Ephesians 6:18-20 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (19) And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, (20) For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."
Recently we saw the whole armour of God and the necessity for each of us to put it on every single day. We must seek to strengthen the core of our being. We must guard our hearts so that they do not grow cold as a result of the actions of the worldly minded people that are around us. We must be ready to answer the call to follow Christ in service by sharing the wonderful news of redemption in Christ Jesus - the forgiveness of sins through the shed blood of our Saviour. We must always carry the shield of faith to quench the fiery darts that are hurled at us everyday. That shield of faith is used by believing the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be sufficient for every need that we will ever have. We must seek to be more proficient in the use of the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. But there is one element that is absolutely necessary if we are going to be able to properly make use of the armour: PRAYER.It is through prayer that we communicate with God in gaining knowledge and strength and determination of service. Prayer is the key that helps us prevail and keeps us in touch with that sweet power of God. Prayer opens the door by which we enter by faith into the very throne room of heaven. Prayer is the boldness that the writer of Hebrews speaks about when he said, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) If Jesus felt the need to be in constant communication with our Heavenly Father, then I surely need to be more faithful in my prayer life. Sometimes that prayer may be an extended amount of time. I have read of men and women who spent hours each day in prayer unto the Lord. More times than not, my prayers are short and to the point. I remember once when I saw the deer just before it ran into the side of my car.. my prayer was two words ... HELP ME! There is not a set pattern as to how long or flowing our prayers must be, but Paul in every one of his letters stressed the importance of constant communication with our Lord. Jesus' arms are constantly open with the message: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) Yes, prayer is of the utmost importance.
1 Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
abide in Him always, and feed on His word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.
2 Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.
3 Take time to be holy, let Him be thy guide,
and run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
and, looking to Jesus, still trust in His word.
4 Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul,
each thought and each motive beneath His control.
Thus led by His Spirit to fountains of love,
thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.