consists of answers to prayer promised in verse 7. Verse 8 indicates that in God’s positive response to the prayer of one who abides in Christ (that is, “in this,” the “much fruit” resulting from abiding) the Father is glorified. The fruit glorifies God by making conspicuous His virtues, values, and purposes, the beauties found in His Christ and in His words.
The nature of the fruit is evident in the surrounding context: peace (14:27), love (15:8–12), and joy (v. 11). It also consists of the outworking of allegiance to Christ in facing the world’s hostility to Him (vv. 18–25), of a life that the Spirit of truth teaches (v. 26; see v. 7), and of doing greater works than Christ did on earth (14:12). For He as the vine will continue His ministry by doing works through His branches (see Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21). These greater works by them and Him are answers to prayer shaped by His Word (John 14:13; 15:7–8).
What a message on values to guide those who lead in pastoral ministry! All the fruit resulting from the Christ-life—yes, all of it!—relates to what God accomplishes (John 15:7, 16). He does it through Christians in response to their prayer in harmony with the Word and His will (1 John 2:17; 5:14–15). Prayer is obviously of momentous consequence!
This speaks volumes to the Christian worker. It summons him to devote a much greater priority to prayer, in other words, to give prayer the place Jesus gave it. If he does not do so, he should reorder his value system. Otherwise, he will be ministering according to his own agenda rather than by Christ’s expression of values here. This observation refines the oft-cited aphorism:
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past.
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
According to John 15, the last line could well read, “Only what’s done through prayer will last.”
John 15:16 confirms this when it says that only when a person abides in Christ, allowing Christ to live His “vine-life” through him, will his fruit “remain” (the same word as is translated “abide” earlier in the chapter). This is the work of God done to you (vv. 7, 16) in answer to biblically oriented prayer, the “much fruit” of verse 8. This is what will glorify the Father.
Multiplication
“Much fruit” (v. 8) depicts the multiplication Jesus had in mind. Why did He think of fruit in such great quantity? Why not just “fruit”? We may gain some insight on this by relating the fruit to what He said about the fourth soil in the parable of Matthew 13:1–9 and its explanation in verses 18–23. This soil, representing a believer’s heart, receives the seed of God’s Word. Among four categories into which the seed falls, this kind of heart alone bears fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirty-fold. All three quantities of fruit are relatively large. This could indicate that Jesus, teller of the parable, thinks big. He is confident of what He can do through His seed in people with whom the Word works (see John 15:7). The Word is powerful and can do great things. A great Savior can make much fruit possible. Laying hold of Him for more fruit comes through the avenue of prayer.
When a believer bears some fruit, the Father uses His Word to cleanse the believer so that he may bear even “more fruit” (John 15:2–3). Eventually believers can bear “much fruit” (vv. 4, 8).
The amount of fruit borne by believers varies, partly because of the problem of sin with which they must contend (Rom. 7:14–25). Failure may occur, but eventual victory can come with resulting fruit and even “much fruit.” Pastor George W. Truett liked to say from his pulpit in the First Baptist Church of Dallas, “God can strike a mighty lick with a crooked stick.” It is like a piece of ground covered with wild trees with which a farmer must contend. He begins to clear his land. He eliminates some trees, bushes with poisonous fruit, and wild grass. He cultivates the ground and plants his seed. The fruit he gets at first is not as much as he will see later. But compared to no fruit at all, the amount of fruit is a considerable change. Later, as he clears the land more, the fruit increases. Then the contrast with when the land was completely unproductive is even greater (John 15:5).
This example illustrates God’s progressive sanctification of Christians’ lives (Rom. 6–8) after He has justified them (3:21—5:21). Those whom God has declared righteous have fruit with relation to holiness (6:22). Paul wrote with the understanding that all the justified ones have this fruit. It may vary in amounts (see Matt. 13:23), but justification eventually leads to holiness of life. Paul phrased it differently in Ephesians 2:8–10: salvation by grace through faith leads on to God’s purposed good works. Along with God’s purpose, the Christian has his role, too (Phil. 2:12), in cooperating with God, who is at work to will and to energize within him (v. 13). Fruitfulness may differ vastly from Christian to Christian, moment by moment or throughout a lifetime. Yet all will show a marked change from the nothingness in fruit that characterized their unsaved days.
The Father receives glory through the fruit multiplied in the activity of the Word and prayer. A pastoral worker, of all people, should be one of whose life multiplication of this type is characteristic.
Authentication
Leaders and all other true believers who follow Christ are His authentic disciples, according to the last clause of John 15:8. This is evident in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19–20) and often in Acts (6:1, 2; 11:26; etc.). Being disciples means to be His learners, pupils, or followers. All true sheep follow Him in a real sense (John 10:27). These have the gift of eternal life and are kept by God (vv. 27–29).3
John 15:8 says that fruit borne through prayer is a confirmation or authentication of being a disciple: “So shall ye be [“prove to be,” NASB] my disciples” (KJV).4 Since abiding is the life of those who believe (6:54, 56) and since fruit manifests abiding, fruit quite reasonably is an attestation of genuineness, a character witness for believers.5 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (13:35 KJV). Believers also see authenticating fruit (1 John 2:3–5). Other confirmations that bring assurance are the promises of God’s Word and the inner witness of the Spirit of truth.
Jesus cast prayer in a role of profound significance. Whoever serves Him can demonstrate he is His true follower in doing the same. A Christian’s fruit reflects his discipleship, according to John 15:8, the secret of the fruit being prayer (v. 7). This is true for those in pastoral leadership as it was for the eleven disciples who made up Jesus’ original audience for these words. They must proclaim the importance of prayer to others, but they must preach it first to themselves. As an exemplary follower of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1), each must apply the lesson to himself.
PRAYING AS IN EPHESIANS 6:10–20
Paul followed the lead of Jesus in emphasizing the importance of prayer. Before he exhorted the Ephesian readers to pray, Paul exemplified prayer for them. Two spontaneous outbursts of intercession in the midst of descriptions of believers’ wealth in Christ mark Ephesians 1—3. The bounty of grace, amounting to “all spiritual blessings” (1:3 KJV), leads him to pray that his readers will realize in their daily practice the style of life that such amazing wealth makes possible (vv. 15–23; 3:14–21).
Each of Paul’s intercessions reveals facets of paramount import in Christian living and in grasping how to pray relevantly for oneself and others.6 Each shows deep concern for the readers’ spiritual fruitfulness in pleasing God “in all respects,” as the apostle prayed in another epistle (Col. 1:10). His concern demonstrated itself as he asked God to fill them with the knowledge of His will, His power, His steadfastness, His joy, and thanksgiving to Him (vv. 9–12). The primary focus was on these vital concerns, not on physical relief for a broken arm, a new job, or sleep to resolve insomnia. The latter burdens are very important too, in that they relate to things Paul included in his prayers. We are to cast all our care upon God (1 Pet. 5:7). Yet the life-shaping issues that Paul emphasized ought to have a pervasive place in our prayers. Sadly, they are all too often absent from a prayer bulletin or show up only here and there. Pastoral leaders are responsible to correct this through their teaching, example, and emphasis.
After his focus on wealth and his modeling of prayer, Paul devoted his last three chapters in Ephesians to a lifestyle that matches this wealth by expressing it in practical relationships. He showed how believers can translate what he has prayed for them into a daily “walk,” a term he had used in 2:2, 10 and now used frequently in the rest of the epistle (4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15). They should conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the high, God-given privileges afforded them. They could do so through their unity (4:1–16), holiness (4:17–32), love (5:1–7), light (5:8–14), and Spirit-filled lives (5:15—6:9), all qualities that blend simultaneously in each life.
Certainly a walk of that nature is “worthy” (4:1)7 of the wonderful calling in chapters 1—3. The benefits Paul prayed about so urgently for them in 1:15–23 and 3:14–21 mark such conduct.
Following his extended section on the filling of the Spirit, Paul arrived at his last crucial words of the letter. He related the walk he had discussed to the real world that believers face, a world in which all the decent things God upholds are the opposite of all the evils of those who march under the black banner of the prince of darkness. Those possessing God’s wealth and walking as He prescribes are fighting a deadly war (6:10–20).
Power in the Armor
To be victorious in the war, believers need the power of being “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Eph. 6:10). They need “the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left” (2 Cor. 6:7). “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God” (10:4). Nothing less than God’s power can conquer the enemy. This theme related to prayer is found frequently in the Scripture.8 Christians are up against the ranks of devilish legions in the heavenlies and across international boundaries who wield influence and search out believers to attack (Eph. 6:12). The devil uses any opening to oppose those in Christ’s church (4:27). Divine strength (6:10) is a must to combat the enemy’s stratagems (v. 11).
Christians secure that power by appropriating weaponry God has made available. By faith they “put on” or “take” it as a gift, for God has given it in grace. “I take; He undertakes” has been the winning refrain for Christians in conflict. Made strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, they stand their ground as spiritual soldiers whatever the attack may be. They can stop the forces of evil individually and corporately as a church. They are to “stand, therefore” (v. 14 KJV). This is the main exhortation of the section on warfare.
The themes of Ephesians 6:10–20 find frequent repetition elsewhere.9 Much of the essence of Jesus’ Upper Room Discourse, of which John 15:7–8 is a part, is strikingly similar. Paul, a good disciple of Christ, reflected his saturation with Jesus’ teachings as indicated in the figure 10–1.
Parts of the Armor
Six pieces10 make up the list of armor,11 drawn from Paul’s knowledge of Roman military dress and the Scriptures. The few pieces he specifies represent all aspects of the Christian life. The list implies other qualities mentioned elsewhere in the epistle, such as, grace, love, joy, and goodness. God’s grace is abundant in all His provisions (1:3–14; 2:8–10). So is love (1:4–5; 2:4–6; 4:14–16; 5:2). Paul also referred earlier to humility, gentleness, and patience (4:2), holiness (v. 24), and kindness (v. 32).
Truth. Paul began this list with two elements that characterize fruit in the sphere of light. These are the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness (6:14). He grouped a third quality, goodness, with these two in 5:9. Goodness is prominent in the context (4:28–29; 6:8). Truth precedes righteousness as it sometimes does elsewhere (Is. 48:1; Zech. 8:8), though righteousness sometimes comes first (Eph. 5:9; 1 Tim. 6:11). The sequence is flexible, but it is quite appropriate for truth to be first here. The Christian has come into the realm of God’s truth and is pitted with Him against all outworkings of the devil’s lie. So truth is as fitting as anything to begin the armor. God’s truth against the tempter’s falsehood was the issue in the original creation (Gen. 3:5). Truth was the crux again in the conflict Jesus waged against the tempter before launching His public ministry (Matt. 4:1–11). And truth was the issue when the deceitful one made Ananias and Sapphira fall in the infant church (Acts 5:3). Truth is ever the point that the unsaved face when they listen to the father of lies (John 8:44).12 The Christian’s struggle against the devil is also in the realm of truth (1 John 4:1–6).
| Key Words | John 13–17 | Ephesians 6:10–20 |
| power from God (ability) | 15:4–5 | v. 10 |
| prayer related to the Word | 15:7, 16 | vv. 18–20; cf. 6:17 |
| presence of evil one | 13:2; 17:15 | vv. 11, 13, 16; cf. 2:3; 4:26 |
| protection from evil one | 17:15 | vv. 10–17, esp. 11–13, 16 |
| truth | 14:6, 17; 16:13 | v. 14 |
| righteousness | 17:15, 19 | v. 14 |
| peace | 14:27; 16:33 | v. 15 |
| faith | 14:1, 10–12; 16:9, 27, 30 | v. 16 |
| salvation | 14:6; 17:3 | v. 17 |
| Word of God | 14:21; 15:3, 7 | v. 17 |
| Spirit of God | 14:26; 15:26; 16:9–11, 13–15 | vv. 17–18 |
Figure 10–1
The armor passage also comes in a context that has made truth crucial (4:15, 21, 24). Truth works in the battle not only defensively against what is false, but offensively in ministering positively to help others and foster growth (4:3, 15, 25, 28). It is a fragrance “pleasing to the Lord” (5:9–10).
Paul named the girded loins first, because securing the armor at the midsection allows freedom of movement for the feet and legs. Since this assures good balance, agility, and speed in fighting, the upper part of the body will keep upright. For an effective effort against the enemy, everything depends on basic commitment to God’s truth (4:21, 24).
Righteousness. We often see righteousness linked with truth in God’s Word.13 It is the area regarding which the Spirit of truth (John 16:13), the same Spirit who is so crucial in the armor passage (Eph. 6:17–18), convicts the unsaved (John 16:8–11). God imputes righteousness to believers (Rom. 3:21—5:21). Righteousness is an absolute necessity as He continually imparts it in practical, everyday life (Rom. 6:1–22; 8:1–39).
Peace. It is fitting that the third piece of armor is “the preparation of the gospel of peace.” People first close with the truth of the gospel and with righteousness, and peace ensues. By the gospel, God reconciles those who receive it (2 Cor. 5:18–21), thereby conferring peace with Himself (Rom. 5:1)—amity in place of enmity—as well as the peace of Himself for the recipient (Phil. 4:7). The center of that gospel, Christ, is our peace (Eph. 2:14), He established peace (v. 15), and He preached peace (v. 17). Those who receive His message are to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9), bearing witness about how God gives peace with Himself and then a daily peaceful composure that can cope with any circumstance (Phil. 4:6–7). One of the craftiest tricks of the devil is to get his foot in the door (Eph 4:27) by replacing that peace with agitation in a believer’s heart or with discord among believers.
The “preparation” of the gospel of peace for the feet may refer to the firm foundation (see Ps. 18:36) that enables one to remain immovable (Ps. 18:33; 37:31; Hab. 3:19) or to a skill in displaying a God-given composure based on the gospel. Four verses later (Eph. 6:19) Paul bore down on his consuming passion to impart the gospel and focused on the important role of prayer in the successful preaching of it. He wanted more people to enjoy the peace of God and peace with God through receiving “the gospel of peace.”
Faith. How fitting it is for “the shield of faith” to follow truth, righteousness, and the preparation of the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:16). Faith is the instrument by which the unsaved came to salvation (see 2:8) and continues to be of paramount importance in the life of a saved person. Paul said, “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). Though unspecified in this passage, he believed that this faith works “through love” (Gal. 5:6). To him, love and faith went together (Eph. 6:23). He would have agreed with John that faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4), because here he depicted faith as a defensive shield to ward off fiery-tipped arrows the devil’s emissaries aim at Christians. Arrows of all kinds seek to penetrate God’s people: arrows of disunity (Eph. 4:2–3); unholy anger expressed or unexpressed (vv. 25–32); sexually permissive thoughts, words, or acts (5:3–7); temptations to indulge in drunkenness (v. 18); attitudes that threaten joy, thanksgiving, and submission (vv. 19–21); unloving attitudes and acts instead of Christlike love (vv. 22–33); and more.
Pastors as well as their flocks need faith, because all face the same jeopardy. God offers the same weaponry to leaders that He does to their followers. They need to set an example for the flock as did the faithful in Hebrews 11 who made victorious offensive advances as well as defensive stands for God’s cause. In Ephesians, most references to faith deal with positive advances.14
Salvation. Fifth on the list of armor comes the piece called “the helmet of salvation.” This may mean the helmet of protection that salvation is—the wealth is unlimited (see Ephesians 1—3, esp. 1:3)—or the protective helmet that salvation supplies. In the final analysis, either nuance points to salvation as being protective. Salvation means the threefold deliverance that God gives in Christ: in the past sense, eternally clearing us from sin’s penalty; in the present process of struggles against sin’s power (Rom. 7:14–25; 8:39); and prospective anticipation of His promises to set us free from sin’s presence. Some day we shall no longer have a sin principle within but will be redeemed most completely, glorified, and totally monopolized by God’s holiness (Rom. 8:30; Phil. 3:21; 1 John 3:2).
The Word of God. Paul urged believers to take up a final weapon that is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). In many senses the Word is the Spirit’s sword. He gave it in inspiration, uses it to penetrate hearts with conviction at the new birth, uses it to nourish growth, and employs it to minister through believers in their witness to the lost and their instruction to other believers. Through faith the Word wards off enemy arrows and also makes its swordlike thrusts. With the Word believers not only stop the enemy, inflicting damage to the devil’s cause, but also open the way to forge ahead positively in Christ’s cause.
As in John 15:7–8, this passage makes a close tie between God’s Word and prayer. The Word is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17), and Christians are to pray in the Spirit (v. 18). The Spirit teaches the Word together with God’s will (John 14:26; 1 Cor. 2:12–13) and helps Christians respond to God’s will in their praying (see Rom. 8:26–27).
Christ Himself is every aspect of the armor. He is the truth (John 14:6; Rev. 19:11)—the Son—that sets us free (John 8:32, 36). He is our righteousness, imputed and imparted (1 Cor. 1:30); He has “put on righteousness like a breastplate” (Is. 59:17). He is our peace (Eph. 2:14) and the subject of the good news, the gospel. He is the Faithful One in whom faith rests (Rev. 19:11).15 He is our salvation (Ps. 27:1) and has worn “a helmet of salvation on His head” (Is. 59:17). So He has covered the believer’s head in the day of battle, evidently with a helmet (Ps. 140:7). He is the Word of God (John 1:1; Rev. 19:13) that the Spirit ministers. His mouth as the ideal Servant speaking His Word is “like a sharp sword” (Is. 49:2). Christ is the armor, and when Paul personalized this armor in a composite sweep, he said, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Rom. 13:14). We put on Christ in putting on the new man, which is created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Eph. 4:24).
Above all others, the all-important mandate to today’s pastor is to show forth Christ as his “full armor” to the glory of God.
Prayer with the Armor
Christ represents the essence of each aspect of the armor, which is closely associated with prayer. Prayer lays hold of Him: “be strong in the Lord” (Eph. 6:10). Prayer derives its purpose, commitment, passion, values, and priority from the Word.16
Paul and other writers brought out the importance of prayer in a number of ways:
- Paul underscored how vital prayer is by his own modeling of it in intercession for others (1:15–23; 3:14–21).
- His words about the armor flow without a break into the cruciality of praying (6:17–18). Praying is vital for every part of the armor. This is evident in his fourfold use of the word all in v. 18 (such as, in “praying at all times in the Spirit”).
- Scripture often shows believers praying that God will strengthen them or celebrating His power that came through prayer (Ps. 138:3; Acts 4:29–31).
- Although Ephesians 6:10–17 does not mention prayer, Scripture sees it as a saturating element in the armor (see fig. 10–2). “Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer” is the call of the famous old song, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” How apt!
- Many personal examples in the Word of God emphasize the close relationship of victories to prayer. Jehoshaphat and his subjects prepared by prayer and won overwhelmingly against their invaders (2 Chronicles 20). Daniel and his friends responded to a death threat by a night vigil in prayer (Dan. 2:17–23). Jesus faced various trials, steeping His life in prayer (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 6:12; Heb. 5:7).17
| Key Words in Warfare | Ephesians 6 | Biblical Relation to Prayer |
| power | v. 10 | Ps. 119:28; 138:3; Acts 4:24–31 |
| deliverance from evil | vv. 11, 13, 16–17 | Ps. 119:41; Matt. 6:13; Rom. 10:13 |
| truth | v. 14 | Ps. 25:5; 69:13; 119:43; John 17:17 |
| righteousness | v. 15 | Ps. 5:8; 71:2; Phil. 1:11 |
| gospel | v. 16 | Rom. 10:1; Col. 4:2–4 |
| witness | vv. 19–20 | Acts 4:24–31; Col. 4:2–4 |
| peace | v. 15 | Ps. 4:6–8; Phil. 4:6–7; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:16 |
| faith; victory | v. 16 | Ps. 55:23; 119:42; 143:8; James 5:15; 1 John 5:4–5 |
| Word of God | v. 17 | Ps. 119:17–18, 26, 32–40 |
| Spirit of God | vv. 17–18 | Eph. 6:18; Jude 20 |
Figure 10–2
And ourselves? When we demote prayer to a lower priority, do we fancy that we will somehow win battles where these could not? Do we dare depend on the personal power of some driving energy, polished skills, and trusted methods? Are we able on our own where the people of prayer saw urgent need to throw themselves on God? How much more candid could our Lord be than in John 15:7–8 or Paul than in Ephesians 6:10–20? We show that we are fools, setting ourselves up for mediocrity, emptiness, and disaster unless we devote ourselves wholeheartedly to prayer.
The prayer to which Paul summoned Christians is marked in Ephesians 6:18 by the fourfold repetition of all, so it is all-out prayer.
Prayer is for all situations (“in every prayer”). It is for every form prayer can take, be it praise, thanks, confession, petition, intercession, or affirmation. In the last of these we say something like “I love Thee, O LORD, my strength” (Ps. 18:1).
Prayer is for all seasons (“at all times”). Scripture puts prayer at every conceivable time.18 Spurgeon commented on praying seven times a day (Ps. 119:164), “at every touch and turn.”19 Seven denotes completeness in prayer and its habitual recurrence.
Prayer is all in the Spirit. Proper prayer is in His power (Eph. 6:10) and faithful to the Word, which is His sword (v. 17; see John 15:7). Correctly patterned prayer draws from the Word its motives, which the Spirit produces in us. It gains its guidance from the Spirit (see Rom. 8:14), and in every way learns commitment to the Spirit’s purposes.
Prayer is in all steadfastness. Paul used two words to express steadfastness. One means “being on the alert” (from 
, agrypneō). It refers to staying awake or maintaining a watchful sensitivity. This is strategic in prayer to enable one to know what to pray at the right time and not be asleep at the switch. The person praying is to keep this alert vigil “with all perseverance” (
, proskarterēsis), a quality of steadfast endurance, literally “a holding fast to.” Early cowboys guarding a herd at night sometimes took drastic measures to keep alert and hold fast to their work. They rubbed tobacco juice in their eyes to keep at their vigil and to stay awake when weary. They did it in the interests of their boss and for the safety of the cattle. Can we keep effectively steadfast in prayer for the sake of our Lord and for the benefit of others?
Prayer is for all saints. Christians in various collective ways can pray for many and conceivably for all saints. Paul’s letter had all saints of the church in view as Christ’s building (Eph. 2:11–21), body (3:1–13), and bride (5:29–30). No single believer can ever know all the saints or all the needs of those even in a local fellowship. However, Paul probably intended both the corporate and individual coverage in encouraging sensitive prayer for as many Christians as he could be responsibly aware of and mention in his prayers.
Paul also highlighted his own need of prayer by others (6:19–20). Every pastor ought to have many praying on his behalf. Paul requested prayer for boldness and clarity in proclaiming the gospel.20 It is crucial for any who impart God’s Word to do so with God’s help obtained by prayer, whether they speak to many or to one. The Word can pierce as “the sword of the Spirit” (v. 17; see Heb. 4:12).
A FINAL WORD
Jesus in John 15:7–8 and Paul in Ephesians 6:10–20 emphasized the role of prayer in ministry. God has moved to entrust to us this priority. He would say to us, as common parlance has it, “It’s your move.” Let us make the right move, following the lead of Jesus’ and Paul’s teachings and examples.