October 9, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.“

(Ephesians 6.18)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

It is unwise, in my way of thinking about being fitted for spiritual battle, to reflect upon the fervency of prayer which must accompany any reflection and preparation for the day and days ahead. Paul concludes his own preparation of the saints for the ministry of battle against evil, evil forces and the sin-festation which is fostered in the world with a threefold application of prayer awareness. In 1 Thessalonians 5.17, Colossians 4.2 and Romans 12.12 along with today’s Ephesians 6.18, Paul states unequivocally to “prayer without ceasing/at all times/in all circumstances.” We can most certainly be clothed like a Roman soldier headed into battle, as many interpret Paul’s description of a prayer warrior. However, if we are not engaged mentally, physically and spiritually, the armor is not good enough to withstand Shakespeare’s “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” or misfortune as the case may be. The same is certainly true for the description as I have read it and taught it in other settings and reflections which is a priest. I cannot imagine myself being a priest not committed to prayer and prayerful preparation. However, we do know the legacies of Israel’s priests and their sons beginning with Eli and continuing on to Caiaphas who believed more in “preying on people” than “praying over them.” Prayer, proper prayer, is essential to our life success and our life’s work success. We know this from Jesus Himself who taught His disciples how to pray effectively upon their request. I have heard many public prayers which do not align with His template for prayer. Nor do I get the sense that such prayers arose from His discipline of preparing for prayer when He went off by Himself in the morning and evening to speak with God and listen for guidance and wisdom.

What we hear from the Apostle Paul in this verse is very important. He says and directs those who are equipping themselves as a priesthood of all believers to stand up to the root causes and the perpetrators of the imagined practices of their sin-fections, “Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition.” There is a great distinction between some of the prayers we hear in church, on television, in hospitals and in our homes. Some of these prayers are patterned and rote and too easily spill out as if to fill a check box. Those are not “prayers in the Spirit.” Prayers in the Spirit are those where the spirit of that man, woman and child reaches up and out to the Holy Spirit of God who is waiting so close that before the words are uttered the Holy Spirit already knows and is at work to effect an answer. I have always been taught and teach teams that pre-meetings make the actual meeting more effective and successful as well as meaningful and purposeful. Such meetings establish momentum for future meetings as they blend all the participants into one mind, one heart, one spirit and one team! Isn’t that the way it should be? So, it should be in prayer at all times. The living out of a prayer life is committing all our thoughts and actions to the cadence of fulfilling God’s will. A life of prayer is in step with God’s will because we will it that way ourselves. We are preparing ourselves to pray and to be prayed back to in return. Paul knew this for his own life and shared that successful key to understanding prayer to the leaders and followers of all the churches he helped come into being. It worked.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.